Hello student,

Are you at school, college or university and…

• struggling a bit and quite scared of exams?
• … or getting good grades but just wishing studying could be easier?
• are you notoriously ‘disorganised’ and ‘lazy’?
• … or are you studious but underperforming compared to your siblings/peers?
• not sure how to study, eg. never planned an essay in your life?
• fed up of being nagged?
• (And parents: are you fed up of worrying and nagging?)

I have 30 years’ experience in boosting people’s morale and grades. I work with all ages, levels and backgrounds. Some students just want a quick intervention to resolve a small issue. Others may need help resolving an academic challenge that has been going on for a long time.

Whatever the issue, please take heart. Whether you’re procrastinating over your Masters dissertation, dreading a GCSE resit or working too much or too little for your A levels, there’s usually a way forward.

My approach is friendly, confidential and non-judgmental. I run a private practice in Central London and work face-to-face or remotely as preferred (by telephone or on Skype/Zoom). All my work is one-on-one (though where the student wishes it, the parent can sit in).

Sessions

1. I offer a range of study skills (listed on this site), which I adapt to meet individual preferences. The first session is just a try-out and might be enough. Usually after the try-out, I recommend a 5 or 10 week course of sessions, adapted to the individual. Once students have better technique, their grades tend to jump up, and it’s not unusual for this to happen across many subjects at once.
2. For emotional blocks such as a fear of exams, the main approaches I use are described on this site. Often, it’s just a case of talking things through, as just a little more confidence or awareness can make a big difference to grades.
3. Sometimes parents also need support: call me for a preliminary chat, and see. 

Although people come to improve their school or university performance, I focus mostly on their academic well-being. Three decades of experience have taught me that good grades and motivation flow naturally from that.

In addition

There might be enough free information on this website to help you already. As well as appearing on radio and television, I have written articles for the national press, some of which you can access in these pages. These are rich in study tips (parents seem to love my Guardian  piece on what not to say to your teen!).

From time management to mind-mapping, my book The Student’s Guide to Exam Success explains how to save time and boost grades. It is also unique in tackling the many emotional blocks that often cause underperformance. I wrote it for university students, but A-level students also like it. It’s quick to digest because it contains summaries down the margin, and it also has mindmaps summarising chapters. It’s easily available online.

If you’re in a major hurry before your exams, you can quickly download my Quick and Easy e-books from this site. These inexpensive short ebooks troubleshoot study problems from GCSE to university level, and include material relevant to mature students too.

You can also download, for free, my Quick and Easy Guide to Boosting your Studies and your Morale with EFT. (I also offer a free ebooklet on understanding exam instructions, which I put together because examiners’ top complaint is that students don’t answer the question!).

I hope you enjoy this site and that it brings you benefit.