IN THE NAME OF GOD

1. IN THE NAME OF GOD COLLEGE STUDENTS EMPOWERMENT

2. Living away from friends, separation from the family, attachments and your comfort zones. The transition is very exhilarating with new experiences.

3. All students must face the challenges of independently managing their own lives in their first year. There are many obstacles that not all can muddle through with, such as creating a social network of friends, adjusting to new schedules and succeeding in various academic pursuits.

4. Ten Common Problems Students Face During University

5. 1. Study. • University is academically challenging. For many, university courses require much more effort than high school classes. Unlike most high schools, universities often pack two years of content into one year. Many students take a full 15 credit semester, while other try to cram in up to 18 or even 21 credits. At times, it seems impossible to stay on top of it all. • Know your limits. If you can’t handle 18 credit semesters, it is worth it in the long run to slow down and take only 15. While the purpose of university is to study and to further your education, that doesn’t mean studying all of the time. It is important to schedule time for fun and to take breaks from studying to keep your mind fresh and clear.

6. 2. Money • 3.Working While in School Decide what is important. Prioritize and schedule events, games, meetings, and studies accordingly. • 4. Homesickness • 5. Depression

7. 6. Sickness/Health Conditions Eat healthy, balanced meals. Get a good night’s rest as well. • 7. Friends/Roommates Friends and roommates are important for fun social activities. However, spending time together can be challenging. Conflicts can arise. • 8. Partying

8. 9. Relationships Relationships are good, but they can be overwhelming. There are times in every relationship when a couple will have a disagreement or issue. Disagreements between couples can distract students from school work and add to stress levels. Break-ups can drive some students even further into depression. Relationship advice is hard to give. It varies on a case-by-case basis. Try and reconcile their differences but if you do break up, consult with a school counselor to work through the experience.

9. 10. Choosing a Major • There is a lot of pressure to choose a major. It is easy to think that your major will determine your future career and how much money you will make. • If you are unsure about what major to choose, choose something broad and versatile, such as communications. Many students who get their undergraduate degree in one field progress to get a Master’s degree in a different area. Worrying too much about your major is simply not worth it. Focus instead on gaining knowledge and life skills.

10. Media saturated environment • cyber-children • M-generation (media generation) • V-generation (virtual generation) • C-generation (a word which synthesizes the terms connected, creative and click-prone to clicking on mouse • homo zappiens

11. None the less internet technologies have various benefits including an overflow of information on different subject areas across the globe, ease, speed and comfort in communication, improved efficiencies in business operations through web collaboration and a variety of entertainment portals

12. Socialization • Socialization refers to a process of interpersonal interactions among individuals aiming at forming friendship that include meeting, going out, mingling, parting and getting entertained.

13. Compared to encyclopedias and traditional libraries, the internet represents a sudden and extreme decentralization of information and data

14. Research on internet use among students focusing on whether or not there are differences by race/ethnicity was carried out. They reported that use is affected by presence or absence of a computer in the home of origin.

15. Research has shown that students use electronic mail and the internet for both academic and social reasons. Technology is important to students in terms of how they access course materials and how instructors use technology to engage them in the learning process.

16. those who spent a portion of their time engaged in online interactions (as little as 3 hours per week) apparently showed a higher rate of depression and less social support. Face to face interaction is of a higher quality than online interaction because it provides body language that cannot be reproduced by online communication.

17. students may retreat to their computers and isolate themselves from campus activities and avoiding socializing with others. • Another concern addresses the impact of face-to-face communication versus virtual communication. The confidence of the individuals is impaired and can’t have a “healthy” face-to-face conversation.

18. real-time forms of interaction (i.e. face to face and phone) are “of a higher quality” than online interaction because as studies have shown, people who talk with others in real space tend to have a better overall emotional well-being.

19. attitudes and values • – learning the importance of values and individual conscience and moral considerations; • – learning the value of family life, marriage, and stable and loving relationships for the nurture of children; • – learning the value of respect, love and care; • – exploring, considering and understanding moral dilemmas; and • – developing critical thinking as part of decision-making.

20. personal and social skills • learning to manage emotions and relationships confidently and sensitively; • developing self-respect and empathy for others; • learning to make choices based on an understanding of difference and with an absence of prejudice; • developing an appreciation of the consequences of choices made; • managing conflict; and • learning how to recognize and avoid exploitation and abuse.

