Julie Enciso and Steve Young

Julie Enciso

Steve Young

• Theories of Resilience

• Examples of College Resiliency Initiatives and

Programs

• Application Activities and

Exercises

• Tools and Resources

• Introduce concept or topic

• Practice exercise to apply

concept

• Discussion/Reflection

• Application Review

Access a

downloadable PDF

of the Activity

Workbook at

https://go.umd.edu/iscrewedupworkbook

• Relevance of Topic

• Setbacks and Losses

• The Grieving Process

• Developing Resiliency Plans

• Normalizing Failure

• Reflections and Processing

• Responding positively to challenges

• Ability to bounce back from adversity

and setbacks

• Perceiving personal failures as

inevitable elements of a successful life

Dweck, C.S., and Yeager, D.S. (2012). Mindsets That Promote

Resilience: When Students Believe That Personal

Characteristics Can Be Developed. Educational Psychologist,

47 (4), 302-314

• Competitive Culture on today’s

college campuses

• Increased neediness of students

• Decreased student ability to manage

everyday life problems

• Fear of failure and avoidance of risks

• Strain on college counseling centers

Gray (2015). Declining Student Resilience: A Serious

Problem for Colleges. Psychology Today, September 22.

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Page 3 Workbook

• “Throw in the towel” dialogue

• “Easiest route” mentality

• “Handholding” expectations

Gray (2015). Declining Student Resilience: A

Serious Problem for Colleges. Psychology

Today, September 22.

Lowy, A. (2017). Students learn resilience,

techniques for overcoming, acknowledging

failure. The Cavalier Daily, University of

Virginia.

• Perceptions applied to personal failures

• Managing and processing bad news

• External measures of success vs. Autonomous

Learning

• Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

• Response to challenges Aditomo, A. (2015). Students’ Response to

Academic Setback: Growth Mindset as a Buffer

Against Demotivation. International Journal of

Educational Psychology, 4 (2), 198-222.

Dweck, C.S., and Yeager, D.S. (2012). Mindsets That

Promote Resilience: When Students Believe That

Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed.

Educational Psychologist, 47 (4), 302-314

Think about setbacks and losses college students experience in their academic and

personal lives. List as many of these as you can in the chart below.

SETBACKS AND LOSSES STUDENTS EXPERIENCE

Page 4 Workbook

SETBACKS AND LOSSES STUDENTS EXPERIENCE

Failing their first

course

Learning they

cannot graduate

in their desired

timeframe

A Relationship

Breakup

Death of a

family member

or friend

Failing to turn in

an assignment

online because

WiFi/internet

was down

Not meeting the

requirements for

a preferred

major

Not fulfilling the

prerequisites for

a course they

would like to

take

Not being

elected to a

student

organization

leadership role

Not being

named a starter

for an athletic

team or the lead

in the play

Being accused

of plagiarism on

their research

paper or lab

report

Course (s) they

want to take is

full

Earning a low

grade on an

exam

Having to

withdraw from

the semester

Developing or

being diagnosed

with an

unforeseen

illness

Consistent

oversleeping

and missing

class

Using one of the academic setbacks you listed in the previous activity

complete this worksheet to develop a resiliency plan for this setback.

DEVELOPING A RESILIENCY PLAN

What can the student

do to improve this

situation?

How might this action or

behavior impact their

academic progress?

Which recommended

action or behavior might

require the easiest

commitment for the

student?

How and when will the

student know that the

action plan is working?

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Using one of the academic setbacks you listed in the previous activity complete this worksheet to develop a resiliency plan for that setback.

DEVELOPING A RESILIENCY PLAN

What can the student do

to improve this

situation?

How might each

recommended plan

impact their academic

progress?

Which recommended

plan might require the

easiest commitment for

the student?

How and when will the

student know that the

recommended plan is

working?

Adjust study strategies to

make sure these match the

tasks required of the course.

Different courses require

different approaches to

studying. Focus on

controllable factors such as

effort and study prep

techniques.

Able to articulate an

understanding and

application of course

concepts. Evidence that

learning has occurred.

Examine where he/she lost

points in the course. Review

exams and projects.

View mistakes as learning

opportunities. Balance

performance mindset with

learning mindset.

Assess motivational

roadblocks and work to

correct these.

Prevent student from giving

up when things get tough.

Helps student set academic

goals that build motivation

and confidence.

Denial

Anger

Bargaining

Depression

Acceptance

Farrell, M.L. (2001). When Students Get Bad

News: How Understanding the Grieving

Process Can Help Advisers Handle Difficult

Situations. The Mentor, Penn State Division of

Undergraduate Studies.

