What is Executive Functioning?

Executive functioning is commonly mentioned, yet its significance for college students may not be fully understood. It is not uncommon for high-achieving high school students to face challenges once they enter college, leaving parents questioning the reasons for this change. These difficulties often stem from deficiencies in executive functioning. To comprehend these deficits, it is essential to grasp the required skills.

College students need a variety of executive functioning skills to succeed, including:

• Organization The ability to manage time and resources to complete tasks and achieve goals

• Task initiation The ability to independently start tasks, which is closely related to other skills like planning, time management, and emotional control

• Self-monitoring The ability to check progress against a plan and realize when you're off track

• Emotional control The ability to recognize and manage emotions appropriately and stay calm and composed under trying circumstances

• Time management The ability to gauge the passage of time and anticipate how long tasks will take to complete

• Planning and prioritization The ability to determine which tasks are most important and urgent and how much time to allocate to each task

• Attention The ability to attend to information before it can be processed and committed to long-term memory

Some students naturally acquire executive functioning skills, while others do not. The current structure of high school typically does not facilitate the development of these skills. Consequently, when students transition to college and must independently manage their daily tasks, academics, and social life, it often leads to challenges. This is where our assistance becomes valuable. What's Next Consulting offers support to help students cultivate these essential skills, ensuring they are not overwhelmed by college life and can sustain their academic achievements. Our First Year Success program can address these needs proactively, or if a student is already facing academic probation or potential challenges, we provide personalized executive function training. Please let us know how we can be of assistance.