My college clients hear a lot of analogies from me during our coaching sessions. I love coming up with analogies on the spot to make a point more relatable for them - I think they are clever!
In this post, I'm going to share the analogy “College is an all-you-can-eat-buffet” in the spirit of Thanksgiving!
The Thanksgiving-Inspired Analogy: “College is an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet”
Today, my busiest day of back-to-back calls with college students, I used an oldie but a goodie multiple times (and it fit with the theme of Thanksgiving-inspired emails hitting my inbox!).
“College is an all-you-can-eat buffet.”
This means don’t wait for the server to come to you. You'll be waiting a long time. This is not the table service from high school. Go up as many times as you want, especially if the first food you served yourself didn't work out.
Getting help, using resources, and asking questions at college should happen regularly! And if there's a delay in the response, ask again!
Struggling to ask for help in college? Check out my blog post!
Overcoming the Fear of Asking for Help
Many college students are afraid of:
"Being annoying if they email their professors again"
Being embarrassed to ask questions because they feel like they "should already know the answers."
So they wait, letting precious time go by, staying confused or stuck.
Why Asking for Help is Essential in College
Navigating college is confusing for everyone. Here are just a few of the areas where students often need clarity:
Getting into classes
Figuring out course requirements
Knowing the order of classes,
Understanding what's going to be on an exam
Financial aid questions
Etc
These are all confusing!
College employees are there to help students navigate all of it, but only if they are sought out.
College employees are there to help students navigate all of it, but only if they are sought out.
Teaching Proactivity: A Key Coaching Goal
Teaching my college clients to be proactive is one of the #1 skills I work on with my clients:
Getting their questions answered
Getting the support they need
Tapping into the expertise on their campuses
We take a look at their internal dialogue on why they don't reach out, figure out what they are afraid might happen, realize that their current position of confusion is not better, and what steps to actually take to reach out.
How to Take Advantage of the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet
Send multiple emails to advisors
Schedule regular check-ins with professors
Make appointments at the career office—even as a freshman
Need any advice on crushing freshman year? Check out my blog post!
Now that's taking advantage of the all-you-can-eat college buffet.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Coaching Support for College Students
As always, click here to schedule a call to talk about your college students and how they are doing in college. Please share with any friends who have college-aged children, especially those who might be struggling. I have new coaching spots opening up for the end of this semester and spring.
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