Academic Wellness
School and Wellness
Students today manage a huge list of responsibilities and large workloads. Homework is just the tip of the iceberg! You may work at a part-time or full-time job, be a caregiver for young or sick family members, play on a sports team, work on your school's theater production, play an instrument in band, or participate in a school club. You could be dealing with interpersonal conflict, like fighting with a friend, partner, or parent. That's not to mention the pressure of potentially struggling with your physical health, mental health, social anxiety, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), or bullying all of which can have negative impacts on academic outcomes.
SO much is going on. And all these pressures affect every aspect of your overall wellness, including your academic wellness. You school's wellness center is a safe space to talk about these pressures and how they are affecting you, however you are feeling.
Supporting Academic Wellness
How do you support your academic wellness? Harvard suggests these 5 strategies for academic success:
Know your strengths. You may often fixate on your weaknesses, but how might it feel to consider your strengths? Taking the time to thoughtfully evaluate your strengths can inform your decisions about which classes to take and how to prioritize time. The Harvard article suggests taking this 10-minute character strengths survey to identify some of your strengths.
Set specific goals. Know which goals are most important to you. When you say "yes" to something, you likely will be saying "no" to another thing. This is important. If joining and art club is the most important thing to you this semester, feel confident saying "no" to trying out for the softball team. Remember, just because you are saying "no" to something now, does not mean you can't change your mind or switch it up in the future.
Prioritize happiness. Make time to do the things that bring you joy. If you find yourself over-scheduled without any time to spend on the things that make you happy, think about where you can cut back. You can also try incorporating a daily gratitude practice, maybe naming three good things from your day before going to bed. Happiness begins with gratitude.
4. Be resilient. No plan works out perfectly. Expect failures and give yourself grace. Self-compassion and an ability to accept setbacks is key to finding ultimate success. For example, if you fail a test it is important to accept what happened, acknowledge that a failing grade does not define who you are, then move on to repairing (like by studying your mistakes before the next test or asking your teacher to talk you through the correct answers).
Before a big test, or other stressful event, implement an "if/then" plan. Here is an example: "If I don't get a good grade on my chemistry homework, then I will ask my teacher to help me understand my mistakes before the test." This thought could minimize feelings of shame after a poor grade, which might lead to avoiding your teacher rather than asking for help.
5. Make time to recover. Consider allocating some time every day or every week where you do not think about school at all. During this time, focus on an activity that it restorative for you, this could be reading a book, talking to a friend, baking cookies, or even playing a video game. Creating this space allows your brain to rest.
Advanced Placement Students
The excessive pressure to excel leads to chronic stress which affects not only one’s physical health but also mental well-being. High rates of academic competition and lower rates of acceptance during college admission season put pressure on students. These factors can lead to a preoccupation with perfecting transcripts, obsessing over test scores, joining as many relevant clubs as possible, participating in multiple extracurricular activities, volunteering, and more.
This can leads to anxiety, substance abuse, feelings of sadness, chronic stress, and burnout. As well as damage to students' sense of self-worth. The failure to achieve and the possibility of rejection is a painful reality for many students, particularly those in advanced placement courses.
It is critical for students to remember that no amount of grades, volunteer hours, or extracurricular activities can make up for having a good character… universities know this, too. You are enough.
At-Promise Students
The state of California replaced the terminology for describing students "at-risk" with "at-promise" in 2020. This was done with the hope that educators can focus on the promise, potential, and strengths of these students, rather than putting emphasis on potential failure.
The things that are important for advanced placement students, like a focus on overall wellness, positive self-regard, and supportive relationships with teachers, friends, and family members, are similarly of the utmost importance for at-promise students.
Identifying the goals that are important to you and connecting with people in your school who are equipped to help you is so important.
The Wellness Center staff at your school are eager to help you navigate any issues that are standing as an obstacle between you and academic success!
Helpful Tips for Success at School
Stay organized by using a planners and create reminders for yourself of important dates, like due dates. Utilize the planner provided by your school at the beginning of the year to stay organized.
Self-Care is key to staying energized and motivated for long-term academic success. Do what works for you. Maybe that's a walk outdoors, a short meditation, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with someone you love.
Work smarter! Utilize methods that work for you. One popular time management method that helps with studying is the Pomodoro method where you work for short 25-30 min increments on one single task then take a 5 minute break and begin again. This method helps you concentrate without distraction and work for a "reward", 5 minutes to do whatever you'd like! Breaking up projects into smaller, easier to manage pieces is key to staying on top of big assignments. Here are 11 more helpful study habits.
ATTEND. Attendance is the most important way to support your academic wellness. When you aren't at school, you are missing out on important in class instruction as well as the opportunity to ask important questions and utilize resources available at school.
Parents, Caregivers, and Teachers
Attending school events and advocating for your student is one of the most impactful ways you can support their academic wellness. Knowing your student's teachers and advocating for them when they need help is powerful! Try to work as a team with your teen and their teachers to meet their goals or address concerns. Many students need extra support and our schools are eager to help your family connect with anything you might need. Read this article to learn more about Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and how to know if your teen might need this type of support.
Create a homework plan with your student. Talk together about your expectations around homework. Make sure you give your teen time to express their expectations, too, then come to an agreement about how homework will look for your family. Are cellphones allowed out before homework is over? What kind of activities are allowed before homework time? Working as a team with your teen to answer these questions will likely be better than giving them strict instructions without their input.
Prepare them for the school day. It is really hard for students to learn during the school day when they are hungry or overtired. Support the overall wellbeing of your teen by providing regular meals and supporting a healthy bedtime routine. If your family is facing food insecurity, please visit the food section of our Community Directory or speak to your school's wellness center staff or social workers. We are here to support you!
Be an example and offer to support your teen's organizational skills and study habits. Try sitting down together to write down a list of assignments and due dates for the upcoming week or offer to quiz them before their upcoming test.
Be serious about attendance do your best to make sure your student is at school when they are supposed to be there. Reach out to your school's social worker or wellness center if you need help in this area, we are here to support you.
Most importantly, create an environment of love and empathy so that your student does not feel pressured to earn your love and acceptance through academic success. Validate them in their efforts and boost their self-esteem. Research shows that students who's parents have high expectations for their academic acheivement do better than others in school, as long as there isn't too much pressure to succeed. If you need help to find the middle ground between encouraging academic excellence for your teen and pressuring them to be perfect, your school's wellness staff, social workers, and teachers are eager to offer guidance.
Academic Wellness Resource Library
Scroll through our Academic Wellness Resource Library for videos and infographics featuring helpful information. Check out our Community Directory for more resources.