21. knowledge and understanding • learning and understanding physical development at appropriate stages; • understanding human sexuality, reproduction, sexual health, emotions and relationships; • learning the reasons for delaying sexual activity, and the benefits to be gained from such delay;

22. INSTRUCTIONS

23. Values • Things that are important to us • Things we support or are against (give examples like sex before marriage, girls’ right to education) • Things we choose freely (may be influenced by families, religious teachings, culture, friends, media) • Things we believe in and are willing to stand up for • Beliefs, principles, or ideas that are important to us and help define who we are • Things that guide our behavior and lives

24. Being independent. • Getting good marks • Preparing for my future. • Being on good terms with my parents. • Getting married. • Living by my religion. • Being artistic or creative. • Making money. • Being popular with my friends. • Getting a job I really like. • Being good in sports.

25. Which was easier, choosing the most important or the least important? • Are there values on the list that you have never thought about before? • Were you surprised by your feelings about any particular value?

26. Key steps for good decision-making include: • Describe the problem, situation, or issue that needs a decision. • Get more information if you have questions about the situation. • Think about the possible consequences or outcomes of each course of action. • Think about your personal and family values, and which courses of action are consistent with these values. • Think about the ways in which your decision may affect other people. • Choose the decision that seems most appropriate based on your knowledge, values, morals, religious upbringing, and present and future goals. • Re-think the decision and how you feel about it. Be sure you carefully considered all the alternatives and feel comfortable with the choice you made.

27. Three C’s for Decision Making • Describe the CHALLENGE (or decision) you are facing • List three CHOICES you have • Consider the positive and negative CONSEQUENCES of each choice

28. Two Types of Decisions • Active decisions involve thinking about options and making a choice based on the careful consideration of the consequences of each alternative. • Passive decisions are made by allowing time, chance or someone else to decide for you.

29. Facilitate a discussion with the following questions: • Is it hard to make good decisions? What makes it hard? (Possible answers: the effects of drugs, pressure from peers or a partner, or not realizing a decision has to be made) • What would make making good decisions easier? (Possible answers: knowing how to resist pressure, being sure about your values and goals) • In reality, how are most decisions made? (Possible answers: they are not made consciously, and events or things just happen) • In the past, have you made a decision that affected other people? What happened?

30. Emphasize the following: • To achieve something, we need to work hard, have faith, security, determination, and hope. • A negative way to look at a problem is to see it as an obstacle. • A positive way to look at problem is to think about it as a challenge and plan how to overcome it. • We cannot manage and plan our future if we see our lives as a random set of events that we do no have control over.

32. Being Assertive • Assertiveness is an important skill for getting along with others. Being assertive means standing up for yourself and being straightforward and honest with yourself and others about what you need and want. Being assertive can help you protect yourself from dangerous situations and can help you resist peer pressure to do things that you are uncomfortable doing. • People who are not assertive are often submissive. Even if they are being treated poorly, they do not stand up for themselves. People who are not assertive often lack the confidence and self esteem to stand up for their own needs and to protect their feelings or body from being hurt.

33. How to Be Assertive • Decide what you feel or want and say it. Don’t be afraid to be honest about your feelings. Being confident about your own feelings will encourage others to respect them as well. Someone who truly loves you will not want to do things that make you feel unhappy. • Look people in the eye. Eye contact is an important part of being assertive. It tells the other person that you are serious about what you are saying and that you are paying close attention to whether or not they are listening to you.

34. How to Be Assertive • Do not make excuses. Your feelings are the best reasons. For example, if you do not feel ready for close relationship, but your girlfriend or boyfriend is pressuring you, avoid using other people as excuses. • Say what you really feel. • Do not seek approval from others. If you do not want to do something, say so clearly and do not ask if it is alright. Show other people that you know your own mind and are not looking for their approval.

35. How to Be Assertive • Do not get confused by the other person’s argument. Keep repeating what you want or do not want. Stand your ground and do not give in. • You have a right to change your mind.

36. Gender Stereotypes • Every culture has expectations of how men and women should act and what their roles are in society. Fulfilling the roles expected by the community can be satisfying and can give women a sense of belonging. But these roles can also limit a woman’s activities and choices, and make her feel less valued than a man. When this happens, everyone (the woman, her family, and her community) suffers.

37. Women are often considered more emotional than men, and are free to express these emotions with others. Men, however, are often taught that showing emotions like sadness or tenderness is unmanly, so they hide their feelings. Or they express their feelings in angry or violent ways that are more acceptable to men. When men are unable to show their feelings, children may feel more distant from their fathers, and men are less able to get support from others for their problems.