C.O.A.C.H. Podcast: Recent Episodes
WSU Academic Peer Coaches
C.O.A.C.H, which stands for College Opportunities and Cultivating Habits, is a podcast designed to help college students enhance their study skills and give them the resources they need to become successful students. Created by Academic Peer Coaches at Weber State University, C.O.A.C.H. aims to make college just a little bit easier by providing students with a wide variety of tips to help any student succeed. From help with procrastination to campus resources, C.O.A.C.H is the perfect podcast for WSU Wildcats wanting to take their grades from average to great, great, great!
Finals week is upon us but fear not! On this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H., coaches Katie, Avalon, and Rannon provide breathing techniques and simple stretches to help alleviate stress and tension in the body. If you suffer from testing anxiety this week, you can try out these useful stress management tips during the test itself! Good luck with your finals, Wildcats!
Resources:
Trula. (2023, Feb. 15). Self-Guided Kundalini Shaking for Students [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ykbfZBaT8g
Weber State University Stress Relief Center. Relaxation Tips. https://weber.edu/relax/relaxation-tips.html
With finals week fast approaching, we'd like to highlight one of the hidden gems here at Weber State University! On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., Katie, Avalon, and Rannon are joined by Dr. Michael Olpin, the Director of the WSU Stress Relief Center. Today, Michael discusses stress management tips, such as stress prevention and mindfulness, as well as the FREE resources available here at Weber State University.
To further explore the Stress Relief Center's resources, visit their website at weber.edu/relax.
Failure is a normal part of life that we all experience, yet most of us try to avoid feelings of failure entirely. On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., coaches Katie, Avalon, and Rannon examine the brain science behind failure, share some of their own experiences with failure, then discuss how to accept, process, and recover. Knowing how to deal with failure builds resilience to future challenges. We hope today's episode will make the prospect of failure a little less daunting!
Happy April Fools' Day, Wildcats! Multiple studies and neuroscience research have shown that humor can actually improve memory recall and retention. Join coaches Katie, Avalon, and Rannon on this episode of C.O.A.C.H. as they discuss the power of humor and how you can use it to enhance your learning. If you need help maintaining motivation in the lead up to finals, these tips can help!
In an earlier episode, we answered some questions that students asked us during the block party. Today, we're back with even more hard-hitting questions from our Weber Wildcats! Join coaches Katie, Avalon, and Rannon on today's episode of C.O.A.C.H. as they give advice to their fellow Weber Wildcats! This week, students ask about time management, study strategies, school-life balance, and ways to pay for college.
If you would like to share your story or ask a question, email us at coaching@weber.edu.
Our instructor interview series is back! On this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H., Katie, Avalon, and Rannon interview one of WSU's very own faculty members, Shannon Dixon. Instructor Dixon is a mathematics instructor, and today she shares her words of wisdom on how students can best approach their instructors.
Feeling stuck or overwhelmed by a routine? Use spring break as an opportunity to break out of your comfort zone! Join coaches Katie, Avalon, and Rannon on today's episode of C.O.A.C.H. as they provide tips on how to challenge yourself. Be brave, try new things, and explore new opportunities to pursue the goals that brought you to Weber State University.
We're about halfway through the spring semester and if you're anything like us, you might be feeling fatigued already. You're not alone! Burnout is extremely common among university students, especially during periods of chronic stress. On today's episode of C.O.A.C.H., Katie, Avalon, and Rannon discuss three aspects of burnout: how to preemptively prevent it, how to spot the physical and emotional signs of burnout in yourself and others, and how to recover and bounce back than before.
Resources:
Kosmin, J. (2023, Feb. 3). Stress vs. burnout: Addressing burnout among college students. Malvern: Behavioral Health. https://www.malvernbh.com/blog/burnout-among-college-students/#:~:text=Burnout%20among%20college%20s...
Sprankles, J. (2021, Aug. 4). Feeling burnt out? Read these quotes when you need a mental reset. Scary Mommy. https://www.scarymommy.com/burnout-quotes.
Wallis, A. (2021, June 16). How to avoid college burnout. Southern New Hampshire University. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/education/college-burnout.
Boundaries are an essential part of self care for they foster respect for your time and energy. Knowing how to establish and maintain healthy boundaries allows you to be assertive about your own needs and limitations with yourself and others. If you struggle to say "no" to things or feel overwhelmed by multiple expectations, this episode for you!
Resources:
Andrade, S. (2021, July 1). Importance of setting healthy boundaries. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/07/01/the-importance-of-setting-healthy-bound...
Brown, B. (2015). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Avery Publishing.
