As part of the psychological support for first-year students at the Astana Medical University, events were organized to help students successfully adapt to the academic process.
On September 30 and October 1, 2024, meetings were held with 17 students from the School of Nursing. Additionally, on October 1, 2024, a meeting took place with 103 students from the Kazakh-speaking groups of the School of Pediatrics. The aim of these events was to introduce the students to the university’s psychological service, its goals, and its capabilities.
During these meetings, I, the university psychologist, explained to the students how to deal with the challenges of adapting to a new academic environment, how to improve interpersonal relations, and how to enhance self-management and self-development skills. Special attention was given to topics related to career guidance and personal growth.
One of the key activities was a team-building training session, during which students were able to demonstrate their communication skills and learn how to work in a team. The training helped students adapt to new conditions, develop emotional resilience, and improve their teamwork skills. All the events contributed to creating a positive academic atmosphere and facilitating the successful adaptation of students to university life.
It is also worth highlighting the active participation of first-year students in all the meetings. They showed initiative, willingly shared their opinions, and offered their own solutions to the pressing issues faced by modern society. This demonstrated their keen interest in the topics discussed and their readiness for personal development.
In addition, events were held in the dormitories. On September 27, 2024, at the address G. Potanin St. 9, a training session titled “Emotional Self-Regulation in Conflict: How to Maintain Emotional Resilience?” was conducted. The purpose of the training was to teach students stress management skills, mindfulness techniques, and cognitive-behavioral methods to deal with negative emotions and thoughts during conflicts. The participants practiced breathing exercises and art therapy techniques that help maintain emotional balance.
On October 2, 2024, at the address Zhenis St. 35, the second training session took place, titled “Do You Know Yourself?” This session was aimed at encouraging self-awareness, developing emotional intelligence, and fostering self-discovery. During the training, students developed reflection skills, analyzed their emotional reactions, and learned to cope with stress using physical and art therapy exercises.
All the events demonstrated a high level of interest from the students, their readiness for personal development, and active participation in the process. These sessions created a favorable atmosphere for successful adaptation and helped students take important steps toward their academic and personal growth.
I was glad to help the students take their first steps toward academic and personal development.
Senior Methodologist-Psychologist Center for Social and Educational Work Sarbassova K.K.
