Rahm Patel, 19

Accounting Technology Major, Palm Beach State College

When Rahm Patel started attending Palm Beach State College, he was expecting to have a lot of fun. After the first week of classes when he received the syllabus for each course, he could tell he was going to have to work hard. “To make more study time, I cut back on going to the gym each week,” he explained. “I started skipping lunch to save time and ate snacks from vending machines between classes instead.” He also found himself sleeping less and eating more junk food during the exam weeks.

Rahm was particularly stressed out and nervous about a class presentation he had been working on. He emailed his instructor and asked for an extension, which his instructor granted. After delivering the speech, Rahm was upset about the critiques from the instructor because they seemed much harsher than the ones he got from his classmates. He could feel his face burning. “After class, I wrote an angry email to the instructor about how I expected a good grade on my speech because I had worked so hard,” he explained. To his surprise, his professor wrote him back, highlighting problems with his behavior:

Dear Rahm,

I am sorry to see that you are not happy about what happened in class today. Please keep in mind that the goal of the class is to help students become better at public speaking. If we do not discuss strategies and suggestions for improving each speaker’s presentation, the class is not going to be helpful. Let’s imagine for a second that you were asked to prepare and deliver this presentation at work. First, you ask your boss to change the presentation date that was scheduled with difficulty to ensure that all team members could present. Then your boss reviews your presentation and gives you some suggestions for improving it in front of the team, but you noticeably get upset in the meeting and send an angry email to your boss as soon as you return to your office. What do you think the outcome would be?

Professor Cruz

“I was really embarrassed. I realized that I hadn’t handled the situation well,” Rahm admitted. He then shared how he went to the college’s counseling center to ask for help. The counselor advised Rahm to visit the instructor during office hours and apologize for his unprofessional behavior. Although Rahm was nervous about the meeting, the visit pleasantly surprised him. The instructor accepted his apology and promised to help him overcome his anxiety about public speaking.

After this incident, Rahm realized that he needed to get a handle on his life. “I realized that eating, exercising, and sleeping well made me less irritable and better able to control my emotions,” he said. And he realized that he needed to take responsibility for his actions and choices. Rahm didn’t want a repeat of what had happened, and he hoped to build good relationships with his instructors and other students.

11.1Managing Your Health

11.2Managing Your Emotional Health

11.3Managing Your Relationships

11.4Thriving in Diverse Environments