With the WSUSA elections fast approaching, we'd like to highlight some of the hidden leadership opportunities here at Weber State University! For this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H., Katie, Avalon, and Rannon are joined by a special guest, Ashley Potokar! Ashley is the 2023-2024 WSUSA Student Body President, and today she shares the leadership opportunities available with WSUSA and the Student Involvement & Leadership Office.
To learn more about the Student Involvement and Leadership Office's opportunities, visit their website at https://www.weber.edu/StudentInvolvement/. For more information about the upcoming WSUSA elections and how you can run for candidacy, visit their page at WSUSA Election 2024-2025.
Taking notes during lectures is crucial to students' success, but it doesn't have to be boring! On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., Katie and Avalon welcome new coach Rannon as they talk about how doodling on your notes can actually help you synthesize information and maintain your focus in the classroom.
Resources:
Academic Peer Coaching Program. (n.d.). Student Success Resources. Weber State University. https://weber.edu/academicpeercoaching/resources.html.
Wammes, J.D., Mead, M.E., & Fernandes, M.A. (2016). The drawing effect: Evidence for reliable and robust memory benefits in free recall. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 69(9), 1752-1776. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470218.2015.1094494.
During the block party, we asked students to write down questions they would like our academic peer coaches to answer. On this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H., join Katie and Avalon as they tackle hard-hitting questions from our very own Weber Wildcats! This week, students ask about how to conquer time management, bad habits, and fears about what's on the test.
If you would like to share your story or ask for advice, email us at coaching@weber.edu.
Where does your time go? On this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H., join coaches Katie and Avalon as they dive into time management strategies to increase productivity and decrease stress this semester. As we discuss different techniques, pause the episode and give them a try!
Welcome back Wildcats! On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., coaches Katie and Avalon discuss four ways to give your motivation a boost as we begin a new semester. If you need help maintaining your momentum, these tips can help! If you would like to meet with one of our coaches to start this semester on the right foot, email us at coaching@weber.edu.
Resource:
To further explore the Counseling Center Groups we discussed in this episode, visit the Counseling & Psychological Services Center's website at weber.edu/counselingcenter.
Join coaches Katie and Avalon as they discuss how you can practice mindfulness to maintain a positive outlook during finals week. To help boost your confidence, our coaches provide useful mindfulness tips and affirmations for when you feel overwhelmed. Good luck on your finals Wildcats and remember . . . you are resilient in the face of challenges!
With finals week right around the corner, Katie and Avalon invite a special guest to join them . . . Steve Morphet, the coordinator at one of Weber State University's testing centers! In this episode of C.O.A.C.H., our coaches ask Steve how to best prepare for a visit to the testing center during final exams. To learn more about Testing Services and the testing centers on campus, visit their website at weber.edu/testingcenter.
Reference:
TedxTalks. (2017). Extreme Ownership Jocko Willink TEDxUniversity of Nevada [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljqra3BcqWM.
Join us on this episode of C.O.A.C.H. as we wish Saxony goodbye and good luck on her future endeavors. Of course, we couldn't let her leave without sharing some last words of wisdom with us, so take a listen as Saxony shares her insights and final tips for WSU students.
Breaks are important for our mental health, especially as we approach finals! On this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H., Katie and Avalon discuss tips for how you can have a rejuvenating Thanksgiving break while still preparing for finals. Happy Thanksgiving week Wildcats!
On this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H., Katie, Saxony, and Avalon invite a special guest to join them . . . Jesus Garcia! Jesus is an Academic Advisor for the College of Science and teaches a course on design thinking for the Wildcat Scholars Program. Today, he discusses design thinking methodology and how you can use it to tackle problems solving dilemmas.
Resources:
Gibbons, S. (2016). Design thinking 1010. Nielsen Norman Group, Retrieved from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/designthinking/.
Liedtka, J. (2018). Why design thinking works. Harvard Business Review, Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/09/why-design-thinking-works.
Tulane, T. (2020). Taylor Tulane: An introduction to life design: 7 core frameworks. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r50GQyHUaHc.
With class registration opening today, we'd like to highlight some of the hidden opportunities here at Weber State University! For this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H., Katie, Saxony, and Avalon are joined by a special guest, Megan Moulding! Megan is the Coordinator for the Honors Program, and today she shares the Honors Program's scholastic, social, and financial benefits.
To further explore upcoming courses and opportunities in the Honors Program, visit their website at weber.edu/honors.
Student stories are back! Katie and Avalon read real problems from real students and offer their advice. On this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H., our coaches tackle note-taking questions, such as taking notes for lectures with hundreds of slides, creating a note-taking system for engineering classes with a lot of math, and studying methods for perfectionists.
