Back to School 2023
Advice from Alice Hanko Rush, M.A., CCC Nationally Certified Career Counselor
Writer Sara Gregory is working on a new story for Refinery 29, a national website, on back-to-school mentality for college students year-round. She is looking for insights from college career counselors.
Questions:
1) What are some of the challenges students face in college (here, I'd love if you could discuss college adjustment, mental health, career/life choices, and classes/degree path).
Challenges Students face include managing caring for their parents, caring for their children, working full time in non- sustainable paying jobs making minimum wage and trying to make it through their coursework all at the same time. One may wonder why mental health services on college campuses and amongst college students are at an all-time high in demand right now! A recent study interviewing youth indicated one and three students’ self -reported needing mental health services (US Dept of Education, Feb. 2023 report.) Additional challenges arise around facing fears of earning an education to try and change careers, get into a new field, but every job ad asks for experience- how do they gain experience? Fears around, ‘will they be able to get a job’ emerge, meanwhile mounting debt. This is a stressful equation. In my career advising sessions, many of my clients also experience intense interviewing anxiety as a result, feeling the imposter syndrome, or that they do not deserve the job offer because they lack the professional experience -only the education background. A lot of what we do in career coaching/advising/counseling is helping our students understand their strengths and the strengths they are building while in school so that their confidence improves and then they feel less stress, and more deserving of jobs they are going for that relate to their degree while they are in school. I also do mindfulness training with my clients and visualization exercises, positive affirmations- helping my clients ease their anxieties and then they are able to shine in the interviews and land job offers when before they could not speak or had what we call “brain freeze” where they forget everything and cannot speak. These exercises help. We work from the inside out to help our students believe in themselves and understand the value they bring to employers, then we help them choose best fit apprenticeships, paid internships, on the job training opportunities so they are then qualified to make the career change over time.
2) How often do you recommend students check in or "take stock" of their college career, life, and overall health? What are some ways to check in — either alone or with support?
I remember reading one of my favorite business authors, Tom Peters, who wrote the NY times Bestselling book, “In Search of Excellence.” He also had a column in Silicon Valley, San Jose Mercury News, and he wrote, ‘a working professional should stake stock of themselves every two years since our skills and interests change and develop.’ I subscribe to that same philosophy. In terms of taking stock or gauging physical health, I’m an advocate of annual physical exams to continue to stay healthy, getting all the tests, blood work, bone density, mammograms, dental cleanings are important too every six months, flossing can prevent heart disease- recent studies have found people who do not floss their teeth regularly and have excessive plaque buildup can be digested and accumulate in the heart over time. Other ways to check in can be to visit the College Counseling Center for mental health visits, take all the classes you can on stress and coping skills.
3) What are some strategies and resources students can tap into to make sure they are on the right track for their situation?
Making an appt. with their career counseling team at their college or university is a great first step. Asking for a complete career assessment to include the MBTI and then reading books such as “Do What You Are, by Tieger- reading the chapter on your type is a great way to stay focused and on track- especially focusing on ‘what you need in a career for it to be satisfying’- the top ten list. Also requesting to take a values inventory to determine what would give you a sense of “I can’t wait to get up in the morning and go to work.” Our values alignments are critical for us to feel that sense of deep satisfaction in our work and on the right track.
4) How can students foster a "back to school" mentality throughout the year?
I recommend starting with a new set of tools, whether that’s a new fresh backpack/briefcase, spiral notebooks/ pens-a new calendar or day timer for keeping organized, you don’t need a new computer every year, but some fresh tools can help you feel renewed and organized.
5) Anything else you want to add around the topic of student success, resources, and creating a realistic plan to succeed?
If you are juggling single parenthood, school, taking care of your parents and work- you need to start off slow when you go back to school, one class at a time to get your feet wet- then gradually you will be able to take on more and ask for help from family, neighbors, friends, co-workers and classmates.