Generalpurpose:

Informaudienceontheeffectsofstressandshowhowtheacademic
learningcentercanhelp.

SpecificPurpose:
Getpeopletousetheacademiclearningcenter.

OrganizationPattern:
Topical

I.
Introduction
A. AttentionGetterByashowofhands,haveyoueverbeenstressedsincecoming
tocollege?Withallofusbeingfreshmeninherewevemadethehardtransition
fromhighschooltocollege
B. RelevancyStatementEveryonehasexperiencedstress.Whetheritsfrom
movingawayfromhome,maintainingajob,creatingorcontinuingold
friendships,itallaffectsouracademicperformance.
C. CredibilityStatement
Accordingtothe2015NationalCollegeHealth
AssessmentatUNIWithinthelast12months,thenumberonereportedfactor
thatnegativelyaffectedUNIstudentsindividualacademicperformance,was
stress.
D. ThesisStatement
Utilizingtheuniversity'sresourcescanhelpyoumanageyour
stresswhileimprovingyourgrades.
E. PreviewofMainPoints:TodayImgoingtobetalkingabouttheeffectsofstress,
theAcademicLearningCenterhereattheUniversityofNorthernIowa,my
personalexperience,andthedisadvantage.
TransitionSentence:
I.
II.EffectsofStress
A. Mostofushaveexperienceddifferentsideaffectsofstress.Accordingto
biomedsearch.comstressaffectsyourbody,mind,andemotions
1. Stresscanloweryourimmunesystemmakingyoumoresusceptibleto
colds,andotherillnesses.Whichiswhyyoubecomesickmoreoftenin
college.
2. Physicallystresscanalsoleadtomusculartension,highbloodpressure,
indigestion,ulcers,difficultysleeping,fatigue,andbackaches.
3. Cognitivelystresscancauseyoutoforgetsimpletasks,haveunwanted
orrepetitivethoughts,anddifficultyconcentrating.
4. Stresscanalsoleadtoearlyaging
a) AccordingtoHuffingtonPostina2012studyreportedthatthose
withstresshadshortertelomeresthanthosewithoutstressthis
causedDNAcellstodieorbecomedamaged.Inturnthiscauses
earlyaging.
(
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/11/stressagingprocess_
n_3047000.html
)

5. Themostdisturbingeffectofseverestressiscausationofdepressionand
anxiety.
a) MayoClinicstatesthatthosewithchronicstresshavean
increasedriskofdevelopingstressifyourenotcopingwiththe
stresswell.
(http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthylifestyle/stressmanagement/ex
pertanswers/stress/faq20058233)
b) Stressreducestheamountofserotoninanddopamineinyour
body.
c) Lackofserotoninanddopamineleadstodepressionandanxiety
6. Stressaffectsouracademicsinmanydifferentways.
Inasurveydoneby
mtvUPressin200960%ofstudentsreportedseverestressthat
interferedwiththeirabilitytocompletetheirschoolworkmoreoftenthan
once
7. Weveallexperiencedatleastafewofthesesideeffectsfromstress.
Whetheritbeillness,troublesleeping,ordifficultyinconcentratingallof
thesesymptomsaffectouracademicsuccess.Forexample,whenIcame
tocollegeIhadbeensickmoretimesfirstsemesterthanIeverwasinall
fouryearofhighschool.

Transition:Whiledealingwithstressisnteasyweneedtoteachourselveshowtoavoiditand
howtouseouruniversitiesresources.

I.
III.AcademicLearningCenter
A. HerearetheUniversityofNorthernIowawehavetheAcademicLearningCenter.
Manyhaveheardofit,butfewhaveactuallyusedit.ItslocatedintheintheITTC
rooms7and8.
B. http://www.uni.edu/unialc/
C. TheALCwebsitestatesTheAcademicLearningCenter(ALC)offersan
accessible,supportiveenvironmentforUNIstudentsatalllevelsofpreparation
andachievement.Professionaleducators,advisors,andtrained,certifiedpeers,
andfulltimestaffareavailabletoassistUNIundergraduateandgraduate
studentstobecomemoreefficientandeffectivelearners.
D. InresearchdonebytheUniversityofMichiganthebestwayforcollegestudents
tomanagestressistolearneffectivetimemanagementandstudyingskills,
whichiswhattheALCofferstostudents.
E. OneofthebestservicestheALCoffersistheirfreetutoringservice.
1. TheALCofferstutoringformanydifferentclasses
2. Accounting,biology,chemistry,chemistry,math,physics,andscience.
a) http://www.uni.edu/unialc/campustutoringopportunities1

