Stress and Learning
Many of our students are young (right out of high school) and not prepared to deal with the every day stresses that most adults are used to dealing with on their own. This is an obstacle to learning and retention. Just being an ear to our students and letting them know that we understand what they are going through can be beneficial.
I have an open door policy, and just stop what I am doing, to listen to students vent their immediate frustrations. I have found in the 5months doing this that most students come up with their own solutions and others need a little extra help. I have a community resource binder where I can refer them.
It's amazing how effective listening and leading can be. Often the students talk themselves to a solution if someone is there to care.
How do you get connected with the students?
Our Vocational College does not have a course. I have been the retention counselor for five months, and suprisingly in that short period I have retained many students by just listening and leading them to solutions to there personal issues, not allowing them to do anything that will not allow them to graduate.
May be worth considering.
No not at this time. The way we deal with it is to talk to other inst and how they deal with it
We have the same situation. A lot of our students are young, without a good support base at the home level. For some of them, we are the only ones that are telling them that there is something better.
Many colleges have a course that deals with the transitional issues [ex. time, stress and money management] students will face. Does your institution have such a course?
