Case Study 1

Judy is a full-time nursing student who also works two jobs and lives on her own. Because she has little free time, Judy has to block out time for studying rather than trying to study when she has the time. She likes to color-code her schedule so that she can prioritize her time. John is a full-time nursing student who does not work and lives with his parents. He describes having many hobbies and sports activities that take away from his studying time. He likes to attend study sessions that can last from 5 to 8 hours to get it done all at once. Sometimes he gets caught up in something else and forgets when his tests are scheduled. Both Judy and John describe having difficulty studying, finding time to study, and avoiding distractions from their course work.

A.Which side of the brain is dominant for Judy? For John? Explain your answers.

B.What suggestions would you give Judy and John to help them study better?

C.How could Judy and John create an effective study space?

D. Why is it important for Judy to identify work-family conflicts as a single parent and a nursing student at this time?

Case Study 2

Chris is a nursing student and a self-proclaimed procrastinator. She describes herself as waiting until the last minute to complete projects and study for exams. She is currently taking one online course and three courses in a classroom. Chris tells her academic advisor that she tried color-coding her files, making out schedules for studying, and blocking out time, but she was afraid she'd get caught up in the act of doing those tasks and then wouldn't have time to study. She describes having difficulties finding time to complete her online course work and staying current with the discussions. Chris is already feeling the consequences of her actions, as reflected by her falling grades.

What strategies could Chris's advisor explain to her that might help her overcome procrastination?

Chris explains to her advisor that although she procrastinates, she is also a perfectionist, always wanting to earn A' on all her work. What guidance should her advisor give her?

Chris's advisor tells her to try positive affirmations to boost her self-esteem. What is a positive affirmation, and how would it help Chris in this situation?

Chris explains how the online course is a lot harder than what she expected and she is having trouble keeping up with the class. She tells her advisor that she often forgets about the assignments because the course is more self-directed than her other classes. How should her advisor help her?

 

Case Study 1

A. Which side of the brain is dominant for Judy? For John? Explain your answers.

The left hemisphere of the brain is dominant for Judy due to two main reasons. First, the left cerebral cortex of her brain control memories, thus enabling her to block time. Time blocking enables Judy to avoid distractions. Secondly, the left occipital lobe of her brain enables Judy to color-code her schedule because it is responsible for analyzing colors. On the other hand, the right hemisphere of the brain is dominant for John. For example, it controls his attention on study sessions of 5 to 8 hours. It also controls memory and that is why John forgets when his tests are scheduled. 

B. What suggestions would you give Judy and John to help them study better?

Judy and John need to improve their brainpower to help them study better. First, they should engage in fitness exercises to develop a healthier brain, thus improving their learning and memory skills. Secondly, they should take a break from what they do. Thus, they should create time for creative activities and socializing to improve concentration in their study. 

C. How could Judy and John create an effective study space?

They should select furniture that makes the space comfortable for their studies. They should also light up the space with enough lighting. It is important to have an adequate supply of study materials. A clock is paramount in enhancing time management (Patterson, 2020). Lastly, they should turn off their phone, TV, and other devices that may cause distractions. 

D. Why is it important for Judy to identify work-family conflicts as a single parent and a nursing student at this time?

Judy needs to understand that work-family conflicts affect academic performance. Thus, she should identify them to allocate more time to her studies. It is important to identify such issues because they may also affect her children socially and in academic works. 

Case Study 2

1. What strategies could Chris's advisor explain to her that might help her overcome procrastination? 

First, Chris should set priorities by establishing the ABCD system that ensures she lists all the tasks to accomplish in the short-term and long term (Valenzuela et al., 2020). Secondly, she should identify and eliminate all the time-wasters. It is also important for Chris to avoid multitasking and ensures she takes one step at a time. Lastly, she should reward herself after completing each task to motivate herself to overcome procrastination. 

2. Chris explains to her advisor that although she procrastinates, she is also a perfectionist, always wanting to earn A' on all her work. What guidance should her advisor give her?

Chris should understand that it is impossible to do everything perfectly well. Thus, she should manage her expectations and accepts the results that come from her dedication. Perfectionism will make her spend too much time on research, thus neglecting other important projects. Therefore, she should acknowledge doing things in the first place to avoid perfectionism that brings procrastination. 

3. Chris's advisor tells her to try positive affirmations to boost her self-esteem. What is a positive affirmation, and how would it help Chris in this situation?

A positive affirmation is a powerful statement that influences how a person behaves, feels, and thinks (Davy, 2020). Thus, a positive affirmation can help Chris to overcome and challenge negative thoughts that may affect her performance as a nurse student. For example, she should repeat positive affirmations such as “I can do it!” and “I have studied adequately for the exam”. Such positive affirmation will help Chris build her confidence and eliminate negative thoughts. 

4. Chris explains how the online course is a lot harder than what she expected and she is having trouble keeping up with the class. She tells her advisor that she often forgets about the assignments because the course is more self-directed than her other classes. How should her advisor help her?

First, it is important to analyze whether her concerns are genuine or are related to procrastination behaviors. After that, the advisor should help Chris with a clear schedule or calendar for the assignments. The schedule should help her to prepare for the online course based on set deadlines. Also, help her to work through peer groups to understand the course.