Your inner resources

Time

Your time is your resource. It's about finding a good balance in terms of how you spend your time.

Biological energy

Food, drink, sleep, physical activity, etc.Study skillsTeach yourself the academic craft. For example, you can learn about writing good academic papers

Study experience

Things get easier the more experience you have. Student experience is everything from how you use Itslearning, to where your classroom is, to how smart it is for you to prepare for exams.

Sense of meaningfulness

If you are pressured, for example, in connection with exams, it can create a loss of meaning. Loss of meaning can cause an experience ranging from doubts about the right choice of study to whether you are even good enough as a person.

Courage

Sometimes you have to pluck up the courage. For example, it may require courage to raise your hand in class. Or that you show your fellow student that you don't have control of the subject and ask for help.

Assess your inner ressources

On a scale from 1-10 where 10= very good 1= deficient: Where are you on the scale in relation to:

• Time: e.g. a good balance between leisure time and study time.
• Biological energy: e.g. an appropriate amount of sleep, movement, food, contact with other people, etc. every day.
• Study skills: e.g. appropriate note-taking technique, reading technique, exam skills, etc. for you.
• Study experiences: E.g. experience of finding your way around uni, participating in group work, taking exams, etc.
• Meaningfulness: For example, in relation to your choice of study programme or the learning activities in your programme.
• Courage: For example, the courage to dare things.
• Other inner resources: There are a ton of other inner resources, such as empathy, good at baking cake for the study group, project management, etc.

Feel free to do the assessment with a good friend, and talk about, for example:

• Is your assessment realistic?
• If your friend were to assess your inner resources from the outside, do you rate differently or similarly?
• Are there internal resources that you could benefit from?
• If so, how do you do it?How does it feel to become aware of your inner resources?
• How does it feel to talk to a friend about it?

What inner resource do you lack the most in your life?

• Is it one of those we have already mentioned? Biological energy, courage, etc.
• Is it something completely different?

Describe the resource you feel you are missing:

• When do you feel that the resource is lacking the most?
• In what situations do you feel that the resource is a little present?
• If the resource was a being with e.g. a shape, a colour, an expression, a way of being, etc. What does the resource look like?
• What would one you keep add to your description?

Describe how you can gain more of this inner resource:

• How can you get more of this resource?
• When should you start getting more of your resource?
• What can make it difficult?
• What is important that you remind yourself of along the way?
• Is there anyone who can help?

Interview with Dorte Toudal Viftrup. Psychologist and Associate Professor at the Research Unit for General Practice SDU

"... Meaning is not a feeling, but is about belonging to life, the world and other people. Meaning is to see that your study takes you to the place where you want to go.

Meaning is an experience of a larger context. Sometimes meaning is also about persevering, even if it's hard.

You achieve meaning in relation to other people and in relation to having something important for. So meaningfulness often arises in movements in relation to the world and to other people.

Courage is to make some choices when it is difficult and when you are afraid and then do what you want anyway.

Courage is, so to speak, the tip that goes through the difficult..."

What is the researcher's best advice?

"... Be the fellow student who has his fellow students on his mind. Look for your fellow students' needs and then care for it..."

• Write academic papers. Supervision universe for independent academic assignments
• The counselling and Study Supports different offers
• Studenterrådgivningen's good advice and tools
• The podcast "Hjernen på overarbejde". Giving your brain optimal working conditions (only in danish)
• Studypedia. AU's portal to good study techniques

• That you know some of the common important inner resources
• That you have examined how your inner resources are expressed in you
• That you have tried to share your thoughts about inner resources with a good friend
• That you have tried to have another person on your mind
• That you have tried to explore how "taking courage" can make a difference in increasing your inner resources