Life Skills

The science of finding balance in school and life

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Feb 2021 17:18:16 +0000

The science of finding balance in school and life Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 02/23/2021 - 10:18

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Being a student can feel really stressful, especially during the pandemic. Students have to balance the challenges of mostly-remote and online learning while sometimes experiencing feelings of isolation and loss.

It’s not easy. However, cutting-edge research in neuroscience suggests that people can improve their health, stress levels and even academic performance by reflecting on and making positive changes to their daily routines. Incorporating self-compassion into one’s day can improve wellbeing and a reasonable school/work/life balance, especially during times of stress and transition.

Take some time to hear from �� Boulder neuroscience students and reflect on whether their suggestions for examining your routine (or setting one for the first time!), taking time for wellness and giving yourself the gift of compassion are things you want to incorporate into your day-to-day life.

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Metacognition and Learning Strategies: Reflect on Your Study Skills and Use What Works for You!

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 14:59:24 +0000

Metacognition and Learning Strategies: Reflect on Your Study Skills and Use What Works for You! Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/19/2020 - 08:59

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Metacognition is “awareness about your learning.”

Metacognition* is the ability to:

Think about your own thinking.
Be consciously aware of yourself as a problem solver.
Monitor, plan and control your mental processing.
Accurately judge your level of learning.

Using the following questions as a guide and a metacognitive approach to develop your study skills, identify which study skills have been and are successful for you. You can also reflect on strategies that proved challenging or needed modification. Use this insight to help you recognize what works best for you and plan to use effective and efficient study strategies in the future!

Where (and how) did you learn to study?
What study skills or strategies have you successfully used in previous coursework? Which of these study strategies could be used across multiple courses? Which strategies are better suited to a particular course or subject area?
What study strategies present the biggest challenges to you? Which classes are most directly impacted by these challenges?
Which study strategies or skills do you enjoy utilizing more than others? What do you enjoy about studying in this way?
Explain your current (or most recent) study process for an important exam. When do you begin studying? How often do you study and for what duration? What strategies and skills do you use? What is your biggest concern? �� what are you most confident?
Now that you have reflected on your study and learning strategies, what is one small adjustment you can make to your study routine to make it more effective for you?

*McGuire, S.Y., & McGuire, S. (2018). Teach yourself how to learn: Strategies you can use to ace any course at any level. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, LLC.

Metacognition* is the ability to think about your own thinking; be consciously aware of yourself as a problem solver; monitor, plan and control your mental processing; and accurately judge your level of learning. Using the following questions as a guide and a metacognitive approach to develop your study skills, identify which study skills have been and are successful for you.

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Managing Stress: 5 Quick Tips from A&S Students

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 20:32:26 +0000

Managing Stress: 5 Quick Tips from A&S Students Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/12/2020 - 14:32

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

We asked A&S students to share their advice about the academic skills and resources that helped them the most. Here are their top 5 quick tips for managing stress.

Remember that you’re more than just a student. Your grades don’t define you.
Manage your time wisely to stay on top or ahead of your work.
Don’t neglect your physical and mental health.
Be organized and know your limits. Don’t take on more than you can handle.
Make time for relaxation and healthy outlets.

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3 tips to navigate uncertainty in college

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 19:43:28 +0000

3 tips to navigate uncertainty in college Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/12/2020 - 13:43

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You face a lot of uncertainty in your life, be it in your academic path, in your career path, in your major and finding a job after college. We want to help you navigate its disorienting challenges! Alicia Sepulveda, academic coach in �� Boulder's College of Arts and Sciences, offers three tips to navigate uncertainty.

For more on Carol Dweck's theory of mindset, check out her book.

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The 2 factors that affect students' hope and motivation

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 19:22:18 +0000

The 2 factors that affect students' hope and motivation Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/12/2020 - 13:22

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

How do you maintain hope and motivation when your circumstances change or something doesn't go as planned? Alicia Sepulveda, academic coach in �� Boulder's College of Arts and Sciences discusses two factors to improve your sense of hope: agency and believing in yourself.

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The Feynman Technique

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 11:36:09 +0000

The Feynman Technique Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/07/2020 - 05:36

Cam

The following article was first published in Customizing Life: Personal development - One day at a time.

Richard Feynman was a world renowned and widely successful theoretical physicist, even managing to win the Nobel Prize in 1965. He was a brilliant guy.

