What to Expect in October/November
During this time of the school year, scholars may be facing a mix of wonderful and challenging experiences as they navigate through their first year. According to the U.C. Berkeley Resident Assistant Manual, students can face some of the common issues listed below. Though a student can experience many of these issues at any point in their college careers, it can be more challenging for freshmen as they are still adjusting to a new environment. Knowing what challenges students typically face will help you to better understand your scholar's experience and support them
Common Issues
*academic pressure/burnout (exams, assignments, study habits) and feeling of unworthiness
*sense of belonging
*social and dating issues
*crunch of commitments
*identity search/questioning
*homesickness
*travel issues
*health issues over sleep and diet
*not responding to texts/calls
Sometimes it can be hard to know how to support your scholar while they're busy with school. In the early phase of your relationship, scholars may be hesitant to contact you. But we know from experience that this is a stressful time for students and they need your support. This is a good time to email, text, or call your scholar and check in. If you don’t hear back right away, be persistent. This usually works for us. We recommend scheduling a time to talk on the phone. It's hard to hold meaningful conversations over text.
Here are some tips you can consider as you check in with your scholar...
1. Ask About Self-Care
How are their sleeping and eating habits, what is their work/life balance, what are they doing to manage stress?
If your scholar is doing just fine - great! You can talk about groups they joined, fun experiences, or interesting lectures.
But if they are struggling...here are ways you can help:
*Listen and empathize- sometimes students just need someone to care.
*Share stress-reduction strategies that have worked for you.
*Remind students to integrate self-care into their study plan.
*Encourage them to make an appointment with a mental health counselor, talk to a clergy member, call you, or seek out friends/family to help them manage their stress
2. Ask About Challenging Classes
Our scholars often feel the need to handle their problems on their own and seek help as a last resort. It helps to specifically ask about classes they are struggling with or worried about.
Encourage them to:
*Talk to their professors, go to office hours or meet with their TAs.
*Ask about doing extra credit work to bring up their grade (it’s always better to ask for help early rather than the day of the final).
*Try studying with other students who understand the material.
*Go to course-specific tutoring sessions.
3. Ask About Study Habits
Do they have a study schedule that works? A place to study that is free of distractions? Do they study at a time when they are most focused? Do they use a calendar to schedule study time and break up sessions into manageable increments? Do they take regular breaks? (Studies show spacing out blocks of study time and taking breaks improve retention). Do they tend to save difficult material/class work for last and struggle with procrastinating?
Ways you can help:
*Share your tips for getting organized, meeting deadlines, and avoiding procrastination.
*Help your scholars discover what works best for them.
*Offer yourself as an accountability coach. Set up a routine for them to report back to you on goals and deadlines. It's easier to procrastinate, when no one is checking up on you.
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Required Appointments for Freshmen
We recently sent out an email blast to your scholar reminding him/her of the 3 required appointments they must complete by October 31, 2018 in order for them to receive their next scholarship check in January. We also discussed this during your match meeting in the summer. The reason that we ask our freshmen to complete these appointments is because we want our scholars to learn more about their campus resources so they can take advantage of them throughout their college career and before things get too hectic. Below is the description of requirements that your scholar received. Please check in with them about meeting these requirements.
A Tour of the Mental Health Center and/or a Therapy Appointment
College can be amazing, but it can also be stressful, lonely, or really hard at times. Therapy can sometimes help. A therapist will meet with you privately, is not allowed to share what you talk about with anyone, and can be a great place to vent about your stress and strategize ways to feel better. If you would like to try a counseling session to talk about your adjustment to school and just see what a session is like, you can. But it is also OK to just go to the Mental Health Center at your school and find out what services they offer, how you make an appointment, and what kind of problems they can help you with.
A Tutoring Session
Every college offers a variety of tutoring. We want you to attend a session in the subject of your choice. You could try your school's writing center for help with a paper, go to TA's office hours to ask questions, go to your department's scheduled tutoring sessions, or find a peer tutor through EOP or another program. Everyone will need tutoring in something at some point. We want to help you explore what's available and get comfortable asking for help.
A Career Services advising appointment Please visit the Career Center at your school to get help updating your resume. If you want to apply for a campus job or a summer internship, you will need a current resume. Career Centers also offer help finding internships, part-time jobs, practicing interview skills, figuring out your major, and doing career assessment tests to see what fields/majors might be a good fit for you.
