In this episode of Engaging with Education, we explore the challenges and strategies of balancing academic responsibilities and personal well-being, particularly for international students. Tracy, a sophomore from Vietnam, and Yujie, a senior ACA mentor from China, share their personal journeys, including overcoming homesickness, managing time effectively, and recovering from burnout.

Their candid stories are paired with insights from research on time management, multitasking, and stress reduction to provide actionable tips for students striving to find balance. Whether you’re a university student juggling multiple responsibilities or someone looking to improve your productivity and mental health, this episode is packed with practical advice and relatable experiences.

Introduction of Guests

● Tracy: A sophomore at UConn and an international student from Vietnam. Tracy shares her struggles with homesickness, managing stress, and learning to balance her academic workload while taking care of her mental health.

● Yujie: A senior at UConn majoring in psychology and an ACA mentor from China. Yujie provides unique insights into managing dual responsibilities as a student and mentor, including using practical tools like calendars and shared schedules to stay organized and prevent burnout.

Transcript

In the third episode of our podcast series, Interviewer Ian Duncan had the opportunity to speak with former high school counselor Jennifer Murphy of Effingham, New Hampshire. This episode circulates around the topic of engagement in education, and what strategies and methods can be used to make the classroom more fun and intriguing. Mrs. Murphy shares her personal experiences from her time as a high school counselor, and what she found brought students success, and how some of those elements have changed in a post Covid society. Also commented on are Mrs. Murphy’s personal beliefs as to what can make a classroom more entertaining, citing various experiences she witnessed that helped students grow. Of the examples given, Mrs. Murphy highlighted an opportunity where through a career tech program tied to NASA, students were required to create something unique and then send it up into space. Following such a grand opportunity as this, Mrs. Murphy saw a lot more attentiveness in and outside of the classroom, and a more positive attitude towards learning as a whole.

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College is a huge time for change; new environment, new friends, new teachers, new clubs and organizations, the list goes on. And when you’re given this much freedom to begin anew, college becomes a tremendous period of growth and development. But what happens when you’re not given this freedom to thrive as your authentic self? What happens when there’s barriers that discourage and discriminate against you? When you don’t feel comfortable or even safe, do you even have the freedom to experience change?

In this podcast, we’ll explore the various struggles faced by queer folks attending college, while also touching on experiences unique to queer BIPOC students. We’ll also be discussing the various resources available on campus and ways fellow students and teachers can help queer students foster a greater sense of belonging and pride in their identity.

Joining me in this discussion is my guest Grian Wizner; a senior at UConn majoring in Secondary English Education with a minor in English who has worked at UConn’s Rainbow Center for 3 years. He is also the president of DeColores Collective, the Latin and queer student organization on campus.

Ultimately, queer students are just as deserving of the freedom that the college experience grants us to become the very best version of ourselves. It’s simply a matter of how much is being done and how much more we can be doing to give queer folks the confidence needed to thrive.

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Are we in the midst of a mental health crisis for college students and other young people? How has college life impacted student mental health? And are universities, campus administrators, and faculty members doing enough to address this issue?

This week’s episode of Engaging with Education explores an issue at or near the top of the worry list for many, including students and those who work in and around higher education. College life is often hyped up and portrayed as a time for freedom, fun, and self-discovery, which usually creates unrealistic expectations. The truth is that for many students, it is also a period of immense stress and mental health struggle. As learners report record levels of depression, anxiety, and other conditions such as academic pressure, societal expectation, and strain of campus counseling, it raises questions like what role teachers and schools should play when it comes to student mental health.

Hallie, a chemistry Supplemental Instructor (SI) at UConn, and Dr. Casavant, a nursing professor at UConn, will join the discussion. Together, they will provide their unique insight from a personal and academic perspective on the important issue.

As students, we should not be stagnant. Real progress will require more than relying on schools and teachers to change—it will require someone like you to become an advocate for mental health. Join the conversation and share your thoughts on how you think the mental health crisis on campus should be addressed.

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