And Feynman developed his own personal method for deeply learning and internalizing topics. Now known as the Feynman technique, it’s a simple process, containing 4 repeatable steps:

Step 1 – Study

The first step is easy. In fact, anyone who’s reading an article about learning processes is probably already doing it.

All you have to do is choose a topic and start studying.

Naturally, this makes perfect sense for educational based study, but it can also work equally well for other skills such as sports. Simply write down all of the things you know about the skill on the piece of paper. Try and break it down into its core components and seek to understand it as a whole.

Example

As an example, we’re going to be using the game of chess.

With that in mind, applying step 1 to learning chess would be simple. You’d simply have to start learning the rules and basic strategies. Keep in mind that you’ll need to know enough that you can teach someone else in step 2.

Step 2 – Teach

Once you’ve completely covered the topic, it’s time for step 2. You’re going to teach it to someone else.

If you’d rather avoid actually teaching someone, you can just teach it to an imaginary audience. But the Feynman technique works much better if you use a real person. They’ll be able to give feedback and let you know when something isn’t clear.

Ideally, the person you’re teaching will ask questions and probe you, trying to find holes in your knowledge base. This might feel a little uncomfortable, but it’s exactly what you need in order to proceed to step 3.

Example:

Continuing with the chess example, step two would require you to teach someone else to play chess. You’d need to be able to explain the games’ objectives, rules, how the pieces move and some basic strategies to win.

As your student asks questions, you’ll inevitably discover holes in your knowledge – questions that you can’t answer. But this is exactly what you want.

Step 3 – Fill the Gaps

As I mentioned, step 2 will uncover some gaps in your knowledge.

Step 3 involves going back to studying, but with an intense focus on these gaps. The aim of step 3 is to remove these weaknesses and turn them into areas of strength.

Example:

What holes in your knowledge were uncovered in step 2? If you couldn’t quite remember how a piece moved, how a rule works or why a particular strategy is effective, then this is a weakness that needs to be focused on.

Now, you can go back and study exactly what you need to know. Recover the rules and search for information regarding the effectiveness of the strategy.

Step 4 – Simplify

Ideally, you’ve already greatly improved your understanding of the target skill. However, you’re not done. Now you need to simplify the content.

This step is extremely effective at building your cohesive understanding of a subject. To be able to cut away clutter and explain something so clearly that even young children with limited vocabulary can understand, is extremely difficult. Attempting to do this, forces you to not only deeply master the information/skill but to also grasp how all of the different elements join together.

“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.”

– Albert Einstein

Example:

You now have a much better understanding of chess. But could you explain it in such a simple, clear way that others will certainly understand? Probably not. Chess is a complex game with many rules and strategies involved. To be able to explain this to a child who’s never played and have them understand, is a difficult task.

Break it down into its simplest form. Attempt to express this in a short, clear way. It’s easier said than done.

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Goal Setting and Well-Designed Action Plans for Academic Success

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 11:22:12 +0000

Goal Setting and Well-Designed Action Plans for Academic Success Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 08/07/2020 - 05:22

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The acronym SMART stands for goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented/Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, and Time-Oriented. The acronym has served many students and professionals well to help further define broad goals into more specific, actionable goals. However, goal-setting is just one small step in a larger framework of creating a well-designed action plan.

Well-designed action plans help you break your goal into small, achievable steps; recognize the time and resources needed to achieve each of those steps; and know the deadlines in which you should achieve those mini-goals.

Well-designed action plans also help you look ahead to identify any possible barriers that will keep you from meeting your goals and identify resources and support networks to help you achieve your goals.

When you design your action plans, it can be helpful to visualize your success and possibly even more helpful to visualize achieving each step-by-step. Ask yourself, “How will I feel after I do this next, one small step in my action plan?”

Overview of Well-Designed Action Plans

Include small, achievable steps that are positively reinforced by positive self-talk or other motivators
Look ahead to what problems and challenges may come up in the plan and create additional plans to address those
Celebrate your successes

Ask Yourself

What goal do I want to achieve?
What is the first, second, and third small steps I can take to accomplish my goal?
What will I do when I fail to meet an action step? (Everyone falters in their plans—how will you bounce back?)
How does this plan relate to my values, goals, and strengths?
Who do I want to be and how are my action steps helping me become that?

Now, get started! Write down, type, or log on an app a well-designed action plan to meet one of your goals!

SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented/Achievable, Relevant/Realistic, and Time-Oriented. Learn how to apply the exercise and create a thoughtful, achievable action plan.

