Preparing for Your Student Session
You are not expected to come to your sessions with clarity, nor certainty about anything. There is no expectation that you have anything figured out. You are expected to be receptive and engaged. That’s it.
These sessions provide a supportive and intellectually engaging environment. Through discussion and reflection, you will develop skills, habits, and insight to thrive. You will benefit most when you are willing to engage openly and thoughtfully.
Preparing for Structured Student Programs
Each program follows a topic-based arc, unfolding as reflective, informed conversations.
Some sessions will include a short preparatory activity or reflection. These tasks are designed to help you learn something specific about yourself, your habits, or your thinking. Each is chosen carefully so you get the most of our time together.
Any preperatory tasks willl be clearly communicated in advance of the relevant session so you can complete these at your own pace.
Completing these tasks thoughtfully, rather than at the last minute, will meaningfully shape the quality of your session. There is no right answer to arrive at; the value is in the reflection itself.
Preparing for Open Mentor Sessions
Our work together is highly individualized and collaborative. To help you gain the greatest value from each session, we encourage thoughtful preparation in advance. Before each session, you may want to:
Consider any current challenges, concerns, or decisions you would like to discuss.
If you feel like you’re struggling, but you can’t identify why, come with an open mind to candidly explore.
Be prepared to discuss both successes and difficulties honestly.
Bring relevant materials when appropriate, such as syllabi, schedules, or advising documents.
For Families
Families play an important role in supporting students during educational transitions and throughout higher education. With the Education Workspace, families can best support this process by:
Encouraging students to take ownership of their commitment to these sessions
Supporting reflection and engagement between sessions
Understanding that growth often involves periods of uncertainty, adjustment, and challenge
Maintaining open and supportive communication without placing excessive pressure on outcomes
Family collaboration may occasionally be incorporated into the process. However, sessions are fundamentally student-centered and intended to strengthen students’ self-awareness, autonomy, resilience, and decision-making capacity.
Angela Duckworth PhD, Leading Psychologist and Author of Grit
"I adore, respect, and admire Caroline Connolly! From my years as her colleague at the University of Pennsylvania, I can attest that her expertise in positive psychology is unusually deep and her ability to communicate and apply it extraordinarily rare."