3. Differentsubjectsareopenforwalkintutoringatdifferenttimes,butmost
areopenaround10.Ifthetimedoesntworkforyou,youcanschedulean
appointment.
4. TheALCalsooffersAcademicAchievementandRetentionServices
advisors
a) Theseadvisorshelpyou:
(1) MakingasmoothtransitiontoUNI
(2) Learningacademicrequirementsandpolicies
(3) Developinganeducationalplanconsistentwithyour
values,interests,andabilities
(4) Identifyingcampusand/orcommunityresources
(5) Reviewingtechniquestoimproveyourlearningandstudy
strategies
(6) Answeringgeneralfinancialaidquestions
(7) Researchingscholarshipopportunities
(8) Exploringcareeroptions
(9) Registeringforyourclasses
b) Specializesinhelpingnontraditionalstudentslikethosefromthe
LGBTcommunity,studentveterans,studentswithdisabilities,and
formerfosteryouth.
5. Twothingscollegestudentscommonlystrugglewithwhenmakingthe
transitionfromhighschooltocollegearetimemanagementandstudying.
a) theCollegeLearningandReadingCenterteachesyoueffective
timemanagement,studyingskills,andcollegereadingtips.
6. WhenyourefeelingstressedforupcomingexamslikethePraxis,CLEP,
andGREyoucangointothetutoringcentertostudyforthosetestswith
theassistanceoftrainedtutors.
7. OneofthemostcommonlyusedsourcesattheALCisthewritingcenter
a) Thewritingcenteroffersdropinwritingfeedback,content
feedbackforresumes,andworkshopstohelpimprovewriting
strategies.
Transition:WhilethereareobviouslymanyservicestheALCoffers,Ihavepersonallyusedtheir
resourcestomybenefit.
I.
IV.PersonalExperience
A. WhenIwentintomyoriginalmajormyadvisorinformedmethatIwouldneedto
takestatistics.InordertogetagoodgradeshesuggestedItakeitmyfirst
semestersomymathcoursesfromhighschoolwerefreshinmybrain.

B. LikemanyotherstudentsIstruggledwithmathinhighschool.
C. Iwasoverlystressedforstatisticsbeforeitevenstarted
1. Iwasscaredthatsinceitwasacollegecourseitwouldbe10xharder
thanthemathclassesItookinhighschool
2. Ialsoheardsomehorrorstoriesoncollegestatisticsclasseswhichmade
meevenmorestressed.
D. AftertellingmyadvisorhowstressedIwasshesuggestedItakemyhomeworkto
thetutoringcenter.
E. RightatthestartofthesemesterIstartedbringinginmyhomeworktothe
tutoringcenter.
1. IsawimprovementsinmymathskillsandIfeltateasegoingintoclass
knowingIdidmyhomeworktherightway.
2. Goingtothetutoringcentermadethematerialmoreunderstandableand
helpedmekeepupwithwhatmyprofessorwasteaching.
F. Intheend,IachievedabettergradeinstatisticsthanIeverthoughtIwould
G. Goingtothetutoringcenterhelpedlowermystressandmadememore
comfortableinclass.

A. WhiletheALCisfreewetechnicallypayforitinourtuition
1. TheALCfallsundertheservicescategoryinourtuition
2. Thissectionofourtuitionmakesupfor$112.50outofour$4,029we
spendperyear.
B.Whilethissoundslikequiteabitofmoney,itbenefitingstudentslikeus
1. TheALCemploysUNIstudents.So,ourmoneyisgoingbackinto
ourstudents,helpingthemmakemoneywhilealsohelpingother
studentssucceed.
Transition:NowthatIvegoneovermythreemainpointsthisleadsmetomyconclusion.

I.
III.Conclusion

A. Stresshasmanynegativeeffectsonthebody,mind,andemotions.Whilestressis
evidentincollege,therearewaystoavoidandeaseit.Withtherisingnumberofanxiety
anddepressionincollegestudentsitstimeforustotakecareofourselves.Usingthe
ALChelpsyouaccomplishhomeworkandtests,teacheseffectivestudyskillsandtime
management,andpreparesyouforbigplacementexams.
B. Utilizingtheuniversity'sresourcescanhelpyoumanageyourstresswhileimproving
yourgrades.
C. AsfinalsarequicklycreepinguponusIdliketochallengeeveryonetogotothe
academiclearningcenterandgethelponasubjecttheyrestrugglingwith.

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