Autumn at UNC

Each day I am on campus I am in awe of its beautiful fall colors and how well the grounds are kept. The campus hasn't always had such good care, but the university hired a horticulturist a few years ago who has done an exemplary job of creating a beautiful environment where we work and study, making it enjoyable I hope, to move from class to class.

I took photos the other day of the beautiful fall colors as I wandered about the vegetable garden just outside of Ross west of the faculty parking lot.

I have to admit to feeling exhilarated watching the trees turn colors and the shedding of their leaves, looking then like they have dropped their skirts two the ground. 

I don't wander too far from the parking lot and the buildings where I teach, but when I do I enjoy seeing our beautiful campus. So I could not resist taking this photo. How amazed and surprised I was when I looked at it home. Taken on my iPhone, I didn't realize the special effects of shooting directly into the sun. And while I certainly know the scientific explanation for the star bursts radiating from the residence halls, I would rather like to think that the Angels keep close watch over the campus.

Do take the time enjoy Autumn's beauty as the stress of your studies tends to take over. Breath deeply as you walk between classes; put away your own cell phones and just enjoy the simple joys of life and the miracles of Nature as the seasons change. 

We are right on schedule in the syllabus with a couple of free days built in, so I would like to use a free day next Tuesday for an in class writing. The topic will be inspired by the three articles that I have posted here on the resilience (or the lack there of) of college students. I really want to know what you think about the topic, in addition to have an opportunity to practice what we have learned thus far. So if you have read these articles yet, do so in preparation for the in class essay that you will write Tuesday. You will not be allowed to use your computer or phone, so take a few notes on each article that you might want to use in your essay or at least to refer to as you write the essay.

Again, here are the links to the articles. 

And a big thank you to those who took the time to comment last week on the readings.

"How Should Parents Relate to Today's College Student"? Jan. 13, 2013

"Declining Student Resilience: A Serious Problem for Colleges" Sept. 22, 2015

"Helicopter Colleges Confront Lack of Grit in Students"

Reslience

The articles that I have posted here have to do with students' transition from home to college life, from a predetermined high school curriculum to discovering and planning your major, from being a teen to an adult, from a parental structured life to self determination.

So I ask you, how prepared are you to make these transitions? Are you resilient, or as this article discusses, do you have the grit that it takes to face not just the day-to-day problems that life presents, but to accept the challenges, defeats, setbacks, and dilemmas that life in general presents?

Psychologist, Dr. Hurd continues the discussion from the other two articles that I have already posted. This article offers perhaps a solution to lack of presumed resilience that some college officials have recognized.

Let me note that in my years of teaching, I have found students do grow resilient and strong. They may arrive at UNC bewildered, lost, scared, unsure of themselves, but they grow and develop into fine adults able to meet the challenges life throws their way.

'Helicopter Colleges' Confront the Lack of 'Grit' in College Students

Read these articles then tell me what you think in the comment section below.

Writing the Problem Solving Essay

Most of our lives are spent solving problems, some pretty simple, some pretty devastating. Everything from deciding how to solve the problem of what to wear for a special occasion to how to come up the money to pay our college tuition. This essay then has some very practical uses as students will go through the process of identifying the problem, examining the causes of the problem,  looking at the effects of the problem, and then coming up a sound solution.

For this assignment you will identify a problem that college students often have to face. To get started, here are two articles from Psychology Today that will get you started thinking about your freshman experience.

"How Should Parents Relate to Today's College Student"? Jan. 13, 2013

"Declining Student Resilience: A Serious Problem for Colleges" Sept. 22, 2015

Brainstorm a list of situations that college students face
 then add your suggestion in the comment box below.