The Brain Cannot Do It All Alone

Perhaps emboldened by the myth of multi-tasking, or influenced by the pressure of "bootstrap theory" (more in this piece by Nicholas Kristof), many students seek minimal help as they push through college coursework. Some use no scheduling tools, believing they can execute their schedules and learning without incident while keeping tasks and time-delineated responsibilities "in their heads." Over and over, though, these choices leave students falling behind and scrambling to make up for forgotten work.

However, recent research focusing on the brain's limitations, as described in this New York Times article, indicates that our brains may have been pushed close to optimal capacity by the rapid increase in abstract thinking and the cognitive overload of the modern information age. Learners will benefit from outsourcing some of the burden they attempt to place on their brains. Coaching can help learners shift their thinking about what their brains can manage, and then welcome "outsourcing" mental work to available tools, visual and 3-D representations, and other people.

Encountering cognitively overburdened students, coaches can explain the value of learning supports, and ask questions like these:

"Why are you choosing to "fly solo" as a learner --

how does that serve you?"

"What tools and resources might support your learning?"

"What advantages will learning with another person provide academically, personally and professionally?"

Sign up today for our next class:

1 Day Introduction to Coaching

Saturday, April 23