Your College Bound Kid | Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews

YCBK 684: Advice For Students Who Struggle in School Because of Learning Differences

Oct 19, 2026
Tara Williams, a chemistry professor and executive-function coach, explores the academic and social hurdles neurodivergent students face in college, accommodations, self-advocacy, time chunking, and body doubling. Davidson College Dean of Admission Chris Gruber discusses standout and overlooked programs, Early Decision rounds, financial aid, testing, essays, resumes, peer recommendations, and Davidson’s supportive community.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
ADVICE

How To Help A Struggling Student Recover

  • Review academic-probation requirements, grades, major fit, accommodations, professor relationships, and study-group options before choosing a recovery plan.
  • Break intimidating assignments into manageable steps, beginning with the topic, sources, and prompt.
ADVICE

Prevent Academic Problems From Snowballing

  • Meet students twice weekly to plan upcoming work before missed assignments become an unmanageable snowball.
  • Address shame and resistance with practical goals that connect academic organization to enjoying college life.
ADVICE

Use Realistic Time Blocks Instead Of Marathon Plans

  • Match planning tools to the student, using Post-its, phone reminders, paper calendars, or digital time blocks.
  • Schedule realistic one-hour work periods, remove notifications, add breaks, and book accommodated exams early.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app