Author Archives: mnasir4

Research Project

Posted on by
Reply

Mahasin Nasir

English 1102: Section 328

Prof. Weaver

April 18, 2023

 

How Does Exercise Affect the Mental Health of Law Students?

Introduction

            Law students face numerous challenges in their academic and personal lives. The rigors of law school can be overwhelming, and many students struggle to manage the stress and demands of their coursework. To add to this academic stress, law students, and students in general, often face personal challenges with health, relationships, and finances. With all of these demands piling on at once, it can be hard for these law students to take time for themselves to focus on their mental health. By not taking that time, it results in mental problems like anxiety, depression, and academic burnout. Physical exercise is one way that law students can improve their mental health. Exercise had been shown to have a variety of positive effects in other ways besides the physical. This research project will explore how much college law students take on daily, and how exercise can positively affect their daily lives.

 

Research

 

Firstly, exercise is known to be a stress reliever. When exercising, you release natural chemicals that help exert your mood. According to Healthline, “The repetitive motions involved in exercise promote a focus on your body, rather than your mind” (Healthline 1). A lot of times, college students have many tasks and responsibilities they are thinking about at once. Exercise would help them release these natural chemicals for a sense of optimism and positivity to combat with overwhelming tasks and responsibilities. This would benefit law students in a way that they could cope with the demands of college more effectively. Cognitive ability is important for students to have when practicing law. It would be hard for them to think critically and analyze complex issues with a significant level of stress on their shoulders. Exercise can improve these cognitive functions by increasing blood flow to the brain and improving neural connectivity. Not only this, but it can enhance memory and concentration, skills highly needed when studying law.

 

            Mental health is often overlooked in an educational setting. Students don’t realize how much they are drained and how to take time for themselves to re-energize. Specifically, law students have a lot on their shoulders and are some of the most stressed college students. To support this, Natalie Skead and Shane Rogers did a study, “Do law students stand apart from other university students in their quest for mental health,” on the psychological distress of law and psychology students. In their research, it showed “law students reported higher mean anxiety…also depression” when using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (Results, 3.1). For students, there are many factors that lead to mental instability. Skead and Rogers did “A comparative study on the impact of exercise on the physical and mental health of law and psychology students,” and identified that for these law students, “the adversarial nature of the discipline, the traditionally Socratic nature of law teaching, and the often highly competitive and largely unsupportive culture of law school” are many factors that lead law students to have psychological distress (Introduction).

 

            With mental health being overlooked, and leading factors causing these mental struggles, some law students have yet to exercise to promote their psychological well-being. Solomonko Andriy’s study on the “Attitude of law college students towards physical and cultural sports” examined how important physical exercise is to law students. 64.8% of future lawyers believed that physical education and sports are not beneficial to their work. 76.5% of these students believed that competitions and fun games would help them improve the training of future lawyers (Attitude of law college students, 786). From this research, it is shown that law students believe that practicing something competitively will help them be more successful than exercising. Because of the competitive culture law school instills in these students, they don’t see the value of other things that aren’t competitive that might help them even more.

 

            Although competition is what the law culture is, it is not the healthiest way for them to practice. Isolated workouts are more effective when it comes to lessening stress, and anxiety, and promoting mental health. Group sports enhance the competitive mindset that these law students have already adopted. These exercises that cause people to over-exert their bodies are not in any way beneficial. These acts can lead to “mood swings, symptoms similar to depression, eating disorders, and poor body image” (Analysis and Countermeasures, 23). There are no winners and losers in exercise, in contrast to competitive sports. Singular exercise allows these students to go at their own pace without the judgment of competitors. By increasing self-esteem, confidence, body image, and accomplishment, law students can approach their studies with greater focus and determination.

             

Conclusion:

            Mental health is a large problem that is not always addressed in society. People have a lot of over-bearing responsibilities and college law students are right in the middle of them. The important takeaway is finding something to promote your mental health. As it shows, exercise is a great way to do so. Not only does it promote physical health, but it is a stress reliever, strengthens the thought process, and helps build a self-loving image.

 

 Although it may seem like physical exercise doesn’t need to be a priority for these law students, it should. Marco Sarkovich, a law student himself, vouches for how routine exercise can benefit the mental and physical aspects of law students’ daily lives. He acknowledges how hard it may be to incorporate it with all of the responsibilities law students may take on. He goes on to say “start early… Simply jogging or walking will stimulate blood flow, increasing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your body, providing an energy boost to start your day”( Sarkovich 1). By starting early, you have already created that foundation to build from to keep momentum. Sarkovich also includes some tips like, “skip the elevator and take the stairs; workout while watching tv” (Sarkovich 1). Combing. Things law students do on a daily with exercise give them a novice start to bettering their physical and mental health.

 

Something that law colleges can do to promote this is acknowledge the load of task law students take on during a day-to-day basis. Professors piling work and not being aware that these students are not machines will not help the mental well-being and future goals of these students. Offering different levels of fitness sessions could be a step forward in progressing the mental health and functions of law students.

