What does it actually mean to “study”, and why do we keep telling students to do it like they should somehow already know how?

You know the scene: staring at the same page, rereading the same paragraph, checking a phone, getting a snack…and somehow calling all of it “studying.” This week, Erin and Nancy are joined by Gretchen Wegner of the Anti-Boring Learning Lab to talk about what’s really going on when brains are bored, full, overloaded, or just plain done.

We get into working memory, cognitive load, the science of actually getting information to stick, and how students can recognize when their brains are getting a little overload-y. Gretchen helps us bring the brain science down to earth with practical ways students can work with their brains instead of just staring harder at the study guide.

Find Gretchen: Anti-Boring Learning Lab — antiboringlearninglab.com

Find Erin: Effective Schooling & Beyond — effectiveschooling.com

Find Nancy: Change with Nancy — changewithnancy.com

Questions, thoughts, or your own EF stories? EFThisPodcast@gmail.com

Erin and Nancy sit down with Deb—an expert in the field (because she’s living it in real time), navigating the college search and application process with her senior son.

From the early pressure that starts way too soon (hello, middle school) to the very real executive function demands of junior and senior year, Deb shares what this process actually looked like day to day—researching schools, managing deadlines, starting essays, and figuring it out as they went.

We talk about what helped, what felt hard, and how to support your teen without taking over—especially when overwhelm and “I don’t know” show up. You’ll hear why starting early matters, how giving your teen a clear mission can shift everything, and why looking at essay topics sooner than you think is a game-changer.

We also dig into the bigger picture—modeling balance, keeping an open mind about “fit,” and remembering this is your child’s journey (even when you have opinions… and you will).

If you’re about to embark on this search and application journey, this one’s for you.

Learn more about Nancy

Learn more about Erin

This isn’t a “which is better?” episode. It’s a “what do I need right now?” conversation.

In this episode of EFThis!, Erin and Nancy break down the real differences—and powerful overlap—between therapy and executive function coaching. Not from a competitive lens, but from a compassionate one.

We talk about how therapy often helps people heal, process, and understand—while coaching helps people build skills, create systems, and turn insight into action. Because knowing why something is hard doesn’t always make it easier to do the thing—especially for neurodivergent brains.

Whether you’re a parent, student, or adult wondering which support makes sense (or if it might actually be both), this episode gives you language, clarity, and permission to choose support without shame.

Growth isn’t linear. Support doesn’t have to be singular.

Nancy

Erin