By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. I must begin this article with something important: Studying is supposed to be hard. Learning something new and building the neural networks in our brain to store that information is a challenging process that is supposed to make us feel uncomfortable. …
Should You Go to Graduate School? A Practical Guide to Making the Right Choice
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Getting a graduate degree is a big decision, and it’s not one to take lightly. It can open doors, boost your career, or deepen your expertise, but it can also cost you years of time and tens of thousands of dollars. …
10 Things to Do at the Beginning of Every Month to Make School Easier
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Most students think about goals and fresh starts at the beginning of a new school year or the beginning of a new semester. But if that’s been your approach in the past, you’re missing out on an awesome opportunity for growth. …
Better Notes, Better Grades: How Good Note-Taking Changes Everything
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Getting good grades in school is about way more than being smart. In fact, being smart doesn’t have much to do with it. Students with the highest grades tend to have the most efficient systems for doing school. When your systems …
How to Know If You’re Ready for a Hard Semester
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Some semesters are just harder than others. Maybe you’re taking more advanced courses, your professors are a little stricter, or you’re adding an internship or job to the mix (which is maxing out your time, making your semester feel harder as …
3 Unexpected Reasons School Feels So Overwhelming
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. School can feel overwhelming for a million reasons, most of which have to do with the fact that school is hard. I’m dead serious. AP physics can feel challenging because AP physics is challenging. Advanced economics can feel difficult because advanced …
25 Things All College Freshmen Need to Know: Top Advice for Students
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Starting college can be exciting, overwhelming, and full of unfamiliarity. Whether you’re moving into a dorm on campus or commuting to college from home, there are some universal truths that will make your freshman year smoother, smarter, more manageable, and more …
8 Tips for Going Back to School As an Adult
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. Going back to school as an adult can be an incredible experience that leads to career and personal growth (and usually, a salary boost). But, going back to school as an adult requires adequate preparation and new strategies. Maybe you’re pursuing …
Why School Is Hard: 7 Invisible Traps That Make School Feel Impossible
By Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. We all know that tests can be hard. Obviously. But for many students, the real reason school feels hard isn’t the work itself: it’s everything around the work that’s the real challenge. The things no one talks about. The invisible stuff. …
How to Clean Up Your Digital Profile Before College (5 Steps You Shouldn’t Ignore)
Katie Azevedo, M.Ed. As you prepare to transition from high school to college, there’s one often-overlooked task that can make a big difference in how you’re perceived by future classmates, professors, and even potential employers: cleaning up your digital profile. In a world where anyone …