FIRST YEAR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
October 4, 2005
Study Skills Tip of the Week: Visiting Faculty
Faculty office hours are one of the most underutilized resources on any college campus. Often, students find visiting and asking faculty for help difficult. Many of us find asking for help difficult because we fear that others will see our request for help as a sign of ignorance or incompetence. Asking for help, thus, makes us feel vulnerable. Not having all the answers is part of being a student and a human being.
Remember, Truman faculty are here to help you. Most faculty enjoy spending time one-on-one with students. Building relationships with your professors is important. You're going to want to ask faculty to serve as references for jobs and to write you letters of recommendations. Hence, you need to get to know them. To make visiting faculty easier:
Try to visit and meet all of your faculty before you feel that you need help. Asking someone you already know for help is easier than asking for help on the first visit. On your first visit you might ask professors why they chose their disciplines or about career options with their discipline.
Be prepared when you go to visit a faculty member. Know what you want to cover. Preparing a list of questions or topics to cover in advance will help make the session more productive. Of course, even if you can't explain why you're confused and are having difficulty framing your question, you should still go and visit your professors.
Take responsibility for your own academic performance. Don't implicitly blame the professor for your performance by telling your professor that you always do well on other teachers' tests and don't understand why you're doing poorly in her class. Instead, ask your instructor to look over your work and help you identify more effective study strategies for mastering the material.
If you miss class, don't ask your instructor if you missed anything important. Believe it or not, most professors think everything that they say is important! For more tips on what not to ask, check out http://www.lions.odu.edu/~kkilburn/dr_mom/dr_mom_questions.htm#top
For some tips on Office Hour Etiquette, consult http://www.lions.odu.edu/~kkilburn/dr_mom/dr_mom_office.htm#top
The Healthy Lives Tip of the Week: Recognizing Depression
Have you lost pleasure in things you used to enjoy? Do you have trouble sleeping or eating? Does your mood fluctuate between 'high' to sad and hopeless? Are you keyed up and anxious all the time? Are you also having trouble adjusting to college life?
People say college is supposed to be 'the time of your life.' You meet friends that last a lifetime and have the freedom to do what you want. But for many adjusting to college life can be difficult. Many students are left feeling stressed, anxious, disconnected, and alone. Depression and anxiety are not character flaws or personal weaknesses. They are illnesses that are highly responsive to treatment. According to the Mayo Clinic Guide to Self-Care, signs of depression include:
Persistent lack of energy
Lasting sadness
Irritability and mood swings
Recurring sense of hopelessness
Continual negative view of the world and others
Overeating or loss of appetite
Feelings of unworthiness or guilt
Inability to concentrate
Recurrent early morning awakening or other changes in sleep patterns
Inability to enjoy pleasurable activities
Feeling as though you'd be better off dead.
Depression may not go away by itself. If you think that you might be depressed or overly anxious seek professional help. At Truman, help is available at University Counseling Services.
Resource of the Week--Depression Screening
If you are feeling sad and angry, weepy and tired, can't stop worrying, are having nightmares, yo-yo between being elated and being down, or know someone who is, National Depression Screening Day can help you figure out what is wrong. If you have not been feeling like yourself lately, you should come and take a free, anonymous screening in the Student Union on the second floor outside of MainStreet on October 5th, 2005, between 10 am and 3 pm. University Counseling Services will offer free, confidential screenings for depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. At the screening, you can fill out a questionnaire and talk with a counselor about your personal situation. Even if you don't have a mood or anxiety disorder and are just going through a couple of bad days, you are invited to come take advantage of the program and learn about what services are available on campus. You may learn something that may help you or a friend in the future.
University Counseling Services (UCS) provides group, short-term individual, and relationship counseling, as well as consultation and referral services free of charge to all Truman State University students. UCS staff provide training and educational programs for university groups and organizations. Programs which help prevent mental health problems or enhance student well-being can be presented by the professional counselors at UCS.
University Counseling Services is located in the University Counseling Services Building (next to Grim Hall). You can make an appointment or ask a question by calling 785-4014.
Quote of the Week
"But in time, I came to accept, even embrace, what I called 'my confusion,' and to recognize it as a friend and ally, no apologies needed. I preferred to listen rather than to speak; to inquire, not crusade. As a noncombatant, I was welcomed at the tables of even bitterly divided foes. I came to recognize that I had my own compass and my own convictions and if, at times, they took me in circles, at least they expanded outward. I had no wish for converts -- where would I lead them?"
"An editor and mentor at the Post once told me I was 'Wobbly.' I asked who else was in that category and drew comfort from its quirky ranks. They were good people all -- open-minded, inquisitive, and yes, confused. We shared a common creed. Our articles of faith all ended with a question mark. I wouldn't want a whole newsroom, hospital, platoon or -- God forbid -- a nation of us. But in periods of crisis, when passions are high and certainty runs rabid, it's good to have a few of us on hand. In such times, I believe it falls to us Wobblies to try and hold the shrinking common ground."
--Ted Gup from his Essay, "In Praise of the 'Wobblies'" from the NPR Morning Edition Series "This I Believe"
(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138) You can hear the entire short essay at the website.
The First Year Weekly Newsletter is sent to all new students every Tuesday. It provides information, tips, and strategies to help you be successful at Truman. If you do not want to receive the newsletter, see the directions below on how to remove your name from the mailing list.