 

 

 

 

Works Cited: 

Natalie K. Skead, Shane L. Rogers. “Running to well-being: A comparative study on the impact of exercise on the physical and mental health of law and psychology students.” International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, Volume 49, Part A,2016, Pages 66-74. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160252716301212

Natalie K. Skead, Shane L. Rogers. “Do law students stand apart from other university students in their quest for mental health: A comparative study on wellbeing and associated behaviors in law and psychology students.” International Journal of Law and Psychiatry,

Volumes 42–43. 2015, Pages 81-90. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160252715001211

Andriy, Solomonko. “Attitude of law college students towards physical and cultural sports.” Journal of Physical Education & Sport Mar2022, Vol. 22 Issue 3. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2022.03099.

Zeng, Sheng, Li, Len. “Analysis and Countermeasures of related factors between mental health and physical exercise of Law College Students.” Sport Psychology Journal 2022, Vol. 31 Issue 1, p17-25. 9p. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwia3ZKppaz-AhWKkmoFHWozCM8QFnoECBEQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rpd-online.com%2Findex.php%2Frpd%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F631%2F233&usg=AOvVaw1sF7_FLwggnOqT9AHSV15o

Sarkovich, Marc. “The Importance of Exercise from the Perspective of a Law Student.” The Blog of the San Diego County Bar Association, 23 Aug. 2019. https://blawg401.com/the-importance-of-exercise-from-the-perspective-of-a-law-student/. 

Madell, Robin. “Exercise as Stress Relief.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 27 Mar. 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/heart-disease/exercise-stress-relief#How-Does-Exercise-Help-With-Stress?

Fisk University Project 3

Posted on by
Reply

Mahasin Nasir

Dr. Weaver

English 1102 Section 328

March 30, 2022

 

Summary

Fisk University is the oldest Historically Black University in Nashville, Tennessee with an exceeding and authentic academic and social profile. A large part of the university’s profile is how they have maintained academic excellence since 1866 and its cultural significance with the upbringing of black leaders. Because this is a major part of their website, Fisk uses tone to draw in their ideal audience who want to continue the upbringing of black excellence and legacy. These students would know that their attendance at Fisk University would continue to allow greater experiences and opportunities for black students to add to the historical legacy and leading academic culture.

Analysis

The impact of history has provided Fisk with an abundance of information and detail to use when advertising their school to prospective students. This history engages their readers/students to want to learn more and contribute to the culture. Coincidently, the use of context from their upbringing is a large part of attracting their students. With this, the website has a specific tone to appeal to a narrow audience of students who would seem to be intrigued or related to the history of the university. Further, the ideal readers imagined should take pride in maintaining the social and academic view of young, black intellectuals and continuing to diversify their community. Readers are drawn in by the statement, “Here, we produce true leaders and scholars that are ready to change the world” (Fisk University Welcomes). This statement being on the opening page draws in those prospective students who are about making change and being welcomed into a new community.

Seemingly, Fisk’s website uses a very influential and hospitable tone to draw in its audience. This tone goes hand in hand with the context they give about the university. History plays a big role in the creation and accreditation of the university. To show this, the website includes history all throughout its about page with 9 different subcategories detailing how they came about and what they are thriving for. With a welcoming tone on the history page, the founders emphasized how the university “would be open to all, regardless of race, and that would measure itself by ‘the highest standards, not Negro education, but of American education’” (Fisk University History). The overall tone in the ending sentence in the section is used to show the readers how education is inclusive, and race has no effect on who can further their education. It uses common, and in some cases relatable, racial history to appeal to its readers with a sense of familiarity about how anyone can make a change in a community that was originally meant to be segregated. This idea is accentuated on the missions and values page. The acronym “D.E.T.A.I.L.S.” is used and under the “D,” the idea that “individual differences…aids us in building a collective wisdom that results in more powerful and relevant solutions to our challenges” (Mission & Values) is used to show the prospective students that Fisk is referencing their own history to further this embracing tone throughout their website. These features combined show the influence and continuities history has on Fisk. It does the job of appealing to students who find value in being change-makers and building on a legacy.

In comparison with the history of the growth of Fisk, the history of music in Nashville displays a strong impact on the ideal community of students that the university advertises to. Historical artists like Etta James and James Brown recorded some of their biggest hits in Nashville. Considering that Nashville has a lot of musical significance and is home to the Ryman Auditorium, known for its raw auditory capability, Fisk embraces that history and attracts their ideal students as they promote their Fisk Jubilee Singers. There was a performance at the Ryman Auditorium for the 150thanniversary of the jubilee singers. They are promoted throughout the history page and even have their own page under the campus life category. Rising musicians who are potentially interested in the university can see the impact Nashville has had on music and how Fisk is maintaining that impact on their website. To further show this, under the Fisk Jubilee singers tab, their Grammy for “Best Roots Gospel Album” (Fisk Jubilee Singers) is the leading cover of the page. By including these small, yet significant, details, the website encloses its ideal prospective students and emphasizes their impact on today’s culture and history.

