The Student EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Academic and Personal Success

by Steven J. Stein, Howard E. Book, Korrel Kanoy

Many students who are intellectually capable of succeeding have difficulties with a variety of non-cognitive competencies such as time and stress management, establishing positive relationships, and making wise decisions. They often adopt dysfunctional coping styles that can cripple their academic efforts. Increasingly, one of the missing factors in student success seems to be emotional intelligence. Written specifically for students by recognized authorities in emotional intelligence, this book will help them understand and develop their emotional intelligence in order to enjoy a richer learning experience and superior academic achievement. "The Student EQ Edge" provides a thorough grounding in what emotional intelligence is, why it is different from one's intelligence quotient, and how emotional intelligence skills can make a student a "star performer."Grounded in the classic work of Dr. Reuven Bar-On, the book discusses each realm of emotional intelligence: The Intrapersonal Realm: self-awareness, assertiveness, and independence; The Interpersonal Realm: empathy and social responsibility; The Adaptability Realm: problem solving, flexibility, and decision making; The Stress Management Realm: stress tolerance and impulse control; and The General Mood Realm: happiness and optimism. The book helps students move from understanding of the concepts to action through reflection and discussion questions. A perfect companion is "The Student EQ Edge: Student Workbook."

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 28, 2013

Reviews

[Karen JEC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overview: A really interesting read overall. It's quite structured, starting with the A-E model, then introducing the four emotional families, then dividing the book into six segments each representing a different realm in our life. The studies they discuss are well-researched and particularly relevant to each realm under scrutiny. This should be must-reads for all high school students considering life after school, and in fact I was very happy to find the packages of this book and its workbook in a college bookstore as class material for some courses.

Favourite quotes:

"Times have certainly changed since we were students. Technologies that we only imagined have become realities in today's world... However, some things have not changed. We still need to interact with other people. And we need to self-regulate our behaviours and emotions."

"Success - the ability to set and achieve your own personal and professional goals."

"Like Yourself, Wonders, Warts and All. The idea is to like yourself as a total -- and sometimes contradictory but always developing -- package."

"Many of us find it OK to express anger but have a harder time with anxiety, hurt, disappointment, or embarrassment. For some reason, these emotions make some of us feel a lot more vulnerable... Every time you get angry, question yourself about what other emotion might be lurking just beneath the surface. Try to address that emotion first; when you do, typically the anger will dissipate pretty quickly."

"If you're waiting until you have time to decide what to do when you have time, you'll always run behind."

"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." ~ A. Einstein

"There are very few, if any, successful hermits."

"Happiness is tied to reality testing. Happy people are able to take pleasure in what they have done and can do, rather than being driven to think that they should or must do more."

"Mann and Kanoy (2010) found that first-year college GPA could be predicted by optimism (believing you will succeed and persevering when things get tough), self-regard (knowing both your strengths and weaknesses), impulse control (resisting that temptation to play when you need to study), and problem solving (leveraging emotions to help you solve problems)."

"Studies have confirmed that incorporating emotional skills content into first-year experience courses enhances retention (Schutte & Malouff, 2002)."

[Amalek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written and organized.

[Nicole Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Guide on the concepts of Emotional Intelligence. Great for college students. Easy to read and applicable steps to implement in your life.

[Carrie]

Taking an online professional development class, to help my students, but maybe it will help me too. It seems so far like skills in being rational and not freaking out when things aren't going exactly the way you wanted, because they can still go the way you want if you don't freak out.