Tag: GEDTS

What’s the plan? What’s next for you?

I help a variety of students and am so lucky that I receive enough referrals that I don’t have to advertise. However, I do need to post some updates for the newbies who find their way here. My last two-year-old post isn’t sending anyone my way, and I want to start helping more students.

I always need to tell a little story first.

It’s that annoying thing when you look up a recipe online, and the lovely gal has to tell you the entire world history of sourdough before she gets to the point. In her defense, if you want to show up on a Google search, you have to have a crap ton of words in the post. “Crap ton” is a crude way to say at least 1,500 words. Really, one would have to go on and on about the etymology of a single word just to come up with that many. So, the history of “academic planning” dates all the way back to….kidding. Basicallly, you can’t just put the recipe and expect any traction, so that’s why those cutie-pie, made-from-scratch-applie-pie ladies have so much text in their posts. Also, I know only two people actually read these little paragraphs, so I can basically fill it with whatever gibberish I want. Clearly.

So, here goes… ➡️ or, JUMP TO THE RECIPE now. 😉

I recently went to Santa Barbara, California, for a week-long personal reset and solo business planning meeting to make a plan for the academic year. Yes, I am one lucky little lady. I don’t pretend I’m not. Before the trip, I went to see my most favorite henna artist in Houston for some temporary ink inspiration. I told her about the dreams, wishes, and goals I wanted to focus on and manifest during my trip, and she designed this beautiful artwork for me. I always want to support small-business owners, so if you’re in Houston and would like to get some henna or join a meditation session, please check out her lovely Instagram page and book an appointment.

I currently have two academic coaching options, so I’ll list those here and on a separate page.

First, mommas and poppas, do you have high school students who need a little guidance on academic planning? Send them my way. Look–I know that you know what to tell them. I know you love them and will give them wonderful advice to set them up for success. I also know that they won’t be able to hear it from you. Seriously, it’s by design. If they acknowledged, respected, and acted on all your advice, they would never move out. It’s too good; they would be your sweet babies forever and never fully form. I fully believe it’s built into the DNA that teens repel parental advice. Send them my way. I’ll whip them into shape.

Second, my wonderful GED-seeking students, do you need some coaching and tutoring to prep for the test? I am still and will always be your gal. I am changing my coaching options just slightly. I had a big epiphany on my trip, and I think my new plan is going to work best for everyone.

If you’ve read this far, thanks for the upvote on the Google search. Please send any students who may benefit from some academic coaching my way. Let’s figure out your plan and what’s next for you.

xoxo,
Dr. Andie
DrAndieB@gmail.com or 508.768.5808

P.S. Okay. All that nonsense only got me up to 550 words, so I think I’ll tell you about my Santa Barbara trip. If I’m going to start blogging again regularly, then I should at least do a proper blog with a high quality quantity word count. If you’re still reading, you’re either related to me or you’re procrastinating from studying, so I bet you’ll allow it.

Let’s talk about planning and goal setting. When was the last time you set an intention for the day, week, or longer? When I went on this trip, I set many personal and work intentions, but I deliberately went to figure a plan on out how to charge my GED students. The real answer is that I want it to be free. Many programs offer it for free. Ideally, I’d love to connect with a non-profit organization that helps the GED-seeking population and have them send me all of their students. I haven’t had much success with that yet, but if you know of a group that may be a good fit, please reach out.

Here’s the problem. We–really, all of us–don’t appreciate free. We don’t value what’s included. We, as a society, have become a little spoiled by how many free things there are in our culture. I’m part of that. On this trip, I could have rented a bicycle, but I stayed at a hotel for two nights that included one for free, which I promptly rode to the beach.

The other three nights, I stayed at a very low-cost hostel as a 48-year-old lady. Those two things probably shouldn’t ever go together. I lived.

Sorry. I get sidetracked fairly easily on these things.

My GED-seeking students often don’t have extra income to pay for coaching/tutoring, but when I offer it for free, they haven’t literally or figuratively “bought in” to the process. Therefore, I end up with a lot of no-shows and people who fade away into the sunset, never to complete all sections of the test. While I was doing a lovely little meditation on the beach, it came to me like a typewriter writing across my forehead. “Charge for the cost of the test and hold it.” I had previously thought about that option but didn’t want to fool with it when it came time to pay for the test. I have now figured that part out. So, if you’re a Texas student, the cost to work with me is $181. That includes the four test sections and two retakes, if necessary. If you’re in another state, call me, and I’ll give you a price. Each state charges a different rate for test sections and retakes. Warning: If you stop working with me, there will be no refunds. I will put the extra funds towards helping students take the test. For example, I have a student right now who has no way to get to the testing center, so we are trying to raise money to get a rideshare option.