Another way the website imagines its ideal readers is by weighing the many interests students may have when starting college. College is a learning experience and students want the best outcome to be able to pursue their top interests. To acknowledge this idea about prospective students, the website advertises a dual degree program in collaboration with Case Western Reserve University and Vanderbilt University (Fisk Dual Degree Programs). By endorsing such a program, Fisk’s website engages their ideal students through lightly addressing the fact that some students come into college with more than one compacted interest. Fisk being aware of this shows prospective students that the university is encouraging them to take on all their interests and explore the opportunities and programs that they have to offer.

Response:      

While exploring the Fisk University website and analyzing the rhetorical strategies used, I would say that I would attend this university. I value history and how it has an impact on the future and Fisk prioritizes that throughout its website with its own history. With the South being a very influential region in the U.S., I have no doubt that I could create, change, and influence history in the future by attending Fisk. Being that the university is also an HBCU, I would have a sense of belonging knowing that I am surrounded by people who look like me and not too far from my home in Georgia. My greatest admiration about Fisk’s website is the inclusion of the student-to-teacher ratio. As someone who tends to ask questions about the things I’m most interested in, the low student-to-teacher ratio makes me feel comfortable asking those questions and engaging more in my studies. Knowing that this university has the #1 Academic Stewardship Award, I would feel more than likely to be successful in my future endeavors. Embracing all of these details, Fisk has drawn me in through their rhetorical strategies and I would undoubtedly attend this university.

Sites: Fisk University. https://www.fisk.edu. Nashville, Tennessee. 

William’s Academic Profile- by Mahasin

Posted on by
Reply

In this essay, I will be introducing William Rast-Wells and his academic self. I started off with a simple introduction and proceeded to ask him a series of questions regarding how his life has shaped him academically. William is 19 years old, and this is his second semester at Georgia State Perimeter College. He is a first-generation college student and is majoring in Psychology. William grew up in the rural area of South Carolina for the majority of his childhood. Through these years, William was actively finding himself and how he wanted to live his life. Around his 11th grade year, William felt like making money was more beneficial to him than continuing an education. He spent less time in school and more time trying to make a living. His mom’s side of the family was not as supportive of him when he decided to take this route. William has strong perseverance and did not allow these actions and opinions to take a toll on how he wanted to pursue his future endeavors. William takes an interest in chemistry and forensics. Growing up, he got a little bit of exposure from his uncle, who was a chemistry professor. Even though he is pursuing his interest at GSU Clarkston, he plans to transfer to Georgia State’s Downtown campus after a few semesters. He also plans to get a master’s degree because the psychology and forensics field is more accepting of people who have higher credentials. With this, he wants to use his knowledge to gain employment in the forensic field, one that aids in litigation or in a clinical/lab environment. The classes he’s taking to pursue this career are psychology, history, statistics, english, and global issues.

William expressed the words that he would use to describe his academic self are conscientious, scatterbrained, and reserved.  Although some of these words may seem like they can’t fit all in one person, William described himself as one who doesn’t seek out many social interactions and is very specific when it comes to his work. These traits cause questioning when it comes to academics. He told me that they also prevent him from asking important questions that could help him refocus his thoughts. Dr. Steven Chew’s video on good study strategies to be successful in college highlight the important facts of how having a solid understanding directly correlates to how much effort and hard work is put into the groundwork. This analysis has shown to be very true regarding William. He cannot effectively prepare for his classes without having a strong comprehension of the material. To get this, William must push himself to ask those crucial questions and gain key details to better his overall knowledge and understanding.

As William wants to work in the field of forensics and chemistry, he knows that to be successful, he must work on things like being less reserved and more open to curiosity and questioning himself. His main goal going through college is to delve deep into subjects he cares about. William emphasized that he wants to gain this knowledge through curricula that accentuates depth over breadth. This self-observation aligns with Dr. Chew’s value of finding pleasure in what is being learned. Connecting the subjects he cares about to the ones he questions can open other potential interests that have not been identified. While working on things like that, he continues to be self-critical. Feedback helps him learn and grow from his mistakes and challenges, also a topic from Dr. Chew. He judges himself and his work more rigorously than the standard. His outcome is usually more underwhelming than expected. He doesn’t necessarily see this as a bad thing. It further shows his dedication to the subjects he enjoys most and his receptiveness to criticism from himself and others.

As we see, William knows and is confident about his academic path and future plans. He hopes to gain occupational opportunities and expand his worldview as he progresses through school. Having a better understanding of his skills, capabilities, and those of other people will grow his passion for the future. His perseverance and awareness continue to inspire the people around him and hopefully the people reading. William will continue to go on a path that benefits him most, regardless of critics, and college is only honing his character and academics further.