The Study Sessions: from The Study Buddy

“I’ve got loads of time”, “It won’t take me long” or “I’ll do it later” come up time and time again as the top procrastination tactics with our teens. The fact that these things are rarely true does not mean it’s easy to convince them otherwise.  So what is behind our teens' often dysfunctional relationship with time?

This week our parent-guest is dad to two teens, Matt. His children are Lily, who took her A Levels last year and Joe, who is preparing for GCSE in the summer. 

If you have a teen who is prone to put things off, and not understand where the time has gone, this is the episode that will reassure you that we're in the same boat!

In this third season of the podcast, Nathan - founder of The Study Buddy - will be talking to parents, students and teachers about GCSE and A Level exams in 2022. Sharing these real-life experiences will confirm we're not alone and should also provide plenty of advice and tips when it comes to supporting our own teens.

If you would like to take part in a future episode please drop us a line: [email protected]

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing GCSE and A-Level revision in the run-up to exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 

Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.

Having children is exhausting. I’m not daft I guess I would have realised that would be the case when they were babies, toddlers and even growing up. But no one warned me that this was a perpetual thing right up until they fly the nest – and in some cases beyond. A child can be a handful, two or more - an Olympic event. Wouldn’t it be great if we could leave them to do more for themselves...

This week's episode is with mum of SIX, Julia.  Julie shares thoughts from four children who've been through exams, and as child number five approaches GCSEs in the summer. It makes for a great listen. While the majority of us have one or two children to contend with, we can learn a lot from Julia's experiences. Including notes on perhaps how her children are more self-directed than your typical teen.

In this third season of the podcast, Nathan - founder of The Study Buddy - will be talking to parents, students and teachers about GCSE and A Level exams in 2022. Sharing these real-life experiences will confirm we're not alone and should also provide plenty of advice and tips when it comes to supporting our own teens.

If you would like to take part in a future episode please drop us a line: [email protected]

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing GCSE and A-Level revision in the run-up to exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 
Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.

It’s been a whole two episodes since we mentioned the impact of COVID on our teen’s education.  That was never going to last! In recognition of the fact that those sitting exams this year – being year 11 and year 13 students – have had two years of interrupted teaching and learning, the exam boards have now released what is called Advance Information for the exams. In brief, this is a list of the topics that will be the focus of the big mark questions. On the face of it, that sounds great. But is it actually going to be useful as useful to our teens in the long run – and the short term?

This week I’m delighted to be joined by Dawn Cox – in her second Study Sessions appearance. Dawn is Head of Religious Studies in an Essex secondary school. Dawn is also a prolific blogger and tweeter covering not just RE topics, but teaching and learning in general. She has a particular interest in effective exam preparation.

Just like Dawn's last episode from Dec 2020, this is jam-packed with great advice for parents and teens. Given the release of Advance Information for GCSE, A Levels and other qualifications, we consider the impact of proving a "heads up" on exam content for students.

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing GCSE and A-Level revision in the run-up to exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 
Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.

There’s something about sugary, or creamy, or fried that screams 'treat'. Well, it does to my mind. There are those for whom a crunchy carrot baton and organic hummus are a reward. For most of us, though, I suspect we’d walk blinkered past a quinoa and courgette tray bake in favour of a doughnut any day of the week. But are we missing a trick by being slaves to our tastebuds rather than paying attention to what our bodies might actually need?

This week we welcome Nutritional Therapist Louise Mercieca to the show.

In the show, Louise tackles some of the time-honoured traditions around our eating habits, especially snacks, and explains why they do not serve us - and our teens - well. We cover eating habits as well as some of the key nutrients we should be looking for to help our children be at their best for revision and exams.

In this third season of the podcast, Nathan - founder of The Study Buddy - will be talking to parents, students and teachers about GCSE and A Level exams in 2022. Sharing these real-life experiences will confirm we're not alone and should also provide plenty of advice and tips when it comes to supporting our own teens.

If you would like to take part in a future episode please drop us a line: [email protected]

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing GCSE and A-Level revision in the run-up to exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 
Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.

They say that around 80% of new years resolutions will fail by mid-Feb. That’s an awful lot of promises to revise harder for students and “I’ll stay stress-free” for parents that will have fallen by the wayside. But these things are important to see through. So just how is it that we gear ourselves up for success and try to make new better habits stick?

This week our returning guest is behavioural change expert Shahroo Izadi - author of The Kindness Method.

Shahroo explains why resolutions tend to fail and importantly, she explains what we should do about it! It's an especially poignant episode given promises to study more will often be under pressure around this time. Shahroo offers practical advice and tips on how to help overcome the often felt barriers. We also hear how we can be kinder to ourselves when things of off track. This is vitally important for the teens in our life who could so easily start to become overwhelmed and anxious.

In this third season of the podcast, Nathan - founder of The Study Buddy - will be talking to parents, students and teachers about GCSE and A Level exams in 2022. Sharing these real-life experiences will confirm we're not alone and should also provide plenty of advice and tips when it comes to supporting our own teens.

If you would like to take part in a future episode please drop us a line: [email protected]

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing GCSE and A-Level revision in the run-up to exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 
Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.

