Health and Human Services Professional Development

Stress and Food Choices Author: Melanie Burns Stress can influence eating patterns for college students, and eating patterns can influence college students’ satisfaction with how they handle problems (see  Cornejo & Cookston ).  Eating healthy does not need to end when you leave for college nor should it wait until you are through college.  While life stressors can make healthy eating less of a priority, making healthy food choices needs to happen every day. Little changes, such as eating breakfast and drinking low-fat milk, can make a difference in how you handle your weekly or daily stress.  The calories from the late-night pizzas and the all-you-care to eat dining hall buffets can add up quickly! For more information on making healthy food choices during the college years, visit the  USDA’s My Place On Campus . *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

All Grown Up and Doin’ It on Your Own! by   Mikki Sherwood   on   July 2, 2013   For the past few years I have been teaching two night classes in a row. The first class met from 4-6:30pm and the second from 7-9pm. That is a LONG time to be on your feet. I really wanted to change my schedule to something that was not so physically difficult. What do you think I did about the problem??????? I had my mother call my Asst. Chairperson and explain that the hours were problematic for me and that they were causing my feet to hurt. Just kidding, of course. Would it ever occurred to you that a professional woman in her 40’s would involve her mother in her job? But…..have you, or anyone you know, ever had a family member contact a professor or future employer? NOTHING erodes credibility more than an inability to address a situation without the help of parents. It is very unprofessional to bring family members into the academic or professional setting. When an issue o...

What to do with a Bad Grade by   Mikki Sherwood   on   July 4, 2013 You worked hard; and you thought you had nailed the assignment! When your paper is returned you have a grade that is lower than you expected. What can you do? I teach hundreds of students a year. Unfortunately, students are not always happy with the grade I believe that they earned. I am always happy to discuss grades; however, the conversation can go more smoothly if a few tips are followed. Give yourself a day to calm down . Initial disappointment may give in to an understanding of what you did wrong if you sleep on it and look at everything from a less emotional perspective. Look over all of the directions again . Could you have missed something important in the directions? Check any handouts, web resources and the syllabus before approaching your professor. Ask to make an appointment with your professor so that he or she can focus attention on you and your questions.  Avoid trying to...

Say WHAT?? How to Address Problem Situations by   Mikki Sherwood   on   July 8, 2013   When a problem occurs we could all potentially respond in a manner that is not positive. Below is a list of actual comments I have heard from students in the last 16 years of my work as a university professor. It is too bad you grade so hard and cost me an A. You have no compassion and do not understand students. Be patient; my computer skills are a rusty. I worked really hard on this paper! Why did you give me a C? I won’t be in class on Thursday; will I miss anything? I stopped by your office three times and you were never there! Do you think these comments are helpful as a solution to a negative issue? How would you reword these statements in order to be more professional in nature? Does your approach to a problem lend itself to a solution, or negativity on both sides? Let’s rethink some of these comments and reword them into a more positive approach: I th...

What are Social Skills? by   Jill Bowers   on   June 3, 2013 Social skills involve picking up on social cues, interpreting the behavior of others, and interacting with others in positive ways.  Examples of social skills may include self-confidence, problem-solving, being flexible and adaptable, displaying empathy, dealing with conflict, smiling, being polite, showing interest, actively listening, and many more. Necessary social skills can vary based on the social norms of a given culture or setting. Some social skills may be innate, but many can be learned. As Daniel Goleman noted in his book,  Social Intelligence , a crucial component to acting wisely in relationships is to develop an understanding of how our moods or reactions are influenced by our interactions (past and present) with others and equally important, how our actions, words, and nonverbal behaviors make others feel and react to us. Example of good social skills: Maintaining eye contact ...

What Do You Wish You Knew Before College? by   Mikki Sherwood   on   February 9, 2014 What do you wish you knew before you went to college? Do you have any hints for those starting an academic journey? Hannah Flom writes of the 14 things she wished she had known before college. I think her list is fun; you can go over to  Thought Catalo g to read the entire post. Some of her thoughts: • Making real friends takes time • It is hard to be away from home • Go to your professors’ office hours • Transferring schools is not the end of the world • College is a time for mistakes I especially like the fact that she allows for mistakes to be made. College is about trying new experiences. Some of those experiments are going to go very well, some….not so much. But, if you are afraid to try something new, and afraid of possible failure, you will miss so many opportunities. *Originally posted on the Career Skillet website (Permission granted by Jill Bowers).

Depression May Not Be What You Think! by   Mikki Sherwood   on   February 22, 2014 Anyone can struggle with depression.  Kevin Breel discusses depression in this Ted Talks video,  “Depression May Not Be What You Think.”  He says that everyone sees him as a typical teenager, but he sees himself differently. He is an individual that battles depression. Kevin makes the point that there are misconceptions about depression, stating that those that are depressed are not just sad when a situation is negative, they are sad when everything is going well in their lives. He explains that he was often afraid to tell people he was depressed for fear they would run away. In reality, Kevin says it is better to look someone in the eye and be truthful, saying “I’m going through hell and need help.” If you, or someone you know, is depressed, this video is a resource for helping you know that you are not alone. If you believe you are depressed and need help, here ar...

Hard vs Soft Skills and Employment by   Elizabeth Shuff And Julia Mackenzie, Guest Authors   on   June 7, 2014   Employers have long been focused completely on the technical skills that future employees bring to the table, which are often termed “hard skills.” Research, however, has shown that more and more employers are looking for people with good “soft skills” to complement their work-related knowledge. So, what’s the difference? Hard skills are what you would list on your resume. Obviously, hard skills will always be an important factor in employment. Employers want to hire someone with excellent content-specific knowledge and skills; the importance of soft skills, however, is becoming clearer. Soft skills are not easily taught, rather they are qualities a person has acquired. Research has shown that two of the most important soft skills are good communication and integrity. Employers are looking for people whose hard skills compliment their soft skills...

Don’t Let Credit Card Use Drown You in Debt! by   Ashley Bigard, Guest Author   on   November 17, 2014 It is not uncommon to graduate from college with a high amount of debt. While student loans can quickly add up, another contributing factor is the use of credit cards. Credit cards are more available than in the past, enticing a majority of today’s college students to use credit cards to pay for their living expenses. This is making it even easier for students to end up in debt upon graduation. Knowledge about positive financial behavior is related to responsible credit card use among college students. Luckily, there are many tools that can help students gain the knowledge they need to live within their means so that credit cards do not have to be an option. There are apps, websites and calculators that can assist with budgeting. In addition, many universities provide financial literacy education to students. The best thing a student can do is figur...