Studying and surviving at LSE
Friday 15 October 2014
Wolfson Theatre, 3.30
Adam Sandelson
LSE Student Counselling Service
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Aims
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Common challenges in starting at LSE
Practical tips for dealing with transition
Stress management skills
Sources of advice and help
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Part 1
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Common challenges in
starting at LSE
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Academic
Social
Settling in tips
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Settling in: The Academic side
New level of study
Previous standards
Reading strategies
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Use SQ3R:
Scan, Question, Read, Review, Recall
Presentations, essays and exams
Academic adviser relationship
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Academic challenges
Overwhelmed with material
New style of learning
Independent critical voice
Anxiety can lead to procrastination
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We may disguise avoidance by being busy
We may find things to do that are interesting,
but don't contribute towards the main goal
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Settling in - the Social Side
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Meeting new people
New contacts through
shared activities
Keeping contact with
people from home
Balance of work and
leisure
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The challenge of transition
Loss of familiar
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home, friends, family, routine
Coping with loss, after
initial excitement subsides
Depression and anxiety
Cultural isolation
Relationships and Identity
Financial difficulties
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Feeling Homesick
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There is a natural
grieving reaction
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associated with change
extremely common
often in first weeks
can occur when leaving
home, but also later (eg
after Xmas break)
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Homesickness is associated with
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distance from home
high expectations/ sense of anticlimax
time to adapt to culture, language, lifestyle
work overload and low control over it
most people come through homesickness
and go on to do well and enjoy their time
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Initial impressions
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Why did you choose to
study at LSE
What are your initial
impressions
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Academic
Social
Cultural
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Settling in Tips
Talk to someone - others feel the same
Call home but also get involved here
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Be realistic about what to expect
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It’s not disloyal to to enjoy yourself!
Balance work and leisure
Time to adjust
You don't have to get everything
right straight away
Food and sleep
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Part 2
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The context for studying
What are you really
doing here?
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Ambivalence?
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Independence
Relationships
Being a student
Studying at LSE
Your course
Career
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Underlying dynamics
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Trying to please others
Being a perfectionist
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Feeling under pressure to do
everything right
Setting yourself impossible
targets
Repeating anxiety, stress,
fear of failure …
The family/ historic context
for your success …
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Dynamics of study, work, life ...
Past
relationships
Current
relationships
Relationship
with LSE or
course of study
or work or …
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Under Pressure?
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What pressures are you
under as a student coming
to LSE
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From others
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From yourself
Are these pressures realistic
or excessive?
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Part 3
Practical ways of dealing
with study challenges
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Practical approaches
Revise study skills
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see LSE Learning World on Moodle
Time management skills
Set realistic and achievable goals
Short term targets, longer term strategies
Recognise your achievements
Talk to others, ask for help and support
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Concentrate on the task …
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Focussing on the task
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Concentrate on the task, not the
outcome
Break down huge activities into
small manageable tasks
Remember past successes
Time for breaks
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space to breathe and think
mind maps, scribble ideas
go for a walk, talk out loud
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Part 4
Stress Management Skills
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Stress Management Skills
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Physical, behavioural, cognitive…
Regularly switch off
 Schedule some kind of physical activity
Good self care
 Sleep, diet, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine
Time out without guilt
Acknowledge anxiety, rather than denying it.
Ask: ‘are my negative thoughts realistic?’
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Challenging negative thoughts
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Imagine them under test in a Court
of Law
Identify the negative thought (I can’t
do this course, I’m going to fail…)
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Ascertain the evidence For and
Against
Am I making a ‘thinking error’
Propose a more reasonable
alternative thought
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Thinking errors
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All or nothing thinking
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Discounting the positive
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Over-generalizing
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only seeing the negative side
‘If it happened before it will happen again’
Believing a catastrophe will happen
Emotional Reasoning
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‘If I feel it then it must be true’
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Part 5
Advice and help
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Sources of advice and help
Academic Adviser
Disability and Wellbeing Service
TLC study skills advisors
Student Union and Advice Centre
Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisors
Departmental Staff
Student Services Centre
Learning World
Medical Centre
Deans
Don't wait until problems have grown
impossibly large
It’s OK to ask for help earlier
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LSE Student Counselling
Service – KSW.507
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Free and confidential
Mainly short term counselling
Book appointments in advance
See Website for
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Stress management handouts
Self help resources
Relaxation MP3’s
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Future Workshops
Good Writing Psychology
Wednesday 22 October, 3:30pm – 4:30pm: TW1 G.01
Friday 7th November, 3:00pm - 4:00pm: CLM G.02 (repeat
session)
Managing study related stress
Wednesday 29th October, 3:30pm - 5:00pm: TW1 G.01
Adapting to Life at LSE
Wednesday 5th November, 12:00pm - 1:45pm: CLM G.02
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Groups
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Stress Management Group (3 weeks)
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Self Esteem Group (3 weeks)
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Bereavement Group (7 weeks)
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PhD group
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24+ Group
Places on all groups need to be booked in advance.
Please see the website, Call Ext 3627, visit KSW.507 or email
student.counselling@lse.ac.uk.
Final thoughts
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Transition can be
stressful, but also allows
us to grow as a person
Imagine looking back in 5
years
Talk
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