“Don’t let your struggles define you, you define them,” shares our speaker today Marc Hoberman. He is the author of “Search and Seizure: Overcoming Illness and Adversity.” After suddenly moving from New York to Florida during high school, Marc suffered a grand mal seizure while driving and was diagnosed with epilepsy. Hoberman tells us his story and how he came to terms with this diagnosis while still planning for college. “I am not who I am in spite of my illness, I am who I am because of my illness,” declares Hoberman.
Questions Answered Today:
If I’m a parent of a struggling teen, what can I do to help?
Children will not deal with their parents the same way they work with other adults. It will probably be helpful to look for a qualified outside tutor. “If you are too emotionally involved, you have to take a step back,” says Hoberman.
He also strongly advocates against comparing one child to another.
Students often suffer test anxiety as a result of poor study skills. These skills can be taught! If you study wrong and take notes incorrectly, it can create a vicious cycle. “You have to meet your children at their reality,” states Hoberman.
Everyone has adversity, and it makes it difficult to focus on academics when other things are going on such as bullying, stress, illness, or anxiety. There are ways to help handle these stressors such as deep breathing, talking to someone, or finding a support group in person or on the internet.
Marc wants everyone to know that they are not alone- whatever the problem is.
He has also noticed an increase in the number of students not graduating from college in recent years because parents are not helping their children get organized or preparing them for the independence of going away to college. “Every school I know of has places you can go on campus for assistance,” notes Hoberman. Parents have to be open and honest about the adversity students will face in college and they have to be there to listen and support their child as needed.
There is help available everywhere through the internet, groups, or books. You can find it if you research and seek it out, depending on what the particular issue is. Marc also cautions against keeping whatever the problem is a complete secret. “If people don’t want to be friends with you because of your struggles,” Hoberman explains, “those aren’t people you want as friends anyways.”
“Search and Seizure: Overcoming Illness and Adversity” is a short read that will be helpful for parents, students, and teachers that experience adversity in their life.
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
- http://www.gradesuccess.com
- Free demo and all contact information for Marc and his services available here.
- Marc’s book is available through Amazon by clicking here.
BRAD RECOMMENDS:
The Six R’s For Stress Management
Episode 92: Don’t Let Student Anxiety or Depression Derail Your College Plans
Episode 70: Impact of Grief on Planning For College
Episode 80: Online Course- What You Need to Know, Even For Traditional Students
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Brad is not affiliated with Marc Hoberman.