Saavedra, Giselle

English

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California State University, Monterey Bay Digital Commons @ CSUMB Capstone Projects and Master's Theses 12-2021 College Students Are Often Unaware of How to Maintain a Healthy Romantic Relationship Giselle Saavedra California State University, Monterey Bay Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes_all Recommended Citation Saavedra, Giselle, "College Students Are Often Unaware of How to Maintain a Healthy Romantic Relationship" (2021). Capstone Projects and Master's Theses. 1173. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes_all/1173 This Capstone Project (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Commons @ CSUMB. It has been accepted for inclusion in Capstone Projects and Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ CSUMB. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@csumb.edu. 1College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationshipsGiselle SaavedraDr. Rob WeisskirchCapstone Project for the Bachelors of Science in Human Development and Family StudiesCollege students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship2IntroductionMany college students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romanticrelationship. During the young adulthood stage, it is common to see more college students  beginto be more involved in serious romantic relationships. Which is why making them aware of howto maintain a healthy relationship is important. To address the issue of college student’s notknowing how to maintain a healthy relationship, I have conducted a one-day workshop for theyoung adults of the California State University Monterey Bay community, to help them increasetheir knowledge on how to maintain a healthy relationship.Needs StatementCollege students are often a part of the young adulthood stage, during that stage manyof them go off to college and begin to make new friendships which can lead them to experiencenew long term romantic relationships. Yet, for some of these young adults they have never reallybeen taught the effectiveness of communication in a relationship, ways to read red flags in arelationship, and tips on how to maintain a healthy relationship. Oftentimes society will assumethat college students are often more interested in one night stands which can be the case insome individuals. Based on a study conducted by the American Psychological Association itwas found that between 63% and 83% of college students would rather choose a traditionalrelationship than a “hook up” (Khazan,2014). With college students beginning new relationshipsthey need skills in which they can learn how to maintain those relationships long term. Which iswhy often timesIn order to maintain a healthy romantic relationship, having good communication with apartner is the foundation to a successful relationship. According to an article by Southern UtahUniversity in (2018) “It can’t be said enough: communication is essential in healthyrelationships”. It allows couples to share their feelings, trust, and manage conflicts that wayrelationships do not become unhealthy. This allows couples to see early on in their relationshipsCollege students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship3how their communicating skills are and how they can improve, that way there are no issuesthroughout their time together.As college students begin to experience serious long-term romantic relationships, “a redflag is a sign in any relationship that shows something bigger is going on. It can be somethingbad, a secret being kept or just something to look into” (Gonzalez 2021). Many young adultsnever really know when something is going wrong in their relationships because they assumethey are just comments that are noticeable. For example if a significant other makes a commentconstantly about your weight it begins to bring down the person's self-esteem. According toGonzalez (2021) “Red flags are different for everyone and manifest differently in everyrelationship, and it can be difficult for some people to be honest with themselves when theyarise.”  When someone notices red flags they often think it is their fault and that they are the onesin the wrong.College students often go with the flow when it comes to their relationships, whatevercomes natural in the relationships is what keeps it healthy. Oftentimes they tend to justcommunicate about certain things because they do think their significant others will understandbut what helps maintain a good relationship is being open about anything that way they cansupport or help with any situation or issues going on. They need to understand that there has tobe flexibility within the relationship as far as the amount of time they feel the need to see or talkto each other. They need to know that you will not get mad because you did not send a text orcall simply because they might have been busy. One has to also understand that a person can stillbe independent while in  a relationship, but now that they can depend on someone else.TheoryErik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory, are eight stages that play a big role in aperson's psychosocial development. Erikson’s sixth stage is “intimacy and isolation”, the stageCollege students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship4that is centered around young adults(19-40) but also those who are creating their first  romanticrelationships with one another. As stated by McLeod (2018) “During this stage, we begin toshare ourselves more intimately with others. We explore relationships leading towards longerterm commitments with someone other than a family member”. Meaning that the young adultsare beginning to experience happy relationships, feeling safe, and having that additional support.Yet, McLeod (2018) also mentions that although these relationships should be happyrelationships it should be known that when it comes to  avoiding the “intimacy” and “fearing ofcommitment” it can lead to isolation, loneliness, and sometimes a type of mental illness(depression). Erikson states that once individuals have made it past this stage successfully it willallow those individuals to create long lasting relationships. One big factor to consider is thatcommitment towards one another, will create a bond which could be fun, yet if there is an issue itcan lead to a broken relationship.Consideration of DiversityThe workshop that I have created will take place via zoom to the young adults attendingCalifornia State University Monterey Bay in Seaside, California. According to CollegeFactual(Student Life, CSUMB Diversity) the university has a population of 63% of females,37% of men, and non-binary 0%.  