These stories were found on Reddit, but if you would like to share your story or ask for advice, email us at coaching@weber.edu
Katie, Saxony, and Avalon invite a special guest to join them . . . Aaron Jeffrey, the director of Weber State University's Counseling and Psychological Services Center! In this episode of C.O.A.C.H., Aaron talks with coaches about the FREE mental health resources available at Weber State and how students can make a free appointment with a counselor. If you want to make an appointment or explore the center's online resources, visit their website at weber.edu/counselingcenter.
While we want to ace every exam, that just isn't the reality. On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon share their own experiences with failure and discuss how you can use that experience to create new goals. If you want to bounce back from a low score or a failed test, this episode is for you!
Juggling multiple papers and projects in different classes? We can help you get started! On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., join coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon as they discuss how to plan and balance multiple projects at once.
Want to give your brain a boost? Join coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon on this episode of C.O.A.C.H. as they list foods that can help fuel your mind during stressful study sessions. Brainstorm different ways you can sneak these brain-boosting foods into your diet!
Midterm exams are right around the corner! On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., join coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon as they explore multiple study strategies that can help you stay focused and get the most out of your study time. If you would like to meet with one of our coaches to learn more, email us at coaching@weber.edu!
On this episodeof C.O.A.C.H., academic peer coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon are joined bySarah Taylor who has worked as a writing tutor for the Weber State UniversityWriting Center. In this episode, Sarah shares how students can get feedback ontheir writing for FREE here at Weber State University and provides tips on howstudents can get the most out of their session. If youwant to make an appointment with a writing tutor or explore the online resourceswe discussed today, visit the center's website at weber.edu/writingcenter.
Why am I a student here? Three weeks in and if you're anything like us, you might be questioning why you're going to college in the first place and whether all this stress is worth it. You're not alone! Join coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon as they discuss how to rediscover your student values and how to recommit to the goals that brought you to Weber State University.
Reference:
Brown, B. (2020). Dare to lead list of values. Retrieved from https://brenebrown.com/resources/dare-to-lead-list-of-values/
Feel like you’veforgotten what you just learned? Youare not alone! Memory and metacognition play a crucial role in remembering,processing, and applying new information. In this episode of C.O.A.C.H., coaches Katie, Saxony,and Avalon are here with quick tips to maximize your memory and metacognition asyou study this semester.
Welcome back Wildcats! In our first fall semester episode of C.O.A.C.H., we discuss an important classroom resource that students often forget to revisit: the syllabus. Join coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon as they discuss six different reasons you should read your course syllabus and how you can use it to succeed this semester.
The countdown to a new semester has begun! Join coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon as they give guidance on how to prepare for your first week of school. In this episode of C.O.A.C.H., our coaches describe building schedules, buying textbooks, and finding peace amidst the back-to-school chaos. Set yourself up for success before the semester even starts!
Starting a new semester can be a daunting task for many students! In this episode of C.O.A.C.H., academic coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon are here to help you get ready for the fall semester. If you need help knowing where to even start, this pre-semester checklist can help!
Student stories are back! Katie, Saxony, and Avalon read real problems from real students and offer their advice. In this episode, our coaches discuss taking handwritten notes in a notebook versus typing notes on a laptop, planning a healthy study schedule, staying motivated despite failure, and more.
These stories were found on Reddit, but if you would like to share your story or ask for advice, email us at coaching@weber.edu
For many students, summer provides a break from school. On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., join coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon as they discuss how you can stay sharp during the summer to make going back to school in the fall a little bit easier. If you need help maintaining motivation during the summer break, these tips can help!
Summer is here Wildcats! Join coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon as they discuss how to navigate academic pathways and classes in order to make the most of your summer semester.
Finals week is here butnever fear! Join coaches Katie, Saxony, and Avalon as they provide tips andreminders that you can use if you feel overwhelmed this week. Good luck on yourfinals and remember that self-care isn’t selfish!
References:
Columbia University’sDepartment of Psychiatry. (2022, March 16). How sleep deprivation impactsmental health. https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-your-mental-health
How to prioritizeself-care during finals. College Success Plan. https://collegesuccessplan.com/blog/how-to-prioritize-self-care-during-finals
With finals weekaround the corner, studying might be unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to beboring! On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., Katie and Saxony welcome new coach Avalon as they offer tips to gamify studying and make it more fun!
Studying might be unavoidable, but it doesn’thave to be boring! On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., coaches Katie and Saxony offersome tips and free online resources that you can use to gamify your studying and make it more fun!
Do you keep getting distracted when you’re supposedto be studying? You are not alone! Join Katie and Saxony on this episode ofC.O.A.C.H. to learn some study tips that you can use to limit distractionsduring study time and discover your ideal “study space” here at Weber StateUniversity.