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Working Through Uncertainty: Navigating the Uncertain when Nothing is Certain

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 17:08:45 +0000

Working Through Uncertainty: Navigating the Uncertain when Nothing is Certain Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/05/2020 - 11:08

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“What do I have to do to make this uncertainty the best thing that happened to me?” - Bill Johnson, Life Design Catalyst Coach and Facilitator, UNC Greensboro

As a college student, uncertainty is all around you. You make a lot of decisions that may impact your current and future success, and those decisions aren’t always easy. On top of that, there’s plenty of uncertainty in the world. This much uncertainty can cause stress and anxiety, so it’s important to know how to work through it.

No matter what kind of uncertainty you experience, working through the unknown requires a growth mindset and self-awareness. This article helps you reflect on your approach to uncertainty and gives you guidance for creating as much certainty for yourself as possible.

Growth Mindset

When you think about your life’s unknowns, you probably don’t think of them as “good.” There aren’t many people who enjoy uncertainty. However, that doesn’t mean that uncertainty has to be “bad.” Think of uncertainty as neutral, a space of possibility that can lead you to any number of outcomes. If uncertainty is a space of possibility, then your attitude and actions can affect how that uncertainty is (or isn’t) resolved. This is where a growth mindset comes in.

Facing uncertainty often connects to feeling a lack of control. You may become frozen with indecision, or you may try to avoid dealing with the uncertainty. With a growth mindset, you can embrace the challenge of uncertainty and see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s like choosing “fight” over “flight” or “freeze.” Having a growth mindset means having a strong sense of agency: you are confident in yourself and in your ability to solve problems and accomplish goals. In short, you believe that you control your decisions, and you have hope that you can resolve your uncertainty in the best way possible.

Self-Awareness

Growth mindset helps facilitate your agency for effective decision making, but you also need a strong sense of self-awareness to guide your actions. When you face the unknown, it helps to know your strengths--your unique talents or abilities that you can turn to whenever you face a challenge. If you’re not sure what yours are, take the CliftonStrengths Assessment through �� Boulder and discuss your results with friends, family and your academic advisor.

In addition to knowing your strengths, it’s important to know your long-term goals. Of course, your long-term goals can be the source of uncertainty. If that is the case, reflect on the five aspects of wellbeing:

Purpose: What do you look forward to? What is something that you would be happy to do every day?
Social: What do strong relationships look like for you? How do they help you?
Financial: What does financial security mean to you? How will you attain it?
Physical: What does it take for you to feel good and healthy? How will you have the energy to get things done on a daily basis?
Community: What do you need from your community? What do you want to give back to your community?

Thinking through these questions brings your long-term goals into focus. When you have a clear sense of your long-term goals, resolving uncertainty can be a matter of making sure that your daily actions and choices are aligned with those goals.

Finally, remember to practice self-care and try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Everybody experiences uncertainty, and your relationship with uncertainty is a process that takes time and effort. Be kind to yourself and be willing to reach out for help.

http://iteaplus.com/

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Productive Failure: How to Turn Failure into Success

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 16:41:06 +0000

Productive Failure: How to Turn Failure into Success Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/05/2020 - 10:41

A&S AAC Academic Coaching Program

When you think about what it means for you to be academically successful in college, you might think of it as an “either-or” question. Either you understand the class material or you don’t. Either you complete all of your assignments or you don’t. Either you get good grades on your tests or you don’t.

There are actually more than two outcomes when it comes to your academic performance. It’s not just about success or failure; it’s about whether or not the learning experience was productive. Productive learning experiences are ultimately beneficial to your long-term learning, not just your short-term performance.

It’s easy to assume that all successes are productive and all failures are unproductive, but that’s not the case. Depending on how you approach success and failure, your successes can become unproductive and your failures can end up being productive. The following will help explain things.

Productive Success

Maximizes your performance in the short term and maximizes your learning in the long term.

Example: You study hard for your test and get a good grade, but you still take the time to review the test and make sure you understand every question.

Unproductive Success

Maximizes your performance in the short term, but does not maximize your learning in the long term.

Example: You cram the night before your test and it works well enough to get you a good grade, but you completely forget the material as soon as the test is over.

Productive Failure

Does not maximize your performance in the short term, but maximizes your learning in the long term.

Example: You do poorly on your test, so you go to a tutor for help. You make sure that you learn from your mistakes and understand the material before moving on.

Unproductive Failure

Does not maximize your performance in the short term or your learning in the long term.