I’ll try this route and see if it works to keep my goal of providing free services while having students buy in. I’ll keep you blog posted. 🙂

xo, Dr. Andie

“I need my GED ASAP!”

When I first start working with a new GED-hopeful student, I always ask,

“What’s your timeline? When do you need this completed?”

Ninety-nine times out of one hundred, students tell me they need to earn it as quickly as they can,

or

“I have to have this done by the end of the year” or

“Can I finish it by the end of the month?” or

“AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!”

I can only think of one student who said she was taking her time, which made sense because she had been enrolled in GED-preparation courses for twenty years. She was taking classes because she liked the feeling of being a student, going to class, and practicing fun math problems.

Also, I don’t say this to belittle any student or make anyone feel bad because–um, hello? That’s the dream life. I totally get it.

I say it to help you think about your own journey and what it means to be “studying for the GED.”

Taking another preparation course is a lovely way to FEEL like you’re moving the needle towards achieving that goal, but if you never take the test, it doesn’t move you any closer to the goal.

It’s like saying you need to walk to the store to buy some milk, only you get on the treadmill instead of the sidewalk to start the trek.

Sooo, how do you get to the store, so to speak? I work with coaching students to help them understand why they are often so fearful of taking the test. If that’s you, and you keep thinking something along the lines of, “For some reason, I think I’ll try to take the test when I’m ready,” call me.

I promise I can help you get to the underlying fear of what is holding you back.

However, my favorite professor at HGSE who taught me how to help people get through that stuck feeling also taught me that sometimes people need a technical fix.

Here is the technical fix I want you to use: create a backward plan from your goal.

I want you to write down a list. Yes, like every mathematics teacher you’ve ever had has told you to “show your work,” I want you to do it here, too.

1. Set the goal date to start your study plan.

2. Set the goal date to take the first test.

3. Set the goal date to earn your GED.

And, this is the most important part:

4. Set your goal for what you will do after you have finally achieved the success of earning your high school equivalency diploma.

After you have that list completed,

(It can be in pencil. You are certainly allowed to make changes. If you’re feeling especially brave, try it in pen.),

I want you to go to the next step.

Nope. Stop. I see you trying to get to the goods before you’ve done the work. Stop what you’re doing. Go get something to write with and put pencil to paper, listing those four items. I’ll wait.

Okay, the next step is to get out your calendar and work backward. Look at item #4.

4. Your goal for what you will do after you have finally achieved the success of earning your high school equivalency diploma. For example, you will enroll in your local community college classes after Winter break in January. You’ll want to meet with an advisor on campus about taking the placement tests around December 1. You’ll need your GED certificate or proof of completion.

3. Goal date to earn your GED. For example, you’ll want to have that finished a week before your meeting, which is around Thanksgiving, so you’ll need to back it up to around mid-November for your fourth and final test. Let’s say it takes you, on average, two attempts per section, and you want to take each section with two weeks in between. October will be dedicated to subject #3, September for #2, and August for #1. See how I am moving the dates in reverse to plan for each step?

2. Goal date to take the first test. For example, you might want one month after your study start date. If we follow this plan, you’ll want to take the first section of the real test on the first of August.

1. Goal date to start your study plan. Let’s say you want to study for eight weeks before you take the first test, you’ll want to start studying on the first of June.

So, six to seven months is a very rough, average plan to prepare for and take the test. Of course, there are exceptions, and I have a handful of students complete it very quickly. On the flip side, most of my students take longer than that–NOT BECAUSE THEY CAN’T DO IT, THOUGH. They take longer because they don’t have a solid plan, or they let themselves get sidetracked and let other things in life come first.

I would love to help you come up with a timeline that works for your life and goals. Email or call me, and we can do a quick Zoom meeting to talk about it.

I hope this helps you come up with a realistic plan to finally earn your GED. If you’ve read this far, I know you’re ready. I’m here to help. Also, this feels like such a serious post with no humor. I guess that’s because I’m serious about helping people achieve this goal once and for all. I’ve met so many women that have had this guilt/shame/chore hanging over their heads for the majority of their lives. But, just to lighten the mood, I’ll end with my favorite math joke in case you doubt my love for nerdy math life. Ready?

Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s too bad they’ll never meet.

xo, Dr. Andie

drandieb@gmail.com or 508.768.5808