Higher Education Workshop

• We discuss what to expect in the first weeks — from syllabi and course loads, to navigating campus systems.

• We help build individualized sustainable weekly routines to balance academics, self-care, and social life. This aims to preserve your wellbeing in the face of the time pressures and lacking external structure of higher education.

• You also learn to identify and access resources before you need them, not in moments of crisis.

The goal is to replace your uncertainty, or even anxiety, with agency and resourcefulness by demystifying this transition.

• We decode the unwritten rules of higher education that are rarely taught in orientation, such as how to connect with a professor, when and how to advocate for yourself, and what ‘work ethic’ looks like in higher education.

• We help you develop resourcefulness to navigate various expected situations, as well as the confidence to manage unexpected situations.

• You learn about how institutional culture works, including what's expected of you beyond grades.

We offer candid insight into what competitive higher education environments actually value and reward.

• Drawing on tools from positive psychology, we explore who you are and the strengths you bring to your new environment, establishing a strong foundation before the pressures of higher education emerge.

• We build metacognitive skills to reflect on your strengths and values, considering how these can ground your perspective and decision-making moving forward.

• We discuss how your strengths and values will continue to evolve, emphasizing receptivity to personal growth.

Anchored in your own strengths, you develop a personal foundation from which to approach challenges, relationships, and opportunities.

• We reflect upon the effectiveness of your current stress management toolkit. This is explored alongside evidence-based strategies to bolster your coping skills.

• We distinguish between normal adjustment stress and signs that additional support would be valuable.

• We normalize help-seeking by identifying how to reach out to advisors, professors, and other resources on campus.

We emphasize proactive care, not just crisis response.

• We anchor our discussions in how you are not alone in finding this transition intense. Challenges are universal, and your peers are navigating similar experiences alongside you.

• Our conversations shed light on imposter syndrome, supporting you as you enter spaces where you may feel like an outsider.

• We explore how to find communities that align with your values and identity, rather than defaulting to the most visible social groups.

This fosters an understanding that belonging and community are built, not found. We share strategies for creating genuine connections in new environments.

• We explore your personal experiences of leadership, as you begin to develop your own voice and approach.

• You learn how to build meaningful relationships with potential mentors.

• The relationship with Caroline Connolly itself becomes a live example of what meaningful mentorship looks like in practice.

We reflect upon mentorship and leadership to explore how these can support your personal development, and your broader contribution to the community.