Life Skills

Effective communication has never been more important in college and the workplace. With a focus on interpersonal, professional, and social media communication, Chowan equips you with the verbal, written, listening, and nonverbal skills you need to be successful in future courses, careers, and communities.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Written
• Verbal
• Listening
• Nonverbal
• Interpersonal
• Intrapersonal
• Professional
• Social Media
• Public Speaking
• Articulation
• Clarity of Ideas

How You Will Get It

• Present at the Chowan University Undergraduate Research Conference
• Complete COMM 101 Course 
• Complete ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 courses
• Present in class
• Attend a social media workshop
• Complete CU 101 course
• Speak at a campus event
• Get published in The Brown Lady
• Present at an off-campus research conference
• Take an advance writing or communication class in your major

Whether you are a student or a professional, self-care and wellness matter. As a student, you are expected to balance coursework, work-study, athletic responsibilities, and social life. As a professional, you will face similar challenges. Chowan teaches you how to manage the stresses and strains you will encounter in your college life and professional career.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Physical Fitness
• Mental Health
• Stress Management
• Healthy Habits
• Work and Life Balance
• Mindfulness
• Personal Time
• Healthy Relationships
• Nutrition
• Hygiene

How You Will Get It

• Complete SSPE 201 Course
• Take a moment to meditate
• Attend a nutrition workshop
• Meet with a counselor
• Walk to class
• Use a fitness app
• Use the Jenkins Center
• Complete a physical exam
• Use a nutrition app
• Develop an exercise routine

The difference between a good student, athlete, or employee and a great student, athlete, or employee comes down to a coachable mindset. Across our campus, Chowan faculty, staff, and coaches work with you to develop a perspective where you are receptive to instruction, open to ideas, willing to make changes, and eager to improve.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Receptive to Instruction
• Open to New Ideas
• Willingness to Change
• Desire to Improve
• Resilience
• Perseverance
• Ask for Help
• Responsibility
• Flexibility
• Adaptability

How You Will Get It

• Visit the Writing or Tutoring Center
• Be an active participant in your career coaching sessions
• Read a self-help book
• Develop an academic or athletic improvement plan
• Visit a professor for help
• Meet with a librarian to discuss research project
• Visit the Life Skills Office
• Identify a teammate or fellow major to serve as your mentor
• Meet with your peer mentor
• Demonstrate through an assignment or an athletic play that you have
  learned from your mistake

A strong spiritual foundation is vital in our social, academic, athletic, and professional life. By advocating Christian virtues, Chowan helps you to grow spiritually, develop as a person, find inner peace, manage stress, build confidence, relate to others and the world around you, and use your skills efficiently in college and the workplace.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Honesty
• Kindness
• Self-Control
• Faith
• Humility
• Compassion
• Core Set of Values
• Service
• Inner Peace
• Ethical Behavior

How You Will Get It

• Participate in a Campus Ministry activity
• Attend a service or event at the Chowan Chapel
• Attend a student-led worship service
• Take time to pray quietly
• Participate in a community service project
• Share your faith with a peer
• Attend a local church service
• Attend a service or event at the Outdoor Chapel
• Pray in the Farris Prayer and Meditation Room
• Join a Bible study group

In college, in the workplace, and in your personal life, you will encounter many opportunities to solve problems. The Chowan experience cultivates skills that equip you to think and solve problems critically and creatively.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Research
• Evaluation
• Analysis
• Reasoning
• Logic
• Initiative
• Decision-Making
• Critical Thinking
• Creativity
• Quantitative Thinking

How You Will Get It

• Complete a quantitative course
• Mastered a game, like chess
• Helped a friend solve a problem
• Complete a research project
• Participate in a debate
• Learn lateral reading skills
• Complete a real-world problem-solving course
• Lead the planning phase of a service project
• Develop strategies for solving an existing problem
• Solve a problem

Planning for your future begins with a strong understanding of personal finance. Recognizing financial literacy as an essential life skill, Chowan faculty and staff empower you with knowledge and resources on personal financial management and responsibility to assist you in attaining financial security and wellness.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Budgeting
• Saving
• Managing Debt
• Investing
• Managing Credit
• Borrowing
• Financial Responsibility
• Financial Security
• Self-Discipline
• Understanding Insurance

How You Will Get It

• Open a checking or savings account
• Attend a financial planning workshop
• Develop a personal budget
• Complete a tax return
• Join an investment club
• Attend a financial aid workshop
• Get a job
• Manage a club fund account
• Create an emergency fund
• Establish financial goals

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Collaboration is the cornerstone of effective teamwork and networking. As a member of the Chowan community, you will develop the behaviors and approaches for working with classmates, teammates, and work colleagues. In addition, you will establish connections, build relationships, and expand your personal and social circles through networking and effective team building.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Teamwork
• Networking
• Personal Relationships
• Leadership
• Conflict Resolution
• Negotiation
• Empathy
• Making Connections
• Diplomacy
• Emotional Intelligence

How You Will Get It

• Participate in a group project
• Hold a leadership position on a club, organization, or team
• Compete on an athletic or intramural team
• Collaborate with a club outside your major
• Organize a campus event
• Join a club, athletic team, or intramural team
• Initiate a club activity
• Network with individuals in your discipline
• Interview a faculty or staff member
• Lead a meeting

Self-confidence allows you to think positively about your academic coursework, athletic performance, and career goals. This will enable you to create a culture of confidence where you aim for excellence and achieve unprecedented results.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Motivation
• Perseverance
• Integrity
• Reflection
• Self-Awareness
• Positive Thinking
• Goal Setting
• Self-Esteem
•  Know Your Values
• Autonomy
• Growth Mindset
• Self-Efficacy

How You Will Get It

• Attend a confidence-building workshop
•  Achieve an academic or athletic goals
• Participate in an academic or athletic competition
• Attend every class session
• Talk to a professor about course content
• Ask or answer a question in class
• Take the lead in a group or service project
• Embrace a challenge
• Tutor a peer
• Complete a challenging course

Technical competencies align with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in your academic and professional careers. We have tailored our curricula to provide you with the technical competencies in your chosen field of study and career.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Wordprocessing
• Spreadsheets
• Technical Writing
• Artificial Intelligence
• Videoconferencing
• Information Literacy
• Online Research
• Social Media Management
• Discipline-Based Knowledge and Skills
• Quantitative and Statistical Analysis

How You Will Get It

• Complete capstone course
• Complete IS 101 course
• Receive Microsoft certifications
• Host videoconferencing meetings
• Earn a degree
• Create a spreadsheet with formulas
• Attend an information literacy workshop
• Assist a student with a computer issue
• Search a library database
• Learn a new software

Professionalism goes beyond developing a resume and preparing for an interview. Each academic program, in collaboration with the Office of Career and Professional Development, will help you develop the qualities of professionalism in the workplace that give you credibility and rapport with coworkers and leaders.

Skills Chowan Students Will Develop

• Organization
• Planning
• Dedication
• Reliability
• Time Management
• Goal Setting
• Accountability
• Integrity
• Etiquette
• Branding

How You Will Get It

• Utilize resources of the Office of Career and Professional Development
• Participate in a mock interview
• Develop a resume or cover letter
• Attend a business etiquette dinner
• Complete an internship or job shadowing experience
• Complete CU 102’s job boot training camp
• Create a LinkedIn profile
• Attend a business dress event
• Develop an elevator speech
• Maintain a calendar and planner
• Create a Dress 4 Success closet