Melinda is a freshman with a 3.0 grade point average. She studies diligently, bu
ID: 3456578 • Letter: M
Question
Melinda is a freshman with a 3.0 grade point average. She studies diligently, but experiences severe anxiety before tests because she doesn't believe that her efforts will make a difference. It is almost the end of the semester and Melinda must do well on her chemistry exam or she'll lose her scholarship. This pressure has made her test anxiety so bad that she had a panic attack this afternoon while trying to study. The chemistry exam is two days away and she needs help.
1. Very often, a college student's self-esteem will be based on academic performance. Discuss how you could help Melinda build her sense of self-efficacy both in and out of the classroom.
2. What are the best approaches Melinda can take now to do well on her exam and prevent a similar stressful situation from happening next term. Please feel free to include external stressors as well as personal stressors in your life.
3. Do you think you would seek professional help if you were in Melinda's situation? Why or why not?
4. From a health perspective, what are some actions you can take to decrease anxiety and learn optimism?
5, Lastly, what are good ways to form realistic expectations before beginning each semester?
Explanation / Answer
Self-efficacy is a construct that is built over a long duration of time and not merely a few days before the examination. As an educator, this long term view should be taken into consideration and efforts towards increasing a student’s self-efficacy should be planned and executed throughout the year. In Melinda’s case, a concrete plan of completing an assignment, or to a specific assignment or project should be worked out. Furthermore, it is important to provide her with moderately difficult tasks and assignments on a regular basis so she may experience a sense of accomplishment while achieving them. Also, while praising and encouraging her is very important, it must be credible and should be earned. When giving feedback on Melinda’s performance, compare to past performances by her, rather than comparing her to other students.
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