The Stanford Learning Lab expands workshop, student group, and drop-in offerings
Welcome back everyone!
I truly hope that you spent your break with those you love and activities that you not only enjoy but were restorative. We are all familiar with entertaining ideas of New Year’s resolutions, and I recently received a wonderful gift from an old friend— a workbook of sorts, entitled Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Worksheets by Lawrence Shapiro. It contains a wide array of exercises towards motivating behavioral changes and ideas towards regulating emotions.
One particular worksheet idea suggests the practice of creating a mission or purpose statement. This practice is different than setting goals or resolutions; rather, Shapiro says, “It defines who you are and how you will live. It is different from your goals; rather, it is what your goals are based on. It includes your values, and beliefs, affirms your choices, and it also gives you permission to say ‘no’ to the things that are distractions.” Creating a mission statement allows one to express who they aspire to be, and how they wish to use each day, with purpose and intention. It also offers a new practice for daily reflection, and allows one to edge a bit closer to the intention behind the mission. Whether one engages in this metacognitive practice in the morning or the evening is up to the individual, but the five minutes that it takes out of one’s day has the potential to impact positive change.
The Learning Lab team offers many types of programming towards engaging in reflective practices. One simple way to begin is to connect with our website and take a LASSI screening. This simple but excellent tool is designed to highlight areas of strength and help one address areas to improve upon as they relate to academic achievement. Moreover, the LASSI reflection pages provide links to connect one to services throughout the university.
We also continue to offer our unique, research-based LLIT program. This quarter-long program, facilitated by one of our highly trained Learning Specialists, will assist you with developing metacognition specific to your learning and allow you to elevate your learning experiences at Stanford.
This quarter, our Learning Specialist Mitch Dandignac will continue to offer sessions through the Winter 2023 Cognitive Workshop Series. He has developed individual workshops for eight different topics ranging from time management to overcoming procrastination, and students are welcome to register for any or all sessions of interest.
In addition, our Learning Specialists are pleased to announce that we have added additional times for our Drop-In Sessions this quarter, offering more opportunities to discuss issues that are impacting one’s learning and sense of achievement.
Lastly, Student Groups will begin meeting this month, so please make sure that you register. Once you do so, we will provide more information about this month’s offerings.