As the end of the semester approaches, your student may be starting to feel the stress of final projects and exams. Read these tips from Megan Cohara in the UP Health & Counseling Center:

---

College students can easily feel anxious trying to find a balance between school, work, friends, and family while also trying to figure out the rest of their lives. These feelings of stress and anxiety can have a profound effect on overall student wellness. Some students have difficulty staying focused or motivated, can feel overwhelmed, or even contract the cold or flu due to decreased immune function.

What is self-care?

Taking care of one’s self isn’t always easy – especially when students are pushed to place a high priority on academics, work, and extracurricular activities. Self-care means to proactively take steps to care for one’s self through activities or practices that help reduce stress and enhance overall well-being. Self-care helps us stay healthy and provides the opportunity to recharge before burnout sets in.

As students gear up for the end of the fall semester, here are some reminders that you can share with your student on practicing self-care:

Get Enough Sleep

• 7-9 hours of sleep each night is essential to overall health and can affect academic success. Sleep plays a role in many facets of our mental and physical health, including memory consolidation, learning, decision making, critical thinking, and muscle repair.

Unplug from Technology

• Encourage your student to take time each day, and especially while studying, to step away from the phone or computer.

Practice Proper Hygiene

• During times of high stress, students are more susceptible to cold and flu due to a weakened immune system. Students should be sure to wash their hands, shower regularly, and eat a variety of nutritious foods to help keep their bodies healthy.

Make Time to See Friends and Family

• Spending time with loved ones is a primary determinant of happiness. When they are focused on academics, some students feel like they are unable to set aside time for the people in their lives. Time spent with friends or family can help prevent burnout and give a student time to recharge.

Do Something that Makes You Happy

• Self-care can mean something different for everyone. Whether it is hiking, crafting, or reading a book, take some time to do something you enjoy!

---

Finding a Balance Between School and Life

Another area important to student well-being is maintaining a healthy school/life balance. Student burnout is very real, and not taking measures to balance time and obligations can cause unwanted stress and anxiety.  Here are some tips you can share with your student on maintaining school/life balance:

Manage Your Time

• Students can use planners, calendars, or apps to block time for studying, work, club obligations, and even breaks. Students can also use this strategy to include time for self-care every day.
• Make a to-do list and prioritize your work.
• Honestly asses the time you waste.

Aim to be a High Achiever

• Students can work for success without the anxiety of perfectionism by setting standards that are high but achievable, monitoring positive and negative thoughts, reacting positively to constructive criticism, and taking time to enjoy the process – not just the outcome.

Be Where You Are

• Being present is vital to taking in an experience. With the multiple demands that are expected of college students, it is important to stay focused on the immediate situation at hand, whether it is in class, at work, or with friends.

Don’t be Afraid to Say ‘No’

• Take the time to assess and prioritize what you really need. Saying ‘no’ to additional activities can be hard, but it is important to realize how much you can handle at once and to do those things well.

Have Fun

• The demands of school and work should be balanced with time spent doing things you enjoy like hiking, reading or watching movies. Time with friends, family, or on your own is important to feeling happy and refreshed.

---

Megan Cohara works in the UP Health & Counseling Center to provide wellness programs and prevention education initiatives to students regarding the various dimensions of wellness, interpersonal violence, and bystander intervention. Megan’s goal is to help promote overall well-being and success in our community by working to create a healthy and safe environment for students here on The Bluff.

Is your student maximizing their relationship with their Program Counselor, who can support them in planning for academic success? We asked Katie Richardson, an Academic Program Counselor for the College of Arts and Sciences, about academic advising, improving grades, and registering for classes.

1. What is your role as a Program Counselor?

As one of the program counselors within the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), I provide academic planning and advising to all undergraduate CAS students, but our office primarily works with first-year and sophomore students. Program Counselors for each Professional School (Business, Education, Engineering, and Nursing) provide specific academic planning services for students enrolled in programs within that School or College. Students should visit a Program Counselor for degree planning, choosing courses for registration, planning for Study Abroad, discussing summer or transfer coursework, adding majors or minors, or exploring general career options related to specific programs. Program Counselors also assist with UP Orientation and Visitation, so they are a great resource to answer first-year and transfer student question.

2. What is your favorite part about being a Program Counselor?

I love how well I get to know our students over their time at UP! Going to college can be exciting, scary, and overwhelming all at the same time. I like being able to provide a safe, supportive environment to students who may be having a hard time with the college transition. It’s also so exciting to see how a student’s academic and career interests develop and grow throughout their time in college. I’m so glad I get to support them through that process!

3. How can students make the most of their relationship with their Program Counselor?

Visit us often (once per semester is great) and come prepared with questions. Remember that Program Counselors are experts in academic planning, but we also know a lot about the University as a whole. If you’re looking for an on-campus job, wondering how that academic minor might help with your career pursuits, or want to talk about resources on campus, we’re a great place to start. Especially when you’re not sure who to talk to, reach out to your Program Counselor. We’re happy to help!

Click here to find out how your student can contact their Program Counselor.

4. If a student’s mid-term grades aren’t where they want them to be, what advice would you give someone who wants to finish off the semester strong?

Here are a few things for students to keep in mind:

• Connect with resources on campus to get the support you need to succeed. 

