Student Profile with Introduction

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Gustavo Mejia, 20

Business Administration major

South Texas College

image Going to college is not only about enjoying success and accomplishments, but also about persevering when things get difficult or go wrong. image

When he was growing up in Turmero, Venezuela, Gus Mejia’s family always encouraged him to attend college. “I see college as the path to the future,” he says, “one that will help me build a better life for my family.” Gus began college at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, where he took classes full-time while working two days a week at his uncle’s restaurant. He quickly learned a few things that helped him succeed. “As an international student, I left important parts of my life behind when I made the decision to go to college, such as family and my country. Being alone for almost a year taught me how important it is to have a positive attitude and an optimistic spirit.”

This realization didn’t come without hard work and practice. One of the most important things Gus had to learn during his first year of college was how to deal with the stress of managing college, work, and living in a new environment, and Gus figured out that having a good sense of his own emotional intelligence helped. Being aware of how these stresses affected him emotionally helped him better understand how to deal with difficult situations and kept him from reacting negatively during times of stress. Emotional intelligence has also played a big role in Gus’s favorite class (so far): organizational behavior, where he had to learn how to work with other students, no matter what their customs and beliefs. “I liked this class not only because it related directly to my major,” he says, “but also because it taught me to communicate with others. Being able to work efficiently with different people from different backgrounds is very valuable.”

Gus decided to begin the transfer process last year. Transferring to South Texas College represented a new beginning for him, one that came with its own fair share of challenges that he had to face with a clear head. Some of the credits for his classes—such as English literature, as well as courses on Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint—did not transfer because they weren’t part of the business curriculum at his new college. Gus had to learn all the requirements for transferring, including admission tests, and be sure to meet them to make the transition as smooth as possible. His one piece of advice for other first-year students: Don’t give up. “Going to college is not only about enjoying success and accomplishments, but also about persevering when things get difficult or go wrong,” he says.

Gus had the ability to understand himself and others and to get along with people in a new environment. He was also able to manage time well, get things done, and anticipate potential problems before they occurred. Gus’s problems with transferring to a new college are not uncommon, but he was able to deal with them without letting them become a barrier to his success. Why do some individuals struggle to handle stressful situations while others, like Gus, seem to handle them with ease? Although we tend to think of these abilities as inborn personality traits that can’t be changed, social skills and stress-management skills really can be learned and improved.

Particularly in the first year of college, some students who have the ability to succeed academically can have difficulty establishing positive relationships with others, dealing with pressure, or making wise decisions. Other students exude optimism and happiness and seem to adapt to their new environment without any trouble. The difference between the two types of students lies not in their academic talent but in their emotional intelligence (EI), or their ability to recognize and manage moods, feelings, and attitudes. A growing body of evidence shows a clear connection between students’ EI and whether they stay in college.

As you read this chapter, you will develop an understanding of EI, and you will learn how to use it to become a more successful student and person. You will begin to look at yourself and others through an EI lens, observe the behaviors that help people succeed, get to know yourself better, and learn to examine your feelings before you act. Then, as you read each subsequent chapter in this book, try to apply what you have learned about EI and think about how it might relate to the behaviors of successful college students. You can’t always control the challenges and frustrations of life, but with practice, you can control how you respond to them.

assess your strengths

How well you understand and manage your emotions will affect your success in college. As you begin to read this chapter, think about your current strengths in managing emotions. How do your emotions regulate your behavior?

set goals

Think about challenges you have had in the past with understanding your emotions and managing your reactions to difficult situations. Perhaps you have been angry or frustrated about critical feedback you received from an instructor on a paper, or disappointed about your performance on an exam. How have you reacted in the past? Did your reaction make the situation better or worse? Describe a reaction that would lead to a positive outcome.