For most of us, a successful week of revision comes from us not having to nag or coerce our children – well not too much at least. The idea that there could be some symbiotic relationship, where parent and child actually grow and thrive throughout all of this might feel like a fiction too far. But is this holy grail of parenting really as far from our reach as we might think?

In a Study Sessions first, this week Nathan is chatting with Mother and son duo, Claire and Tom. Tom took his GCSEs last year and is currently studying A Levels at college.

They openly talk about Tom's educational needs and how they worked together to find ways to help Tom achieve his best in his courses. We explore some of their approaches and why both thought that it works. It is an inspiring attitude they have.

This is a great, uplifting episode. All too often we can get caught up in the here and now and forget the "why" of what we're doing.

In this third season of the podcast, Nathan - founder of The Study Buddy - will be talking to parents, students and teachers about GCSE and A Level exams in 2022. Sharing these real-life experiences will confirm we're not alone and should also provide plenty of advice and tips when it comes to supporting our own teens.

If you would like to take part in a future episode please drop us a line: [email protected]

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing GCSE and A-Level revision in the run-up to exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 
Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.

There’s not a parent amongst us who doesn’t want their child to do well. Them doing well gives them more options. It will raise their self-esteem and confidence. And often, from our point of view, it’s what we know they are truly capable of…. But is there a danger at some point do we become more invested in them reaching these arbitrary exam-driven goals on their behalf and lose sight of who they are actually for? Is there a risk that we begin to feel responsible for their achievements?

This week's guest is Katie, mum to two teens, with her eldest taking his GCSEs in the summer.

This is a fantastically honest and open episode. Katie shares her concerns about Liam's revision habits and her seeking counselling to understand her own responses. There is no holding back in explaining how she got caught up effectively believing that her son's results were a direct reflection on her. 

In this third season of the podcast, Nathan - founder of The Study Buddy - will be talking to parents, students and teachers about GCSE and A Level exams in 2022. Sharing these real-life experiences will confirm we're not alone and should also provide plenty of advice and tips when it comes to supporting our own teens.

If you would like to take part in a future episode please drop us a line: [email protected]

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing GCSE and A-Level revision in the run-up to exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 
Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.

Update Description

As we ring in the new year, we’re often symbolically determined to make a fresh start. For thousands of students, there’s renewed vigour – if not enthusiasm – to revise. And a correlated number of parents who are promising to make sure that they do. But you can’t expect a change by doing the same things, so what is it that’ll make this year’s study resolutions stick?

This week's guest is Lee Elliot Major. Lee is the Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter. He's also the author of "The Good Parent Educator".

Lee discusses the ways in which parents can support their teens. Amongst other issues, we hear about the parenting dilemma around involvement and the importance of nurturing self-esteem.

In this third season of the podcast, Nathan - founder of The Study Buddy - will be talking to parents, students and teachers about GCSE and A Level exams in 2022. Sharing these real-life experiences will confirm we're not alone and should also provide plenty of advice and tips when it comes to supporting our own teens.

If you would like to take part in a future episode please drop us a line: [email protected]

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing GCSE and A-Level revision in the run-up to exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 
Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.

The end of term reports are in. In many households, this can hold more sway over Christmas harmony than Santa’s naughty and nice lists. But are we right to put so much store in them? By which I mean the predicted grades not Santa's lists, obviously.

This week's guest is David Didau. David is Senior Lead Practitioner for English at Ormiston Academies Trust. As well as running his blog – The Learning Spy – which is widely recognised as one of the most influential education blogs in the UK, he turns his hand to training and consulting. But that’s not all! He’s also the author of a number of education and cognitive science books including, “Making Kids Cleverer”. 

In the episode, David talks us through how target grades are determined at the end of key stage two. He explains why this is an imperfect system and lacks real meaning in terms of goal setting to students and parents. We also talk through the information that parents really do want when it comes to their students and how to find it out.

For those of us outside the world of education, this could be quite an eye-opener.

In this third season of the podcast, Nathan - founder of The Study Buddy - will be talking to parents, students and teachers about GCSE and A Level exams in 2022. Sharing these real-life experiences will confirm we're not alone and should also provide plenty of advice and tips when it comes to supporting our own teens.

If you would like to take part in a future episode please drop us a line: [email protected]

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing GCSE and A-Level revision in the run-up to exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 
Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.

This week's guest is teen, Emily. She's taking her GCSE exams in 2022. She talks openly about motivation (or lack of)  even though she knows the exams are important. She also explains why she wouldn't mind if exams were cancelled.

It's great to have a teen perspective. Often, as adults, we have a more jaded view of the world. In listening to Emily you appreciate that teens don't necessarily consider things in the same way. It's a refreshing and honest look at studying and revising. And Emily does well to overcome the awkwardness of talking to her dad on the podcast!

In this third season of the podcast, Nathan - founder of The Study Buddy - will be talking to parents, students and teachers. Sharing these real-life experiences will confirm we're not alone and should also provide plenty of advice and tips when it comes to supporting our own teens.

If you would like to take part in a future episode please drop us a line: [email protected]

The Study Buddy is an innovative method for managing revision in the run-up to GCSE and A-Level exams. For more information about The Study Buddy's approach to organising study, time management and revision skills visit thestudybuddy.com 
Produced by Pineapple Audio Productions.