Podcast

There is not a day that goes by where we don’t hear the phrase “information overload.” We all have worlds of information at our fingertips and at the same time, it can be more of a struggle than ever to get started on a project because the sheer amount of sifting that has to be done. Today, Dave Dettman is here to break information overload down for us into some manageable steps. You will walk away knowing what resources are at your fingertips and how to approach research in and efficient way.

Students in the School of Health Sciences and Wellness are strong and energetic students who are committed to their areas of study and to serving others, but they come to UWSP with a number of challenges that previous generations did not experience including hurdles around post-pandemic learning, a mental health crisis amongst their peers, a changing economy and career outlook, and overall uncertainty in the world around them. Students are working more hours than ever before and feel more pressure than previous generations to create a wider portfolio of skills and experiences. We want to support students with the resources they need to learn professional skills but also tools to thrive in this fast-paced world. Joining us today is Brian Krolczyk who will be helping us build integration and personal resilience skills by zeroing in on the topic of balancing commitments and obligations.

SHSW students often are often exposed to a breadth and depth of science courses and we often hear feedback that courses like Chem and Bio are a lot tougher at the collegiate level than the high school level. Even strong students with in-depth science backgrounds sometimes come up against challenges. Luckily with a few study strategy edits and willingness to try something new, students can thrive. Here to talk to us about this today is Erin Speetzen, Ph.D., who is not only an expert in all things chemistry and study strategies, but who is a strong advocate for students on this campus.

There seems to be growing awareness in recent years around things related to mental health, stress, and trauma where there is wider acceptance and more information than ever before. There is more understanding, flexibility, and support overall. At the same time, we still live in a culture that in a lot of ways, prioritizes productivity over wellness and for individuals to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps”. In some ways it feels like we are operating in extremes where some view stress and challenge as inherently bad and it is avoided at all costs and where others continue to plow through and take on anything, at the cost of their health. Stacey Duellman is here to talk to us today about how students can balance these dichotomies and learn how to take care of themselves while still maintaining high standards and the ability to hold themselves accountable. She also shares concrete information about campus resources and supports.

Research on stress and trauma in recent decades, in the context of information technology, has opened may people’s eyes to some of the built-in systems we have to protect ourselves. Most have a general understanding that these systems were really useful when our ancestors lived closer to nature and the elements and would have to escape a wild animal. It only makes sense that your heart starts pumping and only your vital networks kick into gear if you need to fight or escape a dangerous situation. In today’s human experience, we don’t have the same stressors, but our bodies still respond as if we do. Dr. Jason Siewert is here today to talk us through these systems and to help us build some foundational skills related to how we can respond to stressors and regulate ourselves.

The Student Success Center recently had an insightful metaphor come through our inbox and it was a challenge to us all to think like farmers and we think this concept is helpful for students, particularly at the end of the semester. Most of us don’t think about it on a daily basis but there are so many unknowns for farmers in the work they do but their livelihoods and ours are greatly impacted. The lesson in all of this for us is that we need to work in a way that takes advantage of the foundation we have spent the semester laying and that we want to prevent ourselves from adding even more tasks and stress. We have two leaders in our school, graduate students Brooklyn Miller and Mikenzie Conrad, here to talk to us about how students can actually make tweaks and create results for themselves and experience success at the end of the semester, just like a farmer.

Summary coming soon.

Summary coming soon.

Summary coming soon.