(720) 908-2957
Locations
Homework Center
Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO
Behind Many Academic Struggles are Executive Function Skills
Tutoring targets subjects. We target the root — executive function skills: time management, focus, and follow-through, built specifically for the intensity of Colorado School of Mines.
Executive function coaching for Colorado School of Mines students, in-person and remote.
If this sounds familiar
Most Mines students were top of their class before Golden. That stopped working here.
A lot of our Mines students were the top of their class before they got to Golden. High achievement came pretty naturally, so nobody ever had to build the underlying skills. Then CALC 2 or CHGN 121 showed up.
Smart enough for Mines, but can't seem to start the problem set until midnight the night before
Lab reports, homework, and group project deadlines all hit at once, and the system for managing them breaks down
You know the material in your head, but something between "understanding it" and "actually submitting it" keeps breaking
Grades that don't come close to reflecting how well you actually know the content
Wanting to use DSS accommodations but not sure how to advocate for yourself with professors
Courses our Mines students often struggle with
MATH 112Calc 2
MATH 213Calc 3
CHGN 121Chemistry 1
PHGN 100Physics 1
MATH 225Diff Eq
CSCI 262Data Structures
EPICSYear 1 Design
CornerstoneSenior Capstone
We don't tutor these subjects. We coach the skills that make them manageable: planning out a week with PHGN homework and a CHGN lab report both due Friday. Starting the CSCI project six days out, not six hours. Breaking a Cornerstone deliverable into pieces that don't feel paralyzing.
Our Approach
We don't hand you a planner. We build skills with you.
Every Mines student we work with experiences the same three things. We call it the REP framework. It's what keeps coaching grounded, regardless of what's hitting that week in your schedule.
R
Relational
Your coach is typically a recent college graduate, someone who has been through the rigor of a demanding degree and actually gets it. For students with ADHD or executive function challenges, motivation follows relationship, not the other way around.
E
EF Skill-Building
We teach planning, task initiation, organization, and follow-through using your real Mines assignments as the practice ground, so the skills never stay theoretical. No templates that don't fit your actual semester.
P
Personalized
There's no script. Your plan is built around how your brain actually works, whether you're a CSCI major drowning in code, a petroleum engineer buried in lab reports, or a first-year navigating EPICS and CHGN at the same time.
We Know Colorado School of Mines
We don't just know executive function. We know Mines.
We've worked with Orediggers across programs and class years. That means our coaching is specific to what Mines actually looks like week to week, not a generic college student playbook.
The Mines workload rhythm
We understand that weeks with a CHGN lab report, a MATH 213 problem set, and a PHGN quiz don't leave much room for error. We help you plan around that reality, not despite it.
Golden, CO culture
Mines students are outdoorsy, driven, and competitive. We work with students who want to ride trails or ski on weekends and need their academic systems to hold up so they actually can.
Engineering project cadence
From EPICS in year one to Cornerstone Design as a senior, Mines is full of long-arc projects that require sustained planning over weeks. That's exactly where EF coaching makes the biggest difference.
ADHD and learning differences at Mines
We work with students who use Disability Support Services (DSS) accommodations, and those who suspect they need support but haven't gone that route yet. Either way, we meet you where you are.
Self-advocacy with professors
Mines professors are rigorous and often harder to reach than high school teachers. We coach students how to communicate clearly about accommodations, extensions, and academic needs.
The "Mines wall" and through it
Most Mines students hit it. The semester when the workload just doesn't respond to effort alone. We've coached students through that wall, and out the other side with skills that stick.
How Coaching Works
What sessions actually look like for Mines students.
1
Make the week visible
We turn a vague pile of due dates into a real, externalized plan built around your actual Mines schedule: which problem sets come first, when the lab write-up needs to start, what's due before the weekend.
2
Build a "start" strategy
Task initiation is one of the hardest parts of ADHD and EF challenges. We build concrete, personalized first-step routines that get you moving, especially on the nights when you'd otherwise sit at your desk for two hours and open nothing.
3
Break down big deliverables
A CSCI project or Cornerstone deliverable can feel paralyzing from a distance. We help you chunk it into steps, assign internal deadlines, and track progress, so the finish line is always visible.
4
Coach time accuracy
Most students with EF challenges drastically underestimate how long things take. We work on calibrating that sense of time, so "I'll finish it Sunday" actually means Sunday, not 2 a.m. Monday.
5
Build confidence and ownership
The goal of coaching is that students stop needing it. Students who work with us long enough start tracking their own work, catching their own problems, and asking for help when they need it, not after the grade posts.
Common Questions
Mines students ask us these a lot.
Is this tutoring? I don't need someone to help me understand CALC 3.
Not tutoring, not at all. We don't touch the content. What we do is coach the underlying skills that determine whether you actually sit down, work through CALC 3, and turn it in. Starting the problem set, building a schedule that accounts for how long it really takes, staying on track when you'd otherwise open your phone instead. The math skill is yours. We work on the executive function skills around it.
I already use DSS accommodations at Mines. Is coaching still useful?
Very much so. Accommodations give you access to more time or adjusted conditions, but they don't teach you how to plan a week with three overlapping deadlines, initiate a task when you're avoiding it, or communicate effectively with a Mines professor about your needs. Coaching works alongside accommodations, not instead of them.
Do you work with Mines students remotely?
Yes, the majority of our college-age students work with us remotely. We've found that remote coaching works extremely well for Mines students: sessions fit into your schedule, you don't have to go anywhere, and you can work from wherever you study.
I don't have a diagnosis. Can I still work with you?
Absolutely. A lot of our students come to us without a formal diagnosis. They just know something isn't clicking at the level Mines demands. Our coaching focuses on the skills themselves, not on a clinical label. If you're struggling with getting started, staying organized, or managing the pace of Mines, that's enough of a reason to reach out.
How is this different from the Academic Resource Center at Mines?
The ARC offers tutoring and academic support focused on course content. Untapped Learning is something different: one-on-one coaching focused on executive function skills. We're not a replacement for the ARC. Many students use both.
When in the semester should I start?
The sooner the better, but there's no wrong time. Students who start at the beginning of the semester build systems before the workload stacks up. Students who come to us mid-semester often do so because something broke. We work with both.
Ready to get ahead of the Mines wall?
We'll learn about what's happening, what's getting in the way, and whether our coaching makes sense for your situation. It's a 20-minute call, not a sales pitch.