Why Success Fridays?

These days, students have more pressure to perform than we ever did: Stay organized! Get good grades! Volunteer! Play a sport! Practice your instrument! Start a non-profit! (huh? yeah.) Score high on your SAT/ACT! Get into a good college! Don't forget personal time! The mandates are unending and the difficulty is amplified now more than ever as students struggle to overcome the challenges of distance learning due to Covid-19. 

If your student is having difficulty balancing it all, know that they are not alone and you're in the right place! As they navigate the increased workload and demands on their time, having a weekly place to come together, focus on their productivity and purpose, and create an effective plan for the days and week ahead is exactly what your student needs to step into their greatness and shine throughout their school experience.   

What Does It Do?

Wise Student Success Fridays are innovative, live, interactive meetings for students which take place every Friday from 3:30-4:15 PM Pacific Time, 6:30-7:15 PM Eastern.

Students gain:

  • Practical techniques for time management, executive function, and student/parent/teacher communication

  • A plan for the week ahead through small group and individualized feedback

  • Confidence and networking skills through lively discussion about pressing academic topics with their peers facilitated by a professional  

Weekly meetings are 45-minutes long and facilitated by me, Penny Kostaras, Wise Student Founder and Academic & Life Skills Coach. Meetings take place via Zoom throughout the school year from mid-September to late May.

There's More!

Wise Student 101: Academic & Life Skills Success Program is included with your subscription to Success Fridays.

  • Not only will Students have my live support during weekly Friday meetings, they will also have access to the fundamental time management, organization, study skills, and life skills demonstrated in my flagship program for student success.


Together, Success Fridays + Wise Student 101 offer the total support that students need to feel motivated and empowered to perform at their academic & personal best.

What's in Store Each Week:

  • Planning session where students schedule important academic & personal responsibilities plus weekend study hours for the coming week in their planners or online calendars

  • Open and supportive conversation where students build the helpful habits of communication, time management, and prioritization as they prepare for the week ahead

  • A lively discussion topic relevant to student life with action items to focus on for the coming week

  • An encouraging and secure live forum which allows group members to share ideas, learn from each other, and walk into the new week feeling motivated to succeed

  • Q&A, celebrations, and motivational quote to close out each meeting on a high note

Purpose

Become an integral part of an engaged student network

Plan

Gain a clear sense of what's ahead for the next 1-2 weeks

Structure

Schedule evenings & weekends for maximum productivity

Grow

Focus on life skills that help students step into their greatness

Testimonials

MAXIMIZE TIME

“Attending Penny’s Sunday meetings has really helped me plan my weeks and weekends and maximize my free time. When I organize my upcoming important events and goals, I feel more relaxed and well-rounded as a person and a student.”

— James B.,
San Mateo High School, CA 


HELLO SELF-CONFIDENCE

“Wise Student has impacted my organizational skills tremendously. Every meeting that has taken place is one more step towards success. Our Sunday meetings are fantastic!  They help me gain control of my week one assignment or test at a time. They have brought my self-confidence back to the arena. I now feel prepared for any obstacle in the coming weeks!”

— Niko B.,
Marianapolis Preparatory School, CT


NEW CAPABILITIES

"Under Penny's guidance, I have grown so much as a student. Success Sundays really helped me through my freshman year of high school. I had no idea how to plan or schedule my time prior to our meetings. I am grateful for the opportunity to hang out with Penny and my peers for an hour a week and I know that I will carry the lessons I learn with me throughout the rest of my school and professional life."

— MaryRose C.,
Burlingame High School, CA


PEACE OF MIND

“Balancing the life of a highschooler with their extracurricular activities and studies can be overwhelming. Penny helped our daughter break it down into manageable components that gives her piece of mind and keeps the stress level down at home. Our daughter participates in Penny’s weekly Sunday online sessions which is a valuable tool to start the week off right. Taking time to plan the following week’s schedule helps to stay on target and use time efficiently.”

— Maria P., San Mateo, CA


BOLSTERING MATURITY

“I highly recommend the Sunday coaching sessions! As the mother of a 16 year old son, I can honestly say it feels wonderful to step aside and let someone else take the wheel and hold him accountable for his weekly academic deadlines. The ease of joining the online sessions, as well as how informative the discussions are, make these meetings an absolute MUST!  After just a few weeks into the program, I can see how much my son looks forward to joining every Sunday night and also how he tackles his vigorous academic schedule with more maturity.” 

— Maria H., Hillsborough, CA


*Note: Any reference to Success Sundays is referring to this program. Before Covid-19, all meetings were held on Sundays, but distance learning has made Fridays a more impactful and relevant day for us to meet.

FAQ

  • Are there any prerequisites to join?

    Not at all! Students of all ages and levels can benefit from the planning sessions, conversation topics, goal-setting, and celebrations. At the start of each meeting, I always welcome newcomers and cover the norms for participation, so anyone joining for the first time will feel welcome and know what to expect.

  • Can I try out a meeting?

    Definitely! If your student would like to try out a meeting, you can contact me directly at [email protected] and we will set it up.

  • How long can I join the meetings for?

    For as long as you wish! I suggest being a part of the group for the entire school year – you’ll be amazed at the difference 34 weeks of planning and discussing new topics makes! In May, you can choose to cancel your enrollment for the summer and then re-join in September for the new school year. You might also choose to continue your subscription throughout the summer to catch up on meetings you missed, or re-watch any that were especially helpful. No new material will be produced or added over the summer.

  • How do meetings work with Zoom?

    Weekly meetings take place via Zoom throughout the school year. You'll need to download the Zoom driver to your computer first to connect to the meeting via a link that you can access once you sign up. Download the program a few days before your first meeting to make sure it works. Once the meeting starts, I conduct it like a classroom. We discuss topics, I call on students and they answer, and I have a whiteboard that I write on which students can see on their screens while also being able to view me as I speak.

  • What about privacy?

    Students have the option of participating with their cameras on or they can choose to keep them off and still have voice capability and use of chat features. When a student participates with their camera off, only their voice can be heard when they speak. If a student prefers, they can go by an alias that only I know and I will call them by that name.

  • What if I have to miss a meeting?

    If you have to miss a meeting, video recordings will be available within 24 hours after the live sessions. Recordings will be saved and filed by date within the course.

  • What if a big holiday or event lands on a Friday?

    There are a few holidays and events throughout the school year that will require us to miss a live meeting for the week. In this case, I will pre-record a meeting with just myself and will talk through the planning session and weekly topic as if we were meeting live. Students can then watch the meeting and plan for the week ahead at a time that is convenient for them.

  • Can I do Success Fridays and another Wise Student course simultaneously?

    Absolutely! Success Fridays is fantastic on its own, but they it is also the perfect accompaniment to any other Wise Student course you are enrolled in. It’s always helpful to have a dedicated time to focus on being organized and planning for the week ahead when you’re a busy student, right? Fun fact: the idea for Friday Power Meetings was born from Wise Student 101. They are designed to work together and offer a system that cannot be found anywhere else, with the answers that all students need within an ecosystem that can always be accessed for continued success.