The Most Common Obstacles to Student Success
CAN YOU RELATE TO THESE STRUGGLES?
BEHIND?
Assignments pile up and the bigger the pile gets, the harder it is to do anything about it.
FRUSTRATED?
Constant reminders, checking-in, and even arguing, causes tensions at home to build. Sometimes this leads to short-term progress, but often no long-term changes.
WORRIED?
You know your child is capable; they might know they are capable. But it seems like they are heading down a slippery slope.
Contact Form
Have a question or not sure where to start? Fill out the form below and we’ll start a conversation.
I’m Here to Help
D.J. Hightower, Academic Coach
Keeping up with schoolwork sounds simple; but for many students, it’s not. Assignments get delayed, deadlines pile up, and even capable students fall into patterns and habits that are hard to break.
Like anything else, academic success is about having systems and strategies in place that work with your brain, rather than against it. When students are given the advice like “Try Harder”, they often find themselves avoiding their studies, staring at blank word docs, or waiting until the very last minute to start. This can lead to missed assignments, tensions building at home, and both parents and students feeling stuck in the same frustrating cycle.
But when students follow the lead of someone who knows how to overcome these types of struggles, because they experienced those challenges themselves, this is a one of the paths to success.
I know what it’s like to procrastinate and overthink while mom and dad are frustrated, unable to understand why I’m not succeeding. But I’ve developed strategies that carried me through college, two masters degrees, and through service in United States Marines Corps. I’d love to show you those strategies.
SIGNATURE COACHING PROGRAM
The Student Success Program
In this structured 8-week program, I work one-on-one with your student to build the systems and skills they need to take ownership of their schoolwork, and their future.
We start by exploring the root cause of the challenges the student is facing, we outline clear and identifiable goals to address those challenges, then introduce a simple process your student can use to follow through; even when work feels difficult, overwhelming, or frustrating.
Over time, we don’t just improve performance. We build independence, so your student can manage their work; and you don’t have to carry the stress of managing it for them.
Start and finish work without constant reminders or pressure
Understand what’s causing procrastination, and how to move forward
Stay on track even when work feels overwhelming or frustrating
Turn in assignments on time without the last-minute scramble
Build the confidence and habits to handle school independently
How Does It Work?
THREE STEPS TO ACADEMIC SUCCESS
BOOK YOUR STRATEGY CALL
Click the button below to book your free strategy call, make sure coaching is the right move
DESIGN A CUSTOMIZED PLAN
Together we’ll map a customized plan for your students unique skills, challenges, and needs
WATCH THE CHANGE HAPPEN
I’ll be there every step of the way to help you and your student put the plan into action
Frequently Asked Questions
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Academic coaching is designed for students who know what they should be doing, but struggle to follow through consistently.
It focuses on building the skills and systems behind academic success, such as:
Time management
Organization
Planning and prioritization
Starting and completing tasks
Managing procrastination and overwhelm
Instead of just helping with one assignment, academic coaching helps students develop a repeatable process they can use across all of their classes.
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Tutoring focuses on what to learn (specific subjects like math, science, or English).
Academic coaching focuses on how to learn and follow through.
A tutor might help a student understand a chapter or complete an assignment.
A coach helps a student:Start work without procrastinating
Stay organized across multiple classes
Manage their time effectively
Build habits that lead to consistent progress
In short:
Tutoring solves today’s assignment. Coaching builds the system for the entire semester. -
My approach is skills-based and practical. We focus on building systems that students can actually use in their day-to-day life, not just ideas or motivation.
I also bring both professional and personal experience to the work.
Before starting my coaching practice, I worked in higher education supporting students academically, which gave me a strong understanding of what leads to long-term success.
At the same time, I’ve personally navigated many of the same challenges I coach students through, including ADHD, procrastination, and difficulty with follow-through. That experience shapes how I approach coaching — with strategies that are realistic, flexible, and designed to work with how a student’s brain actually operates.
The goal is to help students build systems they can rely on, well after their coaching experience is over.
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Most students begin to see improvements in:
Starting assignments earlier
Feeling less overwhelmed
Staying more organized
Following through more consistently
That said, coaching is not a quick fix. The goal is to build skills and systems that last beyond one class or semester.
Results depend on the student’s level of engagement and willingness to apply what we work on between sessions.
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Yes — many of the students I work with have ADHD or struggle with focus, motivation, or follow-through.
My approach focuses on:
Reducing overwhelm
Breaking tasks into manageable steps
Creating structure and external accountability
Building systems that work with how the brain operates
The goal is not to force more discipline, but to create an environment and process that makes taking action easier.
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Parent involvement can be flexible based on what works best for your family.
Typically:
We start with a conversation to understand goals and expectations
Parents receive general updates on progress if desired
Sessions are usually one-on-one with the student to build independence and ownership
The goal is to support the student while gradually helping them take more responsibility for their own work.