Emotional Balance
The maintenance of a sense of emotional balance is essential for achieving college success. Advisors often encounter students who worry too much, criticize too much, get angry often, hold frustration inward, place blame and experience painful events. Such blend of negative emotions can lead to inefficiency. Inefficiency can trigger a cycle of negative emotions: you begin to worry about your probation and the need to earn a "B" or better in each course. You worry about the amount of assignments and tests that must be completed for your courses. You worry about whether you can fit in enough time to study. You worry about what will happen if you don't get the work done which triggers even more worrying. The "worry circle" below demonstrates how this emotion can enter into your psyche.
When asked to list as many spontaneous stress busters as possible, a sample of academic advisors indicated the following:
College success forces students to place their lives into perspective. Professional counseling services are available to help students clarify their emotions and to develop approaches towards better balance in managing life's unexpectancies.