The roads that lead to success are limitless, which means that success can be attained in a multitude of ways. One of those avenues is through the cultivation of relationships.
Relationships, which necessitate interaction and communication, form the bedrock of human existence. Without them, it is likely that individuals may struggle to overcome the many problems and barriers that they face on a daily basis as discomfort or agony decreases when shared with others.
Building relationships offers advantages in every aspect and field of life. For instance, in the workplace, relationships boost employee morale, resulting in increased productivity and happier employees, both of which benefit the firm or institution being worked for.
In a school setting, establishing relationships enhances students’ interactions with their peers and teachers, which not only contributes to the growth of their knowledge, but also allows them to remain mentally healthy.
Mallory Morast, a 37-year-old nontraditional student at UNLV, describes how asking for help and engaging with others helped her overcome her fear of failing math.
She was told by her advisor that she had to take college algebra (Math 124), an important prerequisite, in order to enroll in classes in the spring of 2021. This meant that she had to pass the placement test and the course over the summer.
Fortunately, through the Math Bridge program’s five-week online course and the support she received from her professor and advisor, Morast was able to obtain her target grade and came out of the course feeling more confident in her math skills and herself.
In a video released by the UNLV News Center, she said, “In Math 124, I was able to get an A. It was so great; it felt like such an accomplishment. I felt like I had so much help in order to pass it and to get into it.”
Morast’s story is a wonderful illustration of how developing relationships can help people gain confidence, excel at anything they do and alleviate any harmful feelings like anxiety and stress.
To add onto this, in an interview published by the UNLV News Center, Jeffrey M. Orgera, associate vice provost for student success within the office of the vice provost for undergraduate education, stated, “Student success is really about helping students build relationships with fellow students, with staff like advisors, and with their faculty members, and the more relationships they have, the more likely they are going to feel comfortable enough turning to one of those people when they’re at crossroads.”
Essentially, creating and maintaining relationships provides emotional support mechanisms for students, allowing them to continue to pursue their goals with the help of their peers, advisors and professors rather than dropping out and taking breaks from school.
Relationships enable people to be psychologically and physically stronger since they are interrelated and rely on one another. As a result, anytime a person feels trapped or stuck at any stage of life, they can turn to their relationships to find solace and solutions to their problems, no matter how big or small they are.
All we have to do is ask.
