The document discusses how recognizing patterns in emotional responses to situations can provide wisdom and lessons to improve oneself. It provides four examples of typical situations in college that may elicit discomfort, anxiety/fear, excitement, and joy. For each emotion, it prompts reflection on one's experience in that situation and the potential lesson to be learned.

1. Directions: The following are examples adapted from Joshua Freedman's At the Heart of
Leadership: How to Get Results with Emotional Intelligence. He argues that we often experience
emotions in a pattern. For example, similar situations will trigger a type of response. It will help
us, he argues, if we learn to recognize the pattern and to dig deeper to explore the reasons why
we feel the way we do. Then, we should look for the wisdom in the situation and response; in
other words, we should look for a lesson to learn to improve ourselves.
Using the following "typical" college student examples, reflect on your emotional reaction to
these types of situations and what you think the wisdom, or lesson, is in each.
1. EMOTION: DISCOMFORT
TYPICAL SITUATION: You walk into a class for the first time and the professor seems
uninterested to teach or uninteresting in general. You suddenly get worried that you will not enjoy
this class—and you have to have it for your degree.
YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS SITUATION: If I came across a professor that had no
interest in teaching, I would become discourage and will have to act quickly
because Is my career on the line and it will mean I have to motivate myself and find
a solution for this problem.
THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED: The lesson in the situation above is to research
the professor you are interested in and see the student feedback on the
professor that way you can have full control of who you want to take that class
with and avoided having to deal with an uninterested teacher.
2. EMOTION: ANXIETY/FEAR
TYPICAL SITUATION: You walk into class where the professor explains everything that you are
going to do this semester. He talks about a 15-page research paper, field studies, and weekly
journals. You don't even have access to a computer.
YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS SITUATION: Well when the first day of school the
professors give you a syllabus and explain it to you I find that really refreshing because
it allows you to stay ahead at all times, but if a computer was one of the main resources
we will need for the class and I didn’t have access to one I would be worried but not for
long we all have the same opportunities in college and a library that provides us with
use of computer I would just go there and use it till I can afford one of my own, never get
discourage always look for options.
Activity Sheet:
Tapping into Emotions

2. THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED: The lesson here is to always be prepared and if you are
one of the many students that get financial aid use that money for school like you are
supposed to, also to never give up look for options on how you can fixed the situation
instead of giving up and failing the class for lack of effort.

3. 3. EMOTION: EXCITEMENT
TYPICAL SITUATION: You find out that you won a scholarship that will pay for books,
tuition, and fees when you transfer to a four-year university next semester. You can't
wait to share the good news with your family because they were having a hard time
helping support you while you were in college.
YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS SITUATION: If I found out that I won a full
scholarship to a four years university, I would be very excited and thrill that
would be a lifetime opportunity and my family wouldn’t have to worry about
money for college it would be a relive and I would take full advantage of it
making sure I get good grades.
THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED: : The lesson here is if you don’t apply for
scholarships you will never get the benefit from it, take chances and risk
when it comes to getting money for college look at your options there are
scholarships for everything apply for them you never know what can
happened.
4. EMOTION: JOY
TYPICAL SITUATION: You have taken your last final exam and will be graduating next
week in front of your family, friends, and co-workers—and a few people who thought
you wouldn't make it. You have a job ready and waiting for you in your field of study.
While the pay may not be high, it offers great opportunities for advancement. Your two
children are proud to tell everyone that their mom has a college degree, and you know
that they will be more likely to attend college because you did.
YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THIS SITUATION: After all the struggles in college and
at home with two kids it would feel GREAT to finally accomplish my goal of
graduating I would be full of emotions and to have family and friends is the
icing on the cake.
THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED: The lesson here is no matter what struggles you
go through they don’t define who you are keep moving forward no matter what,
trust that when you get to the finish line it would be the greatest feeling in the
whole world, never give up.