Nearly seven in 10 bachelor’s degree students who considered stopping their coursework gave emotional stress as a reason.
While work, financial and caregiving responsibilities, personal relationships as well as mental health struggles may compound the stress of coursework, results of a study by Lumina-Gallup State of Higher Education also indicate bachelor students who feel respected and supported by faculty, mentors and peers are less likely to experience frequent emotional stress.
Young post-graduate professionals reflect this divide, according to a study published by Mary Christie Institute in 2023. While 39% of respondents felt college did not prepare them emotionally for transition to the workplace, an equal 39% who felt college did prepare them said relationships with peers and extracurricular participation contributed the most toward emotional preparation.
So, where’s the disconnect?
Community-building and emotional resilience are closely tied to self-advocacy, which is the practice of identifying and representing oneself and one’s interests, needs, and rights in various aspects of life.
Yet, empowerment through self-advocacy may be a challenge for certain individuals due to a combination of personal, cultural and systemic factors, according to Thriveworks writers Theresa Lupcho and Hannah DeWitt.
While selflessness is prioritized in many cultures, individuals’ past experiences may have reinforced the belief that self-advocacy is risky or futile. Also, workplaces and institutions often systemically fail to provide adequate supportive structures for self-advocacy.
Dean of Students Cody Westerhold has hopes AI chatbot Willy the Wildcat will help the college remedy these disparities in students’ ability to self-advocate.
“We’re hoping it connects students to more places on campus where they can get help,” Westerhold said. “We want students to be successful while they’re here.”
Along with identifying potential student needs, Willy the Wildcat can immediately connect students to resources, allowing office staff to be more responsive when follow-up is needed.
“There is somebody in the mascot,” Westerhold said. “But perhaps sending a text is one less barrier, and so that’s how we’re trying to close the loop.”
Blake Stanley, a peer tutor at WSC, said the structure and community of the baseball team has enhanced his college career but gave due credit to self-determination, or intrinsic motivation. Stanley said he also sees self-determination pay off for students he tutors.
“I do have a student that comes quite often who is always focused on his academic career and self-improvement,” Stanley said. “He’s really taken the initiative himself to work on improving. He’s taken the extra steps he’s needed and always steps up with honest feedback if I need to explain something differently.”
Stanley also sees value in Willy’s use as a more comfortable communication tool for self-advocacy, especially considering the expansion of mental health awareness.
“I think it’s pretty cool that students can speak up for their needs in a way that’s more anonymous, because I know it can be intimidating to admit personal struggle,” Stanley said.
Cece Meister, also a peer tutor at WSC, agrees that asking for help can be intimidating. In addition to reaching out to the college digitally through Willy, being able to take the first steps digitally to book sessions with a peer tutor and even the option to meet digitally with a peer tutor is beneficial.
“I think it’s great that we have peer tutoring because sometimes it’s easier to talk to a peer, even a couple years older than you, than going to a professor and asking for help, because I know that can be intimidating as well,” Meister said.
While freshmen mostly use peer tutoring services for help with academic improvement specifically related to coursework, Meister said peer tutors are good for that and more.
“Something I feel like a lot of freshmen forget is that we’re not just here for academic purposes,” Meister said. “I had a student come in who was behind in her class and was struggling to plan a way to catch up, so I helped her plan through the rest of the semester. Not a lot of people do that, but I thought it was really amazing that this student could come to me and ask for help getting organized.”
Meister knows it can be easier to advocate for others’ needs and sees Willy’s texts simply as a reminder to check in with herself.
“I like to help people, and I’m the president of Zeta Tau Omega, so sometimes I neglect to help myself first,” Meister said. “Getting questions from Willy helps me remember to check in with myself.”
While receiving and responding to text messages from Willy the Wildcat are not mandatory for WSC students, personal reflection and self-advocacy are essential for satisfaction and success.