MASK The Magazine – August 2019

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V9 - FALL maskmatters.org 79

T

o help parents understand the importance and impact

of emotional intelligence on college students, we asked

Arizona State University’s Kellyn Johnson, Ph.D.,

Director of Family Programs, to provide some insight

and advice. Here’s what she shared.

Q. Why is it important for college students to balance

emotions with intellect, and value them the same?

College students are here to evolve, to grow and to develop

so they can put their best foot forward in the world. This

growth involves all parts of us, and works best when our

emotions and our intellect are in sync.

Our emotions signal to us our interpretation of the

world, and they are always whispering or talking

loudly. Students know they’ve found the right

major when their intellectual rigor is matched

with a feeling—perhaps contentment, excitement,

curiosity, confidence, to name a few.

Our intellect can also help us understand an emotion,

such as nervousness, for instance. Sometimes, we’re going to

feel nervous and our intellect defines whether it’s normal and

okay, or if it’s a warning sign that we should listen to. Students

are growing so much every day in college, so they have steady

examples of how their emotions and intellect interplay if they

pause to observe themselves.

Q. How can having high emotional intelligence

benefit a college student, both in college and later as

they explore their future careers?

No matter what your field, understanding yourself and being

able to relate and communicate with others are essential

components to success. Building emotional intelligence allows

college students to navigate their college experience more

quickly. They work through feelings and adjust how they spend

their time; they find and make friends; they manage

difficult group dynamics more fluidly both in academics

and in their social life; and they generate courage to make

hard choices.

Employers tell us that emotional intelligence is one of the

top five skill sets they look for in a new graduate. Employers

can teach new skills; they know it’s harder to teach emotional

intelligence, so they look for it when they hire.

EMOTIONAL

INTELLIGENCE:

THE COLLEGE

YEARS