Kubler-Ross, E. (1975). On Death and

Dying. New York: Macmillan Publishing

Co., Inc.

Page 5 Workbook

Practice responding to the student comments below. For each comment

identify the stage of grieving the student is experiencing and then develop a

resilience building response you might provide as the student’s academic

advisor that acknowledges any failure/setbacks and corrects for inaccuracies.

Student Comment/Statement Identify Grieving

Stage

Advisor Response

I know my GPA is a 2.3 but I’m going to

medical school.

I was very close to the B- I needed in

Calculus to be able to declare Engineering

as my major. I still want to apply

My professor is the reason I didn’t do well

in my Biology class.

I thought I had completed all of my

requirements to graduate. Everyone at this

school is incompetent.

It’s hopeless. I can’t pass calculus and I am

dropping out of college.

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• Overcome fear of failure

• Willingness to take risks

• Teaches the normalization of failure and struggle

• Lists accomplishments not achieved, awards not

won, and opportunities not earned.

Page 6 Workbook

Simmons, R. (2017). Failing Well: Campus Series

Helps Students Rethink Setbacks. Grecourt Gate,

News and Events for the Smith College Community

Develop a list of the following:

• Accomplishments you did not achieve

• Honors and/or Awards you did not win

• Opportunities that passed you by

• Skills you didn’t develop

https://go.umd.edu/failureresume

Homework Assignment: Use the resume template to then design a “Failure

Resume” that effectively acknowledges your setbacks and disappointments

while normalizing failure. Use the example provided as a guide.

Page 6 Workbook

Simmons, R. (2017). Failing Well: Campus Series Helps Students Rethink

Setbacks. Grecourt Gate, News and Events for the Smith College Community

Example Failure Resume

Accomplishments not

achieved:

• Didn’t become a corporate

comic/humor speaker

• Didn’t complete a master’s

degree in I/O Psychology

Honors not awarded:

• Didn’t graduate from

college with Latin Honors

• Didn’t win a Global

Partnership Staff Travel

Grant

https://go.umd.edu/failureresume

Page 6-7 Workbook

Miguel is a sophomore psychology major at Sigmund Freud

University. He has a 4.0 GPA and doesn’t want anything to jeopardize

this. He expresses to you an interest in neuroscience and you

suggest the Neural Systems class as a potential course option for

next semester. Miguel tells you he researched this course and the

average grade appears to be only a B. “I don’t want a B on my

transcript,” he states. “Are there any sure-fire A courses you would

recommend?”

Exploratory Questions:

• How and why is this scenario relevant to resilience?

• What is preventing Miguel from registering for this course?

• What incentives might there be for Miguel to take this course?

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• Increased brain power

• Problem solving skills

• Adult Training

• Decrease in mental health problems

• Greater path to learning resilience

Eells, G. (2017). Hyper-Achievement, Perfection, and College Student

Resilience. Journal of College & Character, 18, 77-82.

You learned how to……..

Help a student develop a resiliency plan to

effectively addressing an academic or personal

setback

Utilize resiliency language/dialogue to guide

students through the grievance process associated

with academic and personal adversity

Develop a failure resume to normalize failure and

reshape student perceptions of academic and

personal setbacks

Page 9 Workbook

Page 9 Workbook

Aditomo, A. (2015). Students’ Response to Academic Setback: Growth Mindset as a Buffer Against

Demotivation. International Journal of Educational Psychology, 4 (2), 198-222.

Dweck, C.S., and Yeager, D.S. (2012). Mindsets That Promote Resilience: When Students Believe

That Personal Characteristics Can Be Developed. Educational Psychologist, 47 (4), 302-314

Eells, G. (2017). Hyper-Achievement, Perfection, and College Student Resilience. Journal of College &

Character, 18, 77-82.

Farrell, M.L. (2001). When Students Get Bad News: How Understanding the Grieving Process Can

Help Advisers Handle Difficult Situations. The Mentor, Penn State Division of Undergraduate Studies.

Gray (2015). Declining Student Resilience: A Serious Problem for Colleges. Psychology Today,

September 22.

Kubler-Ross, E. (1975). On Death and Dying. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.

Lowy, A. (2017). Students learn resilience, techniques for overcoming, acknowledging failure. The

Cavalier Daily

Simmons, R. (2017). Failing Well: Campus Series Helps Students Rethink Setbacks. Grecourt Gate,

News and Events for the Smith College Community

Page 10 Workbook

Tell us what you think! Complete

the short evaluation at the link

below.

https://go.umd.edu/iscrewedup

Page 10 Workbook