I shake my head on a daily basis at the incredible variety of ways that people receive, perceive and then respond to information. Just last month I visited with a family interested in preparing for the college application process. The student is in eighth grade. I consider this the ideal age to begin conversations about college.

A few days later, I received a call letting me know that the family is excited about working with me, but they wanted to know what could be done this summer to begin moving along the path toward college. Now, colleges only consider high school activities and information for the most part, so my curriculum begins in the fall of the freshman year. The suggestion I gave my new clients was to contact the freshman English teachers at the high school and inquire about the supplementary reading that will be required in their classes. Those books can be read over the summer and the time that would have been spent reading them during the year can be dedicated to other activities. They thought that was a great idea and I was happy to have been helpful.

Contrast that desire to do everything possible to be prepared with students in sophomore or junior year that ignore repeated requests to dedicate a few seconds to take a screen shot of their grade report and send it to me. Regularly, having sent multiple requests, I wait weeks for a reply from a student only to hear that they have been busy. With the speed that students can type on their phones, it would take less than five seconds to send a message saying that I am really busy right now.

One of my favorite sayings is, “we were not all raised in the same house.” This is my explanation for why we are all so different. What causes me to shake my head is so many students completely ignore assistance that has been proven to help them achieve their goals while other students are asking what they can do beyond the tasks that are given to them.

I have to admit that this is not a complaint. If every client did just as I asked, my job would be quite boring. My clients keep me on my toes and help me refine creative techniques for communicating with others. I shake my head a lot, but I love my job.