Are you wondering what academic life coaching is and how it works?
Perhaps you’re a student who’s thinking about working with an academic life coach?
Or maybe you’re considering becoming one?
Either way, you’re in the right place.
I’m an experienced life coach – and this guide will explain everything that coaches and students need to know about academic life coaching.
By the end of this article, you’ll be far more sure whether this form of coaching is right for you.
What is academic life coaching?
Academic life coaching is essentially a life coaching service tailored specifically for those who are still in education.
It is most commonly accepted by those in high school or college.
However, it could prove just as useful for younger students, or recent graduates struggling to find a career.
It’s important not to mix up tutoring with life coaching for high school students.
The former focuses specifically on a student’s academic curriculum, whereas the latter helps them become a better student in general.
An academic life coaching program will teach students the following skills;
- study habits and routines;
- learning strategies;
- time management;
- organization;
- communication and presentation skills;
- essay writing and exam strategies;
- self-motivation;
- self-advocacy;
- self-understanding;
- goal-setting;
- handling stress;
- career advice.
Some life coaching programs have a strict curriculum for a set number of weeks.
Others are tailored specifically to the student’s needs.
Some students choose to have a coach training them throughout their education, while others may get a coach on board for a few weeks only.
This form of coaching is typically only adopted by students who need a helping hand to get the results they desire in their exams.
Many of them suffer from learning difficulties or mental health problems, such as ADHD.
However, a perfectly capable student may still choose to get training if they are aiming for exceptional academic results.
Some students may want to work with a coach to gain more clarity over their desired career path.
What qualities should you look for in a coach?
The level of academic life coaching training a coach has received is a great initial indicator of their ability to do the job.
In most cases, you’ll be offered a free initial chat with a coach you’re interested in hiring, before signing up to work with them.
During this chat, you can see if you have chemistry with this individual and get a better idea of their coaching concepts.
You can ask about their history working with students in similar positions.
It’s also recommended to screen them for traits such as empathy, compassion, communication skills, active listening and rapport building.
How much does academic life coaching cost?
Life coaches are free to set their own prices.
You can typically expect to pay anywhere between $100-$200 per hour.
Most coaches will charge per hour for their work, although many choose to offer discounts to students who purchase several sessions in bulk.
Some coaches will offer their students free resources to help them accelerate their progress outside of lessons.
How do you become an academic life coach?
As with any other form of coaching work, it’s possible to be hired without any formal life coach training.
However, with the amount of formally accredited coaches out there, it really is a good idea to seek out life coach training so you can show off some accreditation too.
This will help you attract a steady flow of students for you to coach.
Training for academic coaches comes in a variety of forms.
You could choose to sign up for a generic life coach training program.
This will teach you the coaching skills to help people in all walks of life.
However, if you’re sure you want to offer life coaching specifically to students, there are a variety of academic coaching certification programs available too.
Indeed, an academic success coach certification might do a lot to help you stand out from other coaches.
Academic life coach training will focus specifically on the areas of coaching mentioned in the earlier paragraphs, as well as various coaching concepts that could come in handy when coaching teenagers and young adults.
What kind of person would make a good academic life coach?
It’s common for teachers, counsellors, tutors and foster parents to take life coach training with the view to becoming academic life coaches.
Also, many people transition from another form of life coaching to focus exclusively on coaching students.
Indeed, if you’ve completed any form of life coach training in the past, it’s likely you’ll be capable of completing work as an academic life coach.
However, it’ll definitely help if you enjoy working with teenagers and young adults.
You may also need the patience required to work with individuals who have learning difficulties.
There is specialist coach training available for this.
How much does it cost to train?
There are some academic life coach training courses available for between $1,000 and $1,200.
This is cheaper than generic life coach training, which could cost anywhere between $2,000 and $10,000.
Take the time to evaluate the legitimacy of your training course, and the accreditation you will receive upon completing your training.
It’s no good paying for a cheaper training course if the training is sub-par and your qualification isn’t recognised as valuable.
How much does an academic life coach make?
There have been a number of studies detailing the average salary of an academic life coach.
These suggest that they can expect to earn an annual salary between $40,000 and $60,000, depending on demand for their services.
They can increase this demand by boasting a high level of training and many years of experience.
Academic life coaching can change the lives of coaches and students
Hopefully, you have a broader understanding of what academic life coaching involves, and what type of training you’ll need to take to work in this field.
The best thing about this type of coaching is that it will remain useful for most students for the rest of their lives.
Thanks for stopping by and reading my guide. Share this piece with a friend to help them too!
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