I am back from my one-week vacation (yes, I took time off!) and let me tell you… I feel energized, full of confidence, and more relaxed. I really do – no travel burnout, at least not yet. Studies show that traveling can improve our health, assist with our communication skills and boost our confidence. Traveling is one of the best classrooms, where you are able to exercise the art of conversation! To be able to converse is to share ideas and learn from one another in the process.
Therefore, you will ask – what did you learn during your recent vacation? It is simple – I disconnected from technology and immersed myself in vivid and meaningful conversations with my best friends; we exercised endless laughter, active listening, and sometimes-needed silence. Although there have been many technological advances in the form of communication (thank you Google Translate for making communication a bit easier while abroad), in-person conversations still hold much power and are a crucial part of our wellbeing (and, have I mentioned the power of gestures?). I find conversations at the heart of any relationship; thus I would like to encourage you all to engage in conversations with your family members, friends, colleagues at work, neighbors, and even that stranger in a store. Most importantly, I encourage you to actively pursue discussions with those around you.
From our recent NSSE survey administered in spring of 2022, we learned that 85% of our first-year students who responded to the survey had conversed with faculty and staff about their academic interests, course selections, or academic performance. Yet, this commitment to academic discussion drops to 50% among our seniors. Research shows that discussion increases students’ engagement, helps them take responsibility for their learning, prompts higher-level thinking, offers room for clarification, encourages building and sharing knowledge, and gives students opportunities to apply comprehension strategies.
Ultimately, the art of communication is a continuous learning process, so it is important to remain open to feedback, continually seek to improve, and adapt to the needs and preferences of those around us. Again, I encourage you to continue to utilize the art of conversation with your fellow students, colleagues, professors, and with each other. It will reap benefits for us all.