Student stories are back! Katie and Saxony read real problems from real students and offer their advice. Some topics that are covered are note-taking, restricting phone apps, and more.
On this episode of C.O.A.C.H, Katie interviews one of WSU's very own faculty members, Dr. Bridget Hilbig! Dr. Hilbig is a professor in the botany program, and she shares with us many words of wisdom on how students can best create a relationship with their professors.
Test anxiety is incredibly common amongst students of all ages. Coaches Katie and Saxony are here this week to offer some tips that you can use during your test to ease your anxiety and get that grade you worked so hard for!
References:
Browne, S.J. (2021, April 15). What the vagus nerve us and how to stimulate it for better mental health. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/womensmedia/2021/04/15/what-the-vagus-nerve-is-and-how-to-stimulate-it-...
Fallis, J. (2017). How to stimulate your vagus nerve for better mental health [PDF]. https://sass.uottawa.ca/sites/sass.uottawa.ca/files/how_to_stimulate_your_vagus_nerve_for_better_men...
Moore, C. (2019, March 4). Positive daily affirmations: Is there science behind it? Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/daily-affirmations/
Have you heard of deep learning before? If you said no, that's okay! Katie and Saxony are here to tell you all about it and how you can become a better student in your courses.
Do you struggle balancing academics with your extracurriculars? You are not alone! Join Katie and Saxony on this episode of C.O.A.C.H to learn some tips so that you can be a successful student and still enjoy the activities you are passionate about.
On this episode of C.O.A.C.H, we meet new coach Saxony and talk about Mel Robbins' "5 Second Rule". If you are need of motivation, the 5 second rule is an easy way to get started - literally!
Join us on this episode of C.O.A.C.H, where we wish Emily goodbye and good luck on her future endeavors as she accepts a full-time job teaching at a high school! Of course, we couldn't have her leave without sharing some last words of wisdom with us, so take a listen as Emily shares her final tips for WSU students.
Join us on this episode of C.O.A.C.H, where we wish Noah goodbye and good luck on his future endeavors as he graduates from Weber State University. Of course, we couldn't have him leave without sharing some last words of wisdom with us, so take a listen to the final tips Noah has for WSU students.
On this episode of C.O.A.C.H, Emily, Noah, and Katie discuss common pitfalls that students make when taking notes, and share how you can take your notes from "just okay" to "great"!
Noah, Emily, and Katie invite a special guest to join them on this episode of C.O.A.C.H... Ben Packard from the Ogden Learning Center! Ben talks with the coaches about his role as a tutor and how students can find their own tutor for FREE here at Weber State University.
On this episode of C.O.A.C.H., Noah hosts a fun game to see if Katie and Emily really know their campus resources. Listen in to see if you know about all the incredible resources Weber State has to offer!
Note: Offices and phone numbers may change. The information in this episode is accurate as of December 2022.
It's a new year and a new semester, which means... new classes! Online (and virtual) classes have become more popular since the pandemic in 2020, and students who take online classes require a certain skill sets in order to be successful; worry not though, Katie, Emily, and Noah are here to help!
While cramming for tests is something you typically want to avoid, we understand that sometimes its just something you have to do. In this episode of C.O.A.C.H, Emily, Noah, and Katie discuss how if you are going to cram, you may as well do it right (or as right as you can get with cramming).
Procrastination is something that almost every student struggles with. Join the coaches for this week's episode where they cover the A.C.T. method of overcoming procrastination.
Join Noah, Katie, and Emily for this week's episode of C.O.A.C.H, where the coaches read real-life student stories and share their advice.
These stories were found on Reddit, but if you would like to share your story or ask for advice, email us at coaching@weber.edu
In this episode, the coaches discuss how being intentional can benefit you and your schoolwork, as well as how you can begin your journey of being more intentional.
In this episode of C.O.A.C.H Podcast, the coaches share their textbook horror stories, introduce the SQ3R Method, and discuss some things to avoid when reading your textbooks.
In episode 3 of C.O.A.C.H, the coaches will be discussing mindfulness and how it is linked to your motivation.
References from this episode:Dweck, C. S. (2016). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books.
Smith, J. (2020, September 25). Growth mindset vs fixed mindset: How what you think affects what you achieve. Mindset Health. https://www.mindsethealth.com/matter/growth-vs-fixed-mindset#:~:text=A%20fixed%2Dminded%20person%20usually,can%20lead%20to%20negative%20thinking
In episode 2 of C.O.A.C.H, we will discuss why having a coach can be an important piece to your college success.
On the first episode of our podcast, we introduce ourselves, our program, and what you can expect from C.O.A.C.H Podcast!