Overcoming friction: How micro-moments of support prevent students from stopping out

Using real-time coaching insights to help students navigate hurdles, build confidence and stay enrolled

On paper, it may appear that student success is defined only by major milestones. However, every major achievement, from progressing term-to-term to graduation, is made up of countless smaller moments of challenges and resilience. Because enrolling, and staying enrolled, in college can be difficult. Consider:

• The adult learner who has failed an important exam due to the challenge of balancing work with studies
• The college freshman who is feeling outside their comfort zone in an online class and isn’t sure how to initiate a much-needed meeting with their professor
• The first-generation student who struggles to file their FAFSA or explore career-propelling campus resources on their own

When students face moments of friction or hesitation like these during their college journey, it can feel easier to stop out than continue. However, having a dedicated coach in their corner can turn these moments of uncertainty into moments of persistence. We call these small but meaningful coaching interactions “micro-moments.”

At InsideTrack, our expert coaches are there to look beyond the big milestones and connect with learners on their level, meeting them exactly where they are — through a quick text, a supportive call or an email with a timely resource.

Retention coaches realize that micro-moments are critical, and they humanize the student experience to ensure that instances of friction don't snowball into reasons to stop out. By using an evidence-based coaching methodology that produces real results for real learners, our coaches help students build the confidence and skills they need to stay enrolled to complete their degrees.

Read on for real learner stories that show these micro-moments in action and learn how our partner institutions use InsideTrack Retention Coaching to strengthen outcomes for every student.

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Real learner stories and the micro-moments that shaped their educational journeys 

Ryan’s story: Forging a path through trying times

A first-generation college student, Ryan Casim faced the daunting challenge of holding a full-time job while enrolled in a nursing program that actively discouraged students from working. He was determined to remain employed, however, so that he would not place a financial burden on his single mother. 

It was a particularly rigorous and competitive program, and Ryan turned to his coach, Emilia, to brainstorm options to help him stay on top of his studies while remaining productive at work. Emilia pointed him in the direction of a financial stipend that would provide him with much-needed time to study and complete his assignments without losing income.

As is true of all journeys, however, Ryan continued to face obstacles. After he failed his initial nursing license exam, Emilia focused their coaching sessions on normalizing setbacks as a learning opportunity, rather than a personal failure. She used the GROW model to help him reclaim ownership of his path forward:

• Goal: Passing the exam on the second attempt and becoming a registered nurse
• Reality: Normalizing the fact that many successful nurses don't pass on their first try and identifying specific areas where Ryan felt challenged
• Options: Brainstorming new strategies to combat test anxiety and unpacking exactly what he learned from the first testing experience to influence his next round of prep
• What’s next: Creating a concrete, actionable plan for his second attempt that felt more manageable than the first

“Together we discussed that failure is never the end point,” Ryan shared, reflecting on this micro-moment as a point in which he could have stopped out of school, but pushed on to complete his degree instead. Ryan eventually graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA while working two jobs and landed a prestigious RN position. Emilia notes, “With such a long relationship, every success was sweeter than the last, because that was part of a long, long-term plan. These milestones of successes and wins continued to add up.”

Yafreysy’s story: From perfectionism to personal balance

At age 12, Yafreysy Mora moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic, quickly realizing that in order to be successful, she needed to learn to navigate school, language and paperwork on her own. She always dreamed of going to college, and since she was used to being successfully independent, she originally dismissed a meeting with a success coach once she was enrolled at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU).

However, having never experienced virtual learning before, she began to struggle in an online course and wasn’t sure how to advocate for herself. She eventually turned to a coach for help, who supported her in writing a professional email to initiate a meeting with her professor and share her concerns about the class.

Through this micro-moment, her coach helped Yafreysy shift from a perfectionist mindset to understanding that accepting support is a sign of strength — especially since Yafreysy had been focusing solely on her academics and ignoring basic needs like proper nutrition and sleep.

Her coach used InsideTrack’s five elements of coaching to establish a healthier work-life balance for Yafreysy:

• Building relationships: She created a safe space that allowed Yafreysy to overcome her embarrassment and initial reluctance about asking for help
• Assessing: Her coach looked beyond Yafreysy's high grades to identify that her mental health, nutrition and sleep were being neglected in her quest for perfection
• Advancing: She taught Yafreysy how to draft professional emails, encouraging skills of self-advocation
• Building motivation: She helped Yafreysy redefine "perfect" as simply doing her best
• Strategizing: Together, they were able to integrate her academic goals with her personal life, helping her set healthy boundaries 

“Having a coach shows us it’s okay to ask for help. And then once we have that help, we will be unstoppable,” Yafreysy said. “Changing my mindset has really shaped my entire life from now on.”

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Christian’s story: Navigating the maze to graduation

‍Christian Manty arrived at Old Dominion University (ODU) feeling less than confident, describing this new environment as a "maze.” He immediately understood the importance of having his success coach, Maria Doran, in his corner — especially since this was the first time living away from his parents and he was tasked with navigating more adult responsibilities. Maria and Christian were paired through the "Mane Connect" program, a coaching initiative built through InsideTrack’s Coaching Development and Training program.

Christian and his coach met once every two weeks initially, and the meetings provided a welcome structure for Christian, along with the flexibility to address any unexpected challenges. A moment of friction for Christian came when he needed to fill out his FAFSA, which can be time consuming and confusing for many students. Maria helped him fill out the document correctly, and also pointed him in the direction of the writing success center as another great on-campus resource to help him with tasks like this.

Maria utilized InsideTrack’s focus wheel — a coaching tool used to holistically explore the various parts of a student’s life — to navigate these two micro-moments with Christian. By looking beyond just his grades, they were able to tackle two critical areas of the wheel:

• Finances: Maria brought the topic of finances to the forefront, helping Christian correctly fill out his FAFSA to ensure there were no gaps in funding that could derail his schooling
• School community: Knowing that a sense of belonging is a key indicator for retention, Maria helped Christian integrate more fully into the school community by connecting him with campus resources that could help his college experience flow more smoothly

"It’s really easy to feel lost and not know what to do,” Christian said. “Having a success coach helps me as someone who is spreading their wings and learning how to take on more responsibilities."

Looking back, Christian describes his college journey as "tough.” However, having his coach as a personal teammate helped him stay on track. By graduation, the student who once felt lost in a maze had found his true calling and the confidence to embark on a new career.

"It feels awesome to be graduating," he shared. With his diploma in hand and a resilient mindset, he’s ready to make his mark on the world.

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How institutions are using InsideTrack’s coaching methodology to strengthen outcomes for students

When coaches help individual students navigate small hurdles in real time, the positive effects reach far beyond a single conversation. By intentionally addressing points of friction before they lead to stopping out, our partner institutions have successfully increased student persistence and retention. 

By incorporating our coaching methodology into their own student support models, many of our institutions have seen positive results like:

• Illinois Central College: 18% higher retention rate for coached students vs. non-coached peers
• Loyola University New Orleans: 85% 1st-year retention — a five percentage point improvement 
• Old Dominion University: 18.7% higher first-year retention rate for coached students vs. non-coached peers

By training institutional staff in our coaching methodology, institutions can build the people and processes needed to ensure every learner feels seen and supported for the long haul.

Key takeaways for strengthening student outcomes

The true power of student success lies in the micro-moments — those small, authentic interactions where a coach turns a point of friction into an opportunity for growth. By providing holistic support for the whole student, coaches can address complex factors that go far beyond academics.

This personalized relationship doesn't just improve outcomes, it narrows the gap for those who face systemic barriers to completion, helping institutions build a sustainable culture where every student feels seen, supported and empowered to reach the finish line.

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