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Mental Wellbeing

Education for Mental Health Toolkit - Self-management – holistic

There are no reasons to assume that new students automatically know how to be successful as university students or that they can effectively work this out for themselves.

Holistic Self-Management

There are no reasons to assume that new students automatically know how to be successful as university students or that they can effectively work this out for themselves. Research shows that the behaviours students adopt in the first weeks of their university career, can persist through to the end of their programme (1, 2). In other words, it cannot be assumed that student self-management will inevitably improve as students move through their academic career. This is important as evidence shows that student self-regulation, self-management and wellbeing all influence learning and achievement (3, 4).

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Self-management in this context can be thought of as a student’s ability to manage all aspects of student life, including their learning, their wellbeing and self-care, competing priorities (such as paid work), their social life and finances. Self-management requires a combination of knowledge, understanding and skill, which can grow and improve through education, cultural influence and practice. Given the relationship between wellbeing and learning, there is a strong argument for embedding education within the curriculum, that can empower students to take a holistic approach to their own self-management (5). Indeed, there is evidence in the literature that psychoeducation of this type can have a positive impact and can comfortably sit alongside disciplinary based meta-learning (6).

The four-axis model set out in Learning and wellbeing can be used as a structure to build student knowledge and understanding of the links between learning and wellbeing and how attending to one can have a positive impact on the other (5).

Academic: Alongside disciplinary meta-learning, students can be taught about evidence informed, effective learning techniques such as retrieval practice and spacing. Myths can also be dispelled, such as the idea that studying is only worth it if done in long blocks of time; evidence actually shows that studying in short blocks can be more effective.

Physical: Students can be shown the evidence of the positive impact on learning and academic performance of taking breaks, sleeping well, eating healthily, staying hydrated and exercising. These steps can support self-regulation and be framed as steps students can take to support their learning and academic performance.

Social: As part of creating a collaborative learning environment, students can be helped to understand the relationships between social connection and cognitive function, leading to academic performance (7, 8). Curriculum can also explore the importance of maintaining social balance – not focussing solely on social activities at the beginning of term and not ignoring social needs during assessment periods.

Psychological: Students can be supported to understand ways of managing emotional arousal and negative feelings about academic work and engaging with learning in ways that can produce positive emotional experiences such as a sense of fulfilment, pleasure and achievement.

There are, however, two key principles to consider when contemplating embedding self-management material and activities into the curriculum.

The first is that evidence from work on meta-learning suggests that the development of this type of knowledge and skill is more effective when delivered in ways that are subject specific, rather than through generic training (9). Education on self-management may be more effective if it is more focussed within disciplinary norms, explored through disciplinary concepts and linked to specific subject content.

The second principle is that it is important to consider who designs and delivers this material. Subject academics, by themselves, may not be best placed or have the relevant expertise to effectively address this issue. Developing student self-management, therefore offers opportunities for collaborative partnerships between subject academics, Learning and Teaching Teams and Student Services (5).

Key Lessons

  • Student self-regulation, self-management and wellbeing all influence learning and achievement.
  • Students often do not know how to self-manage effectively or understand how lifestyle and self-management can influence learning and achievement.
  • Self-management can be developed via education embedded into the curriculum.
  • This offers opportunities for collaborative partnerships on curriculum design and delivery between subject academics, Learning and Teaching Teams and Student Services.

Top Tips

  • Embed self-management into curriculum as a way of building students’ understanding of the ways in which learning, and performance happen and can be supported.
  • Co-facilitate material on self-management with colleagues in Student Services.
  • Provide referenced evidence of the links between wellbeing and learning to build student understanding and confidence in what they are being told.
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References
  1. Klaiber P, Whillans AV, Chen FS. Long‐term health implications of students’ friendship formation during the transition to university. Applied Psychology: Health and Well‐Being. 2018 Jul;10(2):290-308. Available from: doi: 10.1111/aphw.12131
  2. Yorke M, Longden B. The first-year experience of higher education in the UK: final report. York: The Higher Education Academy; 2008.
  3. Kennedy GJ. The Elephant in the Hall: Motivating the Study of Student Motivation and Self-Regulation in Studies of Academic Achievement and Persistence in Higher Education. International Journal of Higher Education. 2013;2(4):179-90.
  4. Bücker S, Nuraydin S, Simonsmeier BA, Schneider M, Luhmann M. Subjective well-being and academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Journal of Research in Personality. 2018 Jun 1;74:83-94.
  5. Hughes G. The Challenge of Student Mental Well-Being: Reconnecting Students Services with the Academic Universe. Student Support Services. 2021:1-23.
  6. Hood B, Jelbert S, Santos LR. Benefits of a psychoeducational happiness course on university student mental well-being both before and during a COVID-19 lockdown. Health Psychology Open. 2021 Mar;8(1). Available from: doi: 10.1177/2055102921999291
  7. Saunders S, Kardia D. Creating inclusive college classrooms. A guidebook for University of Michigan graduate student instructors. 2004:46-56.
  8. Dimitrellou E, Hurry J. School belonging among young adolescents with SEMH and MLD: the link with their social relations and school inclusivity. European Journal of Special Needs Education. 2019 May 27;34(3):312-26.
  9. Zohar A, David AB. Paving a clear path in a thick forest: A conceptual analysis of a metacognitive component. Metacognition and Learning. 2009 Dec 1;4(3):177-95.