Are you having trouble grasping the concepts in your math class? Visit the Math Resource Center in the Learning Commons. Is test anxiety causing you stress? Contact Brother Thomas Giumenta, Learning Assistance Counselor. Accessible Education Services (AES) offers testing and study accommodations to students who are eligible. Find a group of students to study with in your classes. There are lot of ways to work towards pulling your grade up!

• Meet with your professor!

Make an appointment or go to office hours to talk with your instructor about your grade, review any concepts or questions you have, and discuss how you can improve your grades for the second half of the semester. Professors want to help and are more than willing to do what they can so that you are successful in your classes!

• Know your options moving forward. 

Once you’ve met with your professor and have an idea of your possible grade moving forward, you can make a choice on how to best proceed. Most of the time, this means putting together a plan for success (attending class, taking good notes, studying for a certain number of hours per week, etc.). However, if you know that the highest possible grade you can get for the course is a D, then you may consider withdrawing from the class and retaking it at another time. If the class is not required for the University Core or your major, you may consider changing the grade for that course to “Pass/No Pass.” You may also decide that a D is an acceptable grade for this course and that you will work toward obtaining that grade. Meet with your Program Counselor to discuss all your options and choose the one that’s best for you.

5. Do you have any tips to share with students for alleviating concerns or stress regarding class registration?

It’s very normal for students to not get into all of the courses they want each semester. I experienced this myself as an undergraduate student, and I know that most first-year students feel anxious during their first registration experience. However, keep in mind that you won’t be off track to graduate in four years! Make a ‘Plan A’ for registration (the courses you really want to register for), and then make a list of alternative courses that could be used for backup. If it comes time to register and you find that one of your preferred courses is closed or full, try registering for a course on your backup list. If you cannot get into a course that you believe is required for your major and must be taken during a specific semester, please reach out to your Program Counselor for assistance. There will always be a way to get you into the courses that are required to keep you on track.

6. What are the most important dates and deadlines for students to know for advising and spring class registration?

In general, students will want to make an appointment with their advisor between early October and early November to prepare for registration.

Students who are Athletes, Honors, or have AES priority registration will be contacted by the associated office with important registration deadlines. Registration forms will be due to these offices earlier than the regular registration period.

Students can register themselves for classes online at the time designated on the Registrar’s website. Student registration times are selected each year by the Registrar’s office to ensure that all students have the opportunity to register first within their class at least once. Registration takes place November 5–14, 2019.

Students can continue to register after their initial registration period. Registration stays open through the first week of the following semester (January 17, 2020).

---

Katie Richardson, M.Ed. completed her bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology and Master of Education in Student Development. In addition to general advising, Katie also works with undeclared students and students on academic probation. When she’s not working, she enjoys running, snowboarding, and traveling to new places.

Learning by doing. Now doesn’t that sound like fun?

Each student has unique interests, strengths, and skills, so there is no “one size fits all” formula for gaining applied experience in and outside the classroom. Experiential learning can take many forms: undergraduate research, studies abroad, community engagement, clinicals, practicums, or internships.

In an internship, students apply classroom theories to real world workplace settings under the guidance of an experienced supervisor. If your student is looking at completing an internship during their time at UP, whether independently or while earning academic credit, here are four tips for parents to help them along the journey.

1. Empower students to be okay with exploring.

There certainly are students who know the type of internship they want to go after. However, the far more common experience is for students to have a rough sense of what they’re good at and interested in, but not be sure what careers exist that complements both their skills and passions. Internships are designed to be temporary, an 8–12 week “test run” where interns get to explore one organization to see if it’s a good cultural fit or if that field aligns with their interests. If they thrive in their internship? Great! If they don’t love their position or company–better to know now, and try something else next time!

Remind your student that they’ll develop transferable skills regardless of their specific tasks and projects. When talking about finding an internship, please help frame it as one exploratory step in their career education process, and not a lifelong commitment to said organization.

2. Mentor, don’t manage, their internship search.

You have likely applied for jobs. Help your student set realistic expectations and understand the realities of job searching. Coach them through making connections, pursuing multiple possibilities, and following up on introductions and leads. However, let them take the initiative. Students are learning lifelong job search skills by being active participants in this process.

3. Encourage them to start early!

There are on-campus employer events throughout the fall and spring semester, and an abundance of opportunities via Handshake. If your student starts thinking about internships at this point in the year, then they will have time to attend events, network over the holidays, and conduct informational interviews without looming pressure and the time crunch of summer nearing. Help them plan ahead and encourage them to visit the Career Center for support. (By early, I also mean that first-year students and sophomores can benefit from a summer internship!)

4. Provide support throughout the process.

Finding an internship certainly is a process that can often take months and feel discouraging. Your consistent support will help your student build resilience and keep at it when they’re feeling frustrated or unqualified. Affirm who you know them to be, regardless of what they do next summer.

After a lot of dedication and hard work, your student will finally get that sweet offer letter, and the fun and learning will just be getting started! For some internship inspiration, check out our Intern Stories page to see how a variety of UP students spent their summer and what they learned.

---

Audrey Fancher serves as the Internship & Engagement Coordinator in the Career Center. She works with employers to develop and promote internship opportunities, and coordinates with students, clubs, and organizations to collect and tell Pilot internship stories. She also works with UP staff and faculty to coordinate employer events and track internships. Audrey entered this experiential learning field by coordinating and supervising a documentary program abroad for university students after working in international education and trademark law. She cares deeply about the self-discovery and professional development that occurs when students participate in a quality internship!