Taking Charge of Your College Life and Managing Stress

8/8/2019 Taking Charge of Your College Life and Managing Stress

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Introduction to the course : Packaging yourself for success

UCS 3001Leadership

UCS 2001Communication Skills

UCS 1000Study Skills

UCS 1001 / 1002 /1003 / 1004

Yr3

Yr 2

Yr 1

Knowledge

CommunicationSkills

Language Skills

Personal SuccessProfessional Success

Attitude


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Study Skills therefore incorporates

understanding learning styles, managingtime, thinking critically and creatively andmanaging stress.


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Taking Charge of yourTaking Charge of yourCollege/ UniversityCollege/ University

CareerCareer

LESSON 1


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UNIVERSITY vs. SCHOOLUNIVERSITY vs. SCHOOL

Learning vs. TeachingFew clear limits, rulesor controls

Your time is mostlyyour ownAnalytical thinkingvs. remembering

factsGreater responsibility


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Why students fail college?Why students fail college?

Inadequate concept of the amount and quality o f work required.

Place too muchimportance on otheractivities.

Have vague or no longterm goal.

Fail to assumeresponsibility .
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0966135342/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=bookshttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/0966135342/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books


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Choose an inappropriate major.

Have not mastered the language .

Experience interference frompsychological problems.

Make little effort to overcome poorbackground.

Have chosen the wrong college .(Source: Hopper, H. C. 2004. Practicing College Learning Strategies . 3rd Edition.

Houghton Mifflin: Boston)


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Challenges aheadChallenges aheadNew attitudes andapproaches towardslearning

Maintaining motivation

Managing time

Managing stress

Thinking critically

Expressing academically

Integrity and Ethics


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Warning Signals of AcademicWarning Signals of AcademicDifficultyDifficulty

Fall behind on someassignments

Miss several classes recently

Feel lost or confused in anycourse taken

Rely heavily on friends for help

Feel restless and anxiousConstantly feeling tired orspend a lot of time sleeping


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How to handle academic problems?How to handle academic problems?

Maintain self confidence

Remember that you arenot alone

Take immediate action

Talk with your tutor/lecturer

Explore sources of helpConsider withdrawing


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HANDLING STRESSHANDLING STRESS


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Managing StressManaging Stress

Stress = a naturalresponse to theexpectations,

demands andchallenges of life (McWhorter, 2006,p. 93)


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QuotationQuotation

Stress is the spice of life or the kiss of death- depending on how we cope with it

(Dr. Hans Selye, pioneer in the study of stress)


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Stress or Anxiety

moderate stress,high performance

low stress,lowperformance

High stress,Lowperformance

Source: Herbert Benson, M.D. author of Your Maximum Mind , copyright 1987 by RandomHouse, Inc.


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Figure 1: College students and psychologicalFigure 1: College students and psychologicalstressstress

(Source: Data from Mary Duenwald, The Dorms May be Great, but Hows the Counselling? The New York

Times , 26th

October 2004)


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Figure 2: Reported symptoms of studentsFigure 2: Reported symptoms of studentsspecific mental disordersspecific mental disorders

(Source: Data from Mary Duenwald, The Dorms May be Great, but Hows the Counselling? The New York Times , 26 th October 2004)


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CAUSES OF STRESS

Peer Pressure

Relationships

Financial Problems

Lack of Sleep

Poor Health, Fitness, NutritionExpectations

Workload

Illness


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Changing Habits to Reduce StressChanging Habits to Reduce Stress

Learn to relax- Breathe Deeply- Use Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Control your time- Eliminate Procrastination

Give yourself a break


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Changing Habits to Reduce StressChanging Habits to Reduce Stress

Interact with others

Learn how to say No

Get some exercise

Get the right amountof sleep

Identify stressors

Seek HELP


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Breathe DeeplyBreathe Deeply

The way you breathe affects the way you feel.Experiment by Dr. James Loehr:- When relaxed subjects were asked to

take short, rapid, irregular breaths for 2minutes, nearly everyone interviewed feltworried, threatened, and panicky.

Breathing slowly, deeply and steadily will haveopposite effects.

(Source: Loehr, E. J. & McLaughin, P. J.1986. Mentally Tough . M. Evans and Company, New York)


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Progressive Muscle RelaxationProgressive Muscle Relaxation

PMR connection between tense musclesand a tense mind (Dr. Edmund Jacobson)


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Procedure:- Assume a comfortable position .

- Close your eyes.- Make a tight fist with your right hand, tense

your right forearm.- Hold this position for five seconds.

- Feel the tension in hand and arm.- Slowly release that tension, let it flow out as

you unclench your fist.- Repeat with left hand, shoulder muscles, neck,

abdomen, chest.- Open your eyes


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Eliminate ProcrastinationEliminate Procrastination Nothing [is] so

fatiguing as theexternal hanging of an uncompleted

task (William James, distinguishedAmerican psychologist)


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Facts about exerciseFacts about exercise

A study of 48 students who suffered fromtest anxiety found that test anxiety wasreduced after meditative relaxation and

exercise. (Kenneth, H. Cooper author of The AerobicsProgram for Total Well Being )


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Facts about sleepFacts about sleepIf one does not have enough sleep

short term memory is impaired, theability to make decision is impaired,the ability to concentrate is impaired

(Dr. Charles Czeisler, sleep disordersexpert).

College students need more than nine

and a half hour sleep each night tofeel sufficiently rested (Dr. MaryCarskadon, doctor of chronobiology).


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THE DESTRUCTIVETHE DESTRUCTIVEPATTERN OFPATTERN OFPROCRASTINATIONPROCRASTINATION


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Receives an assignment. Time frame: 15 days

Estimates that a paper will take only five days tocomplete. There is plenty of time.

Time passes

Starts to panic!

Starts working on the assignment

Think Iwork well

underpressure

Barely completed in time

Workprogressesbut losesfreedom


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Student experiences mixed feelings: pride of accomplishment scorn for the teacher who cannot recognise substandard work guilt for getting an underserved grade

NET RESULT- REINFORCEMENT :

The procrastinator is rewarded for his poorbehaviour: Look what a decent grade I got afterall!

AS A RESULT, THE COUNTERPRODUCTIVEBEHAVIOUR IS REPEATED TIME AND TIME

AGAIN

Source: California Polytechnic State University


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References:Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravits. S.L. 2007. Keys to College Studying.

Becoming an Active Thinker . Prentice Hall: NJ.

Carter, C., Bishop, J., & Kravits. S.L. 2007.Keys to Effective Learning.Developing Powerful Habits of Mind . Prentice Hall: NJ.

Hopper, C. H. 2007. Practicing College Learning Strategies . Houghton

Mifflin: New York

McWhorter, T. K. 2006. Study and Critical Thinking Skills in College .6th Ed . Pearson Longman: New York

Pauk, W. 2001. How to Study in College . 7 th Ed. Houghton Mifflin: New York

Taking Charge of Your College Life and Managing Stress

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