Show IW FOIt S PRINCETON Minority NJ students often often plunged ed suddenly suddenly suddenly sud sud- denly into a setting that reflects the academic orientation customs customs customs cus cus- toms attitudes and traditions of the white middle class may suffer a kind of cultural shock on the nations nation's campuses That most of them are able to succeed is a tribute to their determination to work hard to overcome earlier academic deficiencies and to cope with the stresses of an unfamiliar environment according to Dr Luis Nieves associate director dir director tor of the Office for Minority Education Educational Testing Service ETS Solutions to the problems of minority students demand a comprehensive system of self-assessment self said Nieves who has written a guide to help them cope with the challenge of the new college atmosphere College Achievement Through Self Self Help Help the planning and guidance manual for minority students explains self-control self self-management self techniques and how they can be used to handle the most common and crucial problems other facing minority and With a counselor or on their own students are taken through step-by-step step solving problem-solving processes with the aid of charts and multiple-choice multiple questionnaires designed to help them learn skills needed to get the most out of their higher education The publication sponsored jointly by the ETS Office for Minority Education and the Graduate Record Examinations Board was prepared after an extensive investigation into the problems and solutions of minority college students The manual was produced with the assistance of some 60 minority minority minor minor- ity students and a number of faculty advisers counselors psychologists and educators Research shows that positive feelings of self worth self worth belief in inner control realistic aspirations a high motivation to achieve and confidence in the ability to succeed go hand in hand with academic success Nieves said The will to succeed succeed succeed suc suc- academically and the belief that it is possible lead students to develop good study habits Good study habits lead ot of good grades which reinforce their motivation The keys to academic success are the same for minority students as for others he added They must learn practical useful academic skills how what and when to study-plus study the ability to deal with such self-defeating self feelings as powerlessness powerless- powerless ness inadequacy inferiority and fear of failure In addition to poor academic preparation many of f themore the themore themore more than minority students enrolled in colleges and universities across America have attitudes and behavior patterns patterns pat pat- terns that debilitate their academic performance Nieves said These include feelings of loneliness and rejection lack of career goals and objectives the belief that they are subject to external controls rather than being able to control situations themselves and pervasive negative self Using the procedure for problem analysis set forth in the manual a student defines a specific problem he or she has indicates the change in behavior wanted decides which actions actions ac ac- ac- ac need to be increased and which must be decreased and then chooses which change techniques he or she will use to reach solutions to the problem College Achievement Through Self Help describes this method and teaches students to apply it to common academic ic problems such as managing study anxiety mild depression depression depression depres depres- sion and interpersonal relations and choosing a career The concept said Nieves offers students several significant advantages It permits an n integrated overall view of a problem poor academic performance for example yet it leaves room for more discreet problems too little study time and offers a structure for organizing corrective measures Basically it relies on the students student's own desire for change as a motivating force Thus the system contains the potential for comprehensive lasting modification that can help minority students academically academically aca aca- and emotionally while in college and in their later lives Copies of College Achievement Through Self Self Help Help are available for each which includes mailing and shipping shipping ship ship- ping costs Make check or money order payable to Office for Minority Education ETS and send to Office for Minority Education Educational Testing Service Princeton NJ |