Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Winter break is coming to an end! Students are returning to campus and must begin preparing for the spring semester. We are joined with Maureen Schafer, Senior Associate Director for Academic Advising, to discuss the online tools and on-campus resources that students can use to guide them during their planning. 

 

Maureen Schafer, Senior Associate Director
of Academic Advising

Data Dive with Mirra

With winter in full swing and students coming back from the next semester, we often have to remind students that success is holistic and they need to practice healthy behaviors so they have a strong foundation for planning! Let’s revisit what we tell students in fall pertaining to some wellness components:

  • Sleep
    • Students who get “enough” sleep to accomplish their tasks the next day (6-8 hours/night) have average first term GPAs of 3.05 compared to students who DON’T get enough sleep – they have average first term GPAs of 2.57
    • During month one or two of the semester 80% of students report sleeping on average 6-8 hours the night before they have class
  • Physical health
    • Students who tell us that they are engaging in physical activity in ways that promotes their personal health, have average first term GPAs of 3.05 compared to average fall term GPAS of 2.89 for those who do not
  • Mental and emotional health
    • A national statistic - 1 in 4 college students will utilize counseling services; important to norm this with students and encourage either continuing care or beginning care.
    • We’ve seen a gradual increase the past few years in stress, anxiety, and depression and an increase in students using campus resources to help them manage these concerns
  • Overall, students who engage in help seeking behaviors and use their support team are more successful and satisfied with their college experience.

Episode Resources:

Listen to Episode 7