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 Of course there are the obvious strategies of eating right, getting exercise and rest to combat the ravages of stress, but for me, I have to go to minute student-by-student strategies to get through a burn-out time. You know how the 12-step programs teach “one day at a time” and say to go down to “one minute at a time” if you have to? Well, I practice, “one student at a time” or “one contact at a time,” since, in addition to transfer students, I work a lot with staff and faculty from our feeder colleges.Similar to envisioning that the bad driver who just cut you off on the highway is your friend, pastor, or boss, and how this perception can alter the whole road rage cycle and instill tolerance instead of anger, I pretend that the student in my office is the child of a friend, or a personal referral, and my perspective is always reset. No matter how tired or impatient I feel, I then can speak to that person with respect, tolerance and with a manner of helpfulness (at least most of the time!). In addition, I find that the state, regional and national conferences I try to attend annually, are a huge shot in the arm (meaning a great boost for me!) for reminding me why I choose to work in the advising profession at lower pay than the private industry career I left behind. ~ Marian Paul, University of Texas at San Antonio, November 6 Well, since I haven't yet burned out after 30+ years of advising students, I thought I'd better try to answer the primary question posed this month.First, let me admit that I have never held a position where advising was my 100% responsibility, so my brief comment may not be as appropriate for those who serve as full-time academic advisers. But for those who advise as a part of their responsibilities, whether as an administrator or as a faculty member, hopefully it will be. Second, in all honesty, I guess I've never had to face the question, that is how to “avoid” burnout. Over the years I have learned to view the advising role and relationship as an educational one, where I can always attempt to teach the advisee something. Whether the advising session is about choosing a major, about planning a strategy to get off academic probation, about appealing a graduation requirement or College policy, or simply about choosing a course, I always try to find an opportunity for the student to learn something from our experience—about him/herself, about the curriculum, about the College and its resources, about a potential career, or whatever. My basic strategy for trying to achieve this is to try to ask more questions than give answers. As an educator, then, and maintaining this approach, I find I am always challenged to determine what the student can learn and how I can best facilitate that learning, and I have never felt a tendency to burn out. Have I been stressed—definitely—but not burned out. ~ Tom Grites, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, November 10 As a full-time adviser, I have found an effective method of avoiding “burn-out” during the very hectic times of academic advising (July–early September and December–late January). I use simple techniques that I've learned through my many years of being the caregiver for my two dear parents. I endeavor to give each student the courtesy, respect, and attention that they deserve, realizing that this may be the one and only time that I talk with them just as I realized that each day might be the last with my parents. I never made haste in the care of my parents so I don't acknowledge what may be a long line as each student deserves all the time necessary to answer any and all questions. In that same vein, I'll always tell a student to “Come back with any questions,” just as I always reminded my folks to “Let me know what's going on!” even though I was always in the next room. These techniques have always worked well for me.~ John Kruszewski, Middlesex County College, Edison, NJ, November 19 The Mentor is published by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |
