Introduction to Supporting Stressed and Underperforming Students
According to Fortune magazine, half of the students who drop out do it due to mental health issues. It can not be neglected that the health of a student is a very big determinant of their academic performance. No matter how hard they try, students who are stressed can not perform at their full potential and need academic support. This however is not dealt with empathy and their mental health is often not taken as a legitimate reason for underperforming. We should be inclusive and respect the pace of every student because their circumstances vary. In this article we will explore how to support student wellbeing and academic performance in Australia. Involving parents, teachers and administration in this process is very important. These effective strategies for managing academic stress in underperforming students are important to implement because it delays their entry into employment or might cost them more due to repetition of courses.
Identifying the Causes of Academic Underperformance and Stress
The causes of academic underperformance are necessary to identify in order to understand the student better and then provide them the support they require to cope with their mental health. Some of the common causes of stress among college students are:
- Not feeling ready for college and demands of a higher education due to lack of time management skills, academic skills, study skills, etc.
- Homesickness and being away from family
- Low self esteem due to discrimination at college
- Financial stress
Promoting Student Wellbeing through Effective Communication
The campus needs to make an environment of support for all kinds of students and well being is important for everyone equally. So universities should focus on openly talking about mental health issues and caring about well being. Effective communication strategies for addressing academic underperformance and stress in students are important. Campaigns should be designed to promote ways to take care of one’s mind through different kinds of practices. Mindfulness, yoga and relaxation techniques should be taught to everyone so that they learn to nurture their minds and get rid of the stigma around mental health.
Providing Academic Support to Students with Learning Difficulties
Students have different kinds of disabilities- auditory or visual perception and processing, long term and short term memory, written and spoken language, arithmetic, time management and study skills. Universities are responsible for creating an individualized learning plan to meet the unique needs of struggling students. The academic procedures should make accommodations for students in exams, Tutoring submission, and the classroom. Having this academic support is the right of all students regardless of their disability. For example, students who have problems with written language can be given the option to take an oral exam or students with language processing issues can be given extra time during exams.
Developing Effective Study Skills for Academic Success
Academic behaviours need to be developed over time and teaching effective study skills to help students succeed in school is essential. These academic behaviours include study skills, time management, persistence and self evaluation. Time management can also teach them to balance their studies and social life. Students with disabilities can build techniques and routines to study that suit them and increase their retention of the course content. They can use the note taking method that works for them (record lectures or write them). Some tutoring is also required to help them develop a system for studying effectively.
Encouraging Positive Reinforcement to Build Student Confidence
When students are stressed and not doing well in academics, they need positive reinforcement to rebuild their confidence. They need to be reminded of their intellectual capabilities so teachers and parents should encourage and congratulate them when they achieve something or build healthy study habits. Goal setting is easy but cheering the underperforming students is essential to make them stick to their goals.
Introducing Relaxation Techniques to Manage Stress
Learning relaxation techniques is an important part of maintaining mental health because this is how students can learn to deflate their stress. These relaxation techniques include breathing techniques, meditation techniques, building emotional resilience, etc. When struggling students learn these techniques, they can manage their routines more effectively and perform better in exams and assessments.
Benefits of Tutoring for Underperforming Students in Australia
Tutoring is a great study aid for students with disabilities who want a more personalised plan for their lessons. A tutor can understand the needs of the student and then design lesson plans according to learning styles that are compatible with them. For example, the tutor would teach concepts through diagrams for students who have issues with language processing, instead of giving long readings for them to study on their own. With consistent efforts of the tutor, the student can stick to a schedule and retain information for better performance in their exams. There are online tutors for all subjects and can help struggling students according to their needs.
Parental Involvement in Supporting Student Academic Performance
Parents should encourage their children when they are struggling with their academic stress. Their support can help them feel motivated and they can implement all the techniques they are learning to study efficiently. In times of difficulty, students should be appreciated more than usual and support from family contributes a lot to building their morale. Parents should discuss their future plans and help them navigate college life to pave a way for them that would work for them. In this way, students will not feel guilty for having disabilities and underperforming.
The Role of Teachers in Supporting Stressed and Underperforming Students
There is great importance of teacher support and collaboration in helping underperforming students as teachers can support students in the classroom by noticing their learning needs and accommodating them within the lessons. They can also give them extra time after the lectures to clarify their concepts. Moreover, teachers should encourage other students to be mindful of the needs of struggling students, support them and not discriminate against them. Teachers are role models in college life and they should provide healthy coping strategies to students who are underperforming. This way, the student will always feel included and they will know that their teacher is always there to support them.
Setting Achievable Goals to Boost Student Motivation and Confidence
The purpose of giving achievable goals to struggling students is not to remove challenges from their academics completely, instead they should be minimised by facilitating them in different ways. They already face learning difficulties and the extra burden increases their stress. Here are some ways to decrease their stress:
- Tutorings to be graded on ideas and technical skills instead of writing skills for students who struggle with writing
- Freedom to choose the topic
- Permit calculators for arithmetically challenged students
- Encourage them to get tutoring
- Allow them to get it proofread by someone else if they have issues with understanding language
Holistic Approaches to Addressing Academic Underperformance and Stress in Students
The well being of students should be at the core of the university’s policies and it should be implemented at all levels to help students with academic success. This means having the following facilities as a way to include holistic approaches to addressing academic underperformance and stress in students:
- Mental health centres for counselling
- Implementing ways to accommodate the unique needs of students with learning disabilities
- Making efforts to resolve issues that cause stress for majority of the students
- Training teachers to respond to the needs of underperforming students
- Providing mentoring services for students who are struggling
