Biggest Challenges Faced by a Senior Program Co-Director at Minds Matter SoCal
Beth's biggest challenge as Co-Director of the LA Senior Program at Minds Matter SoCal involves helping students manage the overwhelming number of deadlines during their senior year; the goal is to shift students' perspectives from viewing deadlines as limitations to seeing them as opportunities, a skill equally applicable to her previous career as an attorney working with young lawyers who also struggled with procrastination.
Time Management, Stress Management, Leadership, Mentorship, Higher Education
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Beth Garfield
Co-Director, LA Senior Program
Minds Matter SoCal
Stanford University, 1974
University of Michigan Law School
Psychology
Law, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Legal
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Time management and meeting deadlines are crucial skills for success in college applications and beyond.
2. Procrastination is a common challenge for students, impacting their ability to perform at their best.
3. Learning to manage time effectively and prioritize tasks reduces stress and improves outcomes. This is a skill applicable across many career fields.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
Senior year is really tough for students because there are so many deadlines. They know they have to meet those deadlines, otherwise they're not going to have the same opportunities. A lot of times, students get lost in the deadlines.
The biggest challenge working with seniors is for them to understand that while they have to meet deadlines, it's an opportunity for them and they shouldn't procrastinate. Everywhere students procrastinate; Minds Matter is no different. I have students who finalize their essays the evening they have to submit them.
I try to encourage them to get things done early so they can sit back and relax. We're coming up to Thanksgiving, and it would be lovely if the students in my group all had their essays done for the UCs, which are due on the 30th. They do not.
It'll be interesting to see them get it all done. I think just recognizing deadlines and learning to work with them, rather than being limited by them, is important. It's not just our students; I think everybody's like that.
When I was working as an attorney, I saw young attorneys waiting until the last minute for briefs to be due. I think it's just a natural human thing. Hopefully, we can help students learn those skills when they're prepping for college.
Or at least, remember we talked about those skills, so that when they get into college, they'll recognize the timelines. Procrastination just causes a huge amount of stress.