As for race/echtincy,  45% are Hispanic, 29% are White, 8%Asian, 4%  are African American, 4% are Unknown, 9% are Multi-ethnic, and 2% are NativeAmerican or Pacific Islander. I will be conducting my project in English therefore any studentswho decide to attend the workshop should acknowledge that this presentation is for young adultswho are proficient in the English language in order to understand. The workshop is based onmaterial that young adults might have heard about or will find easy to understand for their agewhich is why I am only targeting young adults ages 19-40.College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship5Learning Outcomes1. Identify two ways to increase their communication skills, within their relationships.2. Identify two red flags in a relationship.3. Name three tips for a healthy relationship.MethodI created a Powerpoint presentation, where I share with young adults in the CSUMBcommunity via Zoom to discuss and advise on how to communicate with their partner, tips onhow to maintain a healthy relationship, and how to read red flags in romantic relationships. (SeeAppendix B) At the beginning of the presentation I introduced myself, I explained what theworkshop was about and what they’d get out of it. As I proceed to ask if they have any questionsbefore beginning, I then begin with an ice breaker in order to get an idea of how many youngadults might actually be aware of the topic but also so that we can get everyone comfortablebecause some participants might feel uncomfortable to talk about their problems.We thencontinued to move on, an made them aware of the 3 main topics they’d be learning about.  SeeAppendix B.After, we talked about what red flags were and what they might look like. I  decided toshow them a video to physically see what red flags look like.  I then proceeded with the lessonby introducing (Love Labrinth) from youtube. After the video finished I proceeded by asking theparticipants a question which they had to submit responses through jamboard. (See Figure 1)Lastly, I thanked my audience for their time, but also asked them to take the time to workon a jamboard and share what they found most important about each topic or what stood out tothem. As well as to take a small survey on the information that was provided to them. Seeappendix A. I decided to leave five minutes at the end for the jamboard and survey because ICollege students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship6wanted to make sure that the information was in their mind but also because I wanted to get thefeedback of every participant I had.ResultsLearning outcome 1 was to identify red flags in unhealthy relationships. In this case theparticipants had to point out the red flags in a relationship video found on youtube. I believe theparticipants were able to think back at the video and identify the red flags in the relationship verywell. Although the workshop was mainly me speaking, I realized that a lot of participants had alot to say about the topic and felt comfortable to share with other participants more information.Not only that but the majority of the participants stayed behind even after the workshop todiscuss more because they felt that society rarely likes talking about situations that make anunhealthy relationship, causing them to be unaware of when what behaviors they should look for.Two out of seven participants had never been in a relationship which to them was verymeaningful because they thought that an unhealthy relationship was mainly more of a physicalabuse rather than emotional or mental. “It made me feel more comfortable, thinking of anyfuture relationships I have with anyone, '' said Guadalupe.Learning outcome 2, was more different but it was having participants name two tips inhow to maintain a healthy romantic relationship. A lot of the participants participated throughoutthe workshop which made it more meaningful for those who had never been in relationships.They shared what worked for them and what in the workshop they would like to try in order tomaybe fix their relationship a little more. When it came to answering the questions on thejamboard a lot of the participants put the tips we talked about but also added their own that theythought of throughout the presenation.College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship7Learning outcome 3, was on how to develop communication skills and how theeffectiveness of communication is good for a romantic relationship. During this section of theworkshop I had many questions in regards to “how can one approach their significant other andmake them aware that they need to better their communication skills”. I feel like this outcomewas partially  successful because it did give them advice on how to better their communicationskills and how impactful communication can be to a relationship but it really did not teach onehow to communicate the lack of communication issue to their partners. Although it was partiallymet the participants were able to identify why communication is important and how to developbetter communication skills.DiscussionI believe that this project was semi-successful, based on the work I got back from myaudience it looked as if the information that was given was something they’d take back to talk tofriends and family about. I could tell my audience was interested in the topic because they werevery engaging throughout the presentation. The presentation ran a little longer but I was glad tosee there was good  communication within the participants. The goal was to make young adultsaware of how to maintain a romantic relationship since it is the stage they are currently in. Theysaid that these were techniques they’d use throughout their lifetime and future/currentrelationships. It also made them reflect on relationships they’ve seen or have been in. Ipersonally felt that this is something I can continue to share with others, especially with myself,after being in a very unhealthy relationship. Which is why I thought this topic was important forcollege students my age because my parents never talked to me about what was a goodrelationship or a bad one therefore I figure if not their parents then me.College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship8If I could do this over again, I would like to have more participants and an in personpresentation. I feel like I could have also used examples from family or friends to give differentscenarios on what looks unhealthy and possibly how they then managed to make it a healthyromantic relationship. But also get tips from family and friends on how it is that they maintainhealthy relationships. I believe that sometimes hearing someone have actually gone throughsomething that relates to the topic makes it more meaningful.  Other than that I believe myparticipants enjoyed my project and the importance of how to maintain a healthy relