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| Are you feeling the challenge of the post-fall break season, when you hoped students would come back reenergized but instead, some of them seem to be falling apart? This interview in the “Everything is Fine” series from IHE offers some helpful reminders about the challenges our students can face in recognizing that they are not alone in navigating college challenges–and some good suggestions that we can use to help them gain perspective.
For example, developmental psychologist Alexis Redding shares: “One strategy I encourage is understanding and talking publicly about the W-Curve, which describes the predictable ups and downs of the college transition. Early on, students face a setback as they acclimate and try to build meaningful connections from scratch. Eventually they make friends and settle into their classes, but when they visit home during fall break, they often hit another setback, perhaps because home doesn’t feel the same as it used to. When campuses talk about the W-Curve and how normal it is, it sets the tone: students realize they’re not the only ones struggling.” |