Reference no: EM133264049

Jamal is a full-time student, taking five classes this semester. He lives about 45 minutes from campus because it's less expensive. He works as a waiter three nights a week and is in a band that practices twice a week. On the weekend Jamal either has work or a gig with the band. This is his first time away from home and he occasionally gets homesick. His girlfriend told Jamal that she's not sure he makes enough time for her and seems more distant. He just got his English paper back with more red marks than his original draft and a big "D" at the top.

His parents scrambled to pull the funds together for him to go to college and expect him to be the top of his class. Even though he works hard, he's afraid that he'll fail them. He just learned that his father had a minor heart attack. Even though his father is recovering, Jamal can't stop thinking about it.

Lately, he's so tired that he's had to skip several classes. Jamal drinks a ton of coffee to stay awake and suffers from a chronic headache. Jamal just doesn't know if this is the best time for him to be in school and is considering dropping out.

Activity:

At this point, you should be pretty skilled at identifying Jamal's stressors and their effects. Although a number of his stressors could have been addressed early in the term with careful planning, he missed the warning signs and now he's experiencing high stress levels.

Directions:

Review Jamal's stressors and their effects. Then, answer questions below. 

Stressor

• 5 classes
• 45 minute commute
• Band practice and gigs
• Work schedule
• Father's illness
• Pressure to succeed
• Recent low grade
• Family expectations
• Girlfriend expectations
• Lives away from family and friends

Effects

Physical

• Tired
• Chronic headache

Mental/Emotional

• Worry about father's health
• Anxiety about pleasing parents
• Anxiety about his girlfriend

Behavioral

• Skipping Classes
• Poor academic performance
• Drinking large amounts of caffeine

Intervention strategies must address the cause of the problem (the stressors) to effectively eliminate the symptoms. Jamal can take some simple steps on his own, but he needs outside help.

1. List out some possible intervention strategies to help Jamal.
2. Overall, Jamal needs to solve his main problem: He is overcommitted. He'll need to re-examine his priorities, probably with some outside help. A counselor or advisor could help him map out a realistic college study plan that balances his outside commitments. For instance, he may need to reduce his course load, try to get financial aid so he can work less, and so on. List out the priorities list would help Jamal.