11.1Understanding Wellness

11.2Managing Your Relationships

11.3Thriving in Diverse Environments

Rahm Patel, 19

Accounting Technology Major, Palm Beach State College, Florida

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. It was a perfect storm. As Rahm stopped exercising and started eating junk food and sleeping poorly, stress and anxiety got the better of him. It all came to a head just before a scheduled class presentation. He knew he wasn’t ready to do his best, so he e-mailed his instructor and asked for an extension, which his instructor granted. But even with the extension, Rahm’s presentation did not go well. His lack of preparation was obvious to the instructor and the other students. Along with a grade of C minus, the instructor, Dr. Cruz, also attached a personal note that read:

Dear Rahm,

I know you are not happy about your performance in class today and your grade. I also was very disappointed in your presentation, especially since I had granted you an extension. I have also noticed that you seem tired and distracted and have fallen asleep in class on more than one occasion. If you continue on this path, your final course grade will suffer. I would like to suggest that you make an appointment to see a college counselor to talk over what’s going on in your life and how you can turn this around before it’s too late.

Dr. Cruz

“I was really embarrassed that Dr. Cruz had noticed how I had changed,” Rahm admitted. “I really didn’t have a relationship with any of my instructors, but I figured I better take her advice and go to the counseling center.” The counselor had a long conversation with Rahm, and he was honest about the changes in his sleeping, eating, and exercise habits and how his overall attitude about classwork had changed. The counselor shared some articles with him about how physical and mental wellness connect. Rahm didn’t want a repeat of what had happened. “I realized that eating right, exercising, and sleeping would help me be less anxious and more in control in all of my classes,” said Rahm.

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After reading the articles and working with the counselor, he developed a new plan for gaining more control over his life. The counselor also advised Rahm to visit Dr. Cruz during office hours to get to know her and to discuss how he could improve his performance in class. In their meeting, Dr. Cruz promised to work with Rahm on his presentation skills and to help him become more organized in his study strategies. Rahm was pleasantly surprised by how much he enjoyed his visit with his instructor.