If you think Academic Life Coaching sounds like the right opportunity for your student, now is a better time than ever to get started. Below you will find a step-by-step guide on finding a coach, setting up an initial interview, discussing the process with your student, and starting a program.

Step 1: Find a Coach

The first step in getting your student into a coaching program is to find the right coach. We have a network of coaches around the world and we can help match your student with a trained and certified Academic Life Coach. Take a look at our coach directory or contact us to find a coach near you. Coaching also works just as well over the phone as it does in person, so if we do not have an Academic Life Coach in your area, there are additional options.

Step 2: Set Up an Initial Interview with a Coach

The point of the initial interview is for the coach to talk with your student about what they can expect to get out of the Academic Life Coaching program. This meeting is an opportunity for the coach and your student to get to know one another, build rapport, try out a few coaching exercises, and determine if they are a good fit for each other. Suppose you and your student decide to proceed with the coaching program after the initial interview. In that case, you and your coach can discuss the desired method of coaching (in person or over the phone), frequency and schedule of coaching sessions, and payment schedule.

Step 3: Talk to Your Student About the Initial Interview

Parents often ask the question, “How do I approach my child about life coaching?” Some students are really hesitant to meet with a life coach. Most coaches meet with students in public places, like libraries and coffee shops, which sets the tone for meaningful conversation in a comfortable setting. The best way to explain the Academic Life Coaching program is not to explain too much. The simple explanation is that it looks at helping students understand how they study and learn best, as well as developing habits and skills that will help them succeed.

Step 4: The Initial Interview

Typically, coaches will suggest that parents attend the first 5 to 10 minutes of the initial interview with their student. The Academic Life Coach will describe her or his background and ask both the parent and student what they are hoping to get out of the next three months of coaching. This initial question produces some useful starting points for the coaching. For the remainder of the initial interview, it is best if the coach and student meet one-on-one, without the parent, in order to give the student the chance to experience what coaching is like.

Step 5: Discuss the Initial Interview and Make a Decision

Usually, it works best if you discuss the life coaching with your child immediately after the initial interview, while everything is still fresh. Parents find that a car ride back from the coffee shop or library is a great time to talk to their student. If students are not interested in continuing with the Academic Life Coaching program after the initial interview, the program will likely not be successful, and you may want to consider an alternative option for your student.

Step 6: Start the Academic Life Coaching Program

At this point, students and parents are usually eager and enthusiastic to start the Academic Life Coaching program and to start experiencing results and seeing what happens during this kind of work. Before you start, your coach will arrange payments and a coaching schedule. All coaches organize sessions and recommend various schedules, based on what they think is best for the student. Most coaches will meet with the student once a week for the duration of the Academic Life Coaching program.