Much resources are pumped into a student to prepare for life after school. Resources are put into helping the child score well. However, students are not taught an extremely important skill set – emotional skills. No matter how smart or skilful a child, it is hard to succeed without mental strength.
A survey conducted in 2015 with 1502 college students across the United States found 60 percent wished they had been better taught emotional preparation before college. Aspects of emotional preparedness includes being able to take care of themselves, being adaptable to new environments, control negative emotions or behaviour and the ability to build positive relationships.
The students also felt that there was too much focus on the academic preparation aspect for college. The lack of emotional skills actually reduced their ability to score well academically, despite the effort put into academic preparation. The survey further showed that students who were least emotionally prepared usually had lower Grade Point Averages (GPA). They also had a higher likelihood of taking drugs and alcohol to cope with emotional pain, as they do not have adequate skills to deal with it. Even though majority of the student population was struggling, 45 percent felt that, among their peers, they were the only one struggling.
Results also found that students did not only face stress academically, and hence they may not have the mental strength needed to enter the work force or the adult world. The students responded that things like making new friends, handling bills and being independent was extremely challenging.
Hence, parents need to teach their children to be mentally strong. This can be done by allowing children to make mistakes, experience failure and stop trying to rescue them from their problems. Succeeding in life does not only depend on scoring well academically or having a great skillset, they need to learn to be mentally strong.
Category(s):Parenting
Source material from Psychology Today
