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A lot of choices in college

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Moving away from your goals: Impulse Problems Moving towards your goals: Controlling Impulses

Hanging with kids with no college goals

  • Who are your friends? Do they get you closer or further away from your goals?
 Hanging with kids with realistic college goals
Hanging with kids with substance control problems
  • Do they get drunk often?
 Hanging with kids who can say no to substances
Hanging with kids who have academic problems
  • How serious are they about graduating?
 Hanging with kids who are good students
Skipping classes
  • Like work, just being there is half the battle - would you skip going to work?
 Go to every class
Not doing homework - it doesn't matter
  • It really does matter. Learning builds sequentially through studying and completing assignments
 Giving homework your best
Having trouble saying "no" to bad choices
  • Learning to say "no" is hard. People may be disappointed in you. It gets better over time
 Learning to say "no" to bad choices
Getting drunk especially Thurs. though Sun.
  • A dangerous trend - bad for academics, your health, dangerous behaviors while drunk
 Drinking, or not, but not getting drunk.
Having fun without getting drunk.
Messing with substances
  • They're illegal. What are the consequences if caught?
 Saying "no" to offers of substances
Gambling
  • Becoming a real problem. Can create tremendous problems with debt
 Not gambling with money
Real trouble controlling impulses
  • Doing what you "feel" like doing rather than thinking through the consequences results in a lot of trouble
 Counting to "10" strategies - learning to put the brakes on impulses - don't make immediate decisions around risky choices
Physical fights to solve anger
  • College is about increasingly learning to use your brain to solve problems
 Using words to solve anger
Engaging in unprotected sex
  • Think disease, pregnancy
 There's only one form of sex - safe sex
Engaging in bullying
  • Especially easy with the internet
 Don't post anything that you wouldn't want said about you
Not participating in any sport, group, service learning program, etc.
  • This stuff is just for "geeks"
 Getting involved is a great way to forget about your own troubles and help you to stay focused
Lying, cheating and stealing
  • It's all trouble and can get you dismissed
 Honesty is the best policy. What would your "mother" say?
Driving drunk or getting in the car with someone driving drunk
  • "They won't catch me"
 Not operating drunk or getting into the car with a drunk driver - really bad things can happen
Having weapons of any sort on or off campus
  • "They're illegal but I won't get caught"
 Saying no to theses choices
Blaming others for your problems
  • "I've got problems because of my parents or my teachers."
 In the end, you look in the mirror, and know that the decisions and choices that you have made are responsible for your successes and failures  
  1. List your friends. Describe your relationship with them. On a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the greatest help in achieving your goals, give each friend a number.
  2. On a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how would you rate your decision making abilities?
  3. What's your plan for either continuing to make good decisions or making better decisions