Example: You do poorly on your test, but you don’t reach out for help. You give up on trying to understand the material and hope that the next test will be easier.

Let’s focus on productive failure, which is perhaps the most important section of the chart. It’s nearly impossible to be academically perfect, so you’re bound to experience failure once in a while. That’s OK! When you do experience failure, what matters is that you know how to turn that failure into success. As you can see from the example, productive failure requires three key elements: reflection, growth mindset and reaching out for help.

When you experience a failure, your first instinct might be to move on and try to forget about it.That’s probably not going to help you in the long run. If you take the time to reflect on what went wrong and what you could have done differently, you’re much more likely to learn from your mistakes and improve your academic performance.

Growth mindset is also essential. Try to adopt a curious, self compassionate approach and think about what is the next small, productive step you can take. Finally, it’s important to reach out for help when you need it. You don’t have to struggle alone and figure everything out by yourself. Whether it’s office hours, tutors or academic coaching, there are plenty of resources out there for support.

So, if you ever find yourself feeling unsuccessful, remember that you have the power to change things. Failure is just a temporary setback and an important learning experience on your journey to success.

Salazar-Núñez, B., 2020. Productive Failure. University of Colorado, Boulder

There is more to your academic performance than Pass/Fail. Productive learning experiences are ultimately beneficial to your long-term learning, not just your short-term performance.

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Why hope matters: Rethinking motivation

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 16:15:56 +0000

Why hope matters: Rethinking motivation Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/05/2020 - 10:15

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Have you struggled in a class because the subject matter didn’t capture your interest? Do you find yourself procrastinating instead of studying or tackling a big assignment? Do you ever find it difficult to manage your time or maintain good attendance?

If you’ve experienced these challenges during your college career, then you’ve likely contemplated the concept of motivation. It may seem that motivation can define who you are as a student and as a person. By extension, it can seem to shape your entire college experience. Those that lack motivation may feel confused or guilty. Motivation may seem like an either/or question: you either have the desire and willingness to be successful or you don’t.

This is simply not true.

We want you to think differently about motivation. Understanding motivation as something that is either “on” or “off” is ultimately unhelpful, especially if you believe that you don’t or can’t control the switch. Motivation is not that simple. There are a myriad of complex factors that contribute to one’s level of motivation, and those factors can be controlled. To move past struggles with motivation, consider the concept of hope as a strategy.

According to Hope Theory, developed by C.R. Snyder, hope is one’s ability to create multiple pathways to goals. Think back on the times you were uninterested in a class, procrastinated or struggled with attendance. Now consider how you approached the problem. Did you believe that you were capable of overcoming the problem? Did you create a clear action plan that you were confident about and knew that challenges would come up in the plan and that is okay? Did you fully commit to executing that plan? Did you keep trying until you accomplished your goal, even if your original plan didn’t work?

If you answered “no” to any of those questions, then perhaps the real issue was low hope, not low motivation.

Hopeful students have a strong sense of agency—they believe in themselves and in their abilities. They can clearly articulate their action plans. If one pathway doesn’t work, they construct another one and recognize failure as part of growth. Hopeful students focus on connecting their present actions to their ideal futures, which allows them to maintain or increase their engagement as they pursue their goals. They see obstacles as opportunities, and they embrace them as an essential part of their learning and growing process.

If you identify as a student with low hope based on the above paragraph, don’t fret! Hope is a matter of mindset, and you have the ability to change your mindset. The next time you face an obstacle, think about what it means to approach that challenge with hope instead of hopelessness.

Hope starts with the belief that you are capable of accomplishing your goals. We believe that too! With that mindset, you are able to create a clear action plan and fully commit to it, even if you need to adjust your plans or if progress seems slow. Focus on hope, and you can persist through many challenges.

Nancy Snow, PhD, a professor of philosophy and director of the Institute for the Study of Human Flourishing at the University of Oklahoma has written about hope as a character trait that helps us thrive. Her definition of hope: “the desire to attain a certain end and the belief it is possible to attain it.”

According to Hope Theory, developed by C.R. Snyder, hope is one’s ability to create multiple pathways to goals. Hopeful students have a strong sense of agency—they believe in themselves and in their abilities. They can clearly articulate their action plans. If one pathway doesn’t work, they construct another one and recognize failure as part of growth. Hopeful students focus on connecting their present actions to their ideal futures, which allows them to maintain or increase their engagement as they pursue their goals. They see obstacles as opportunities, and they embrace them as an essential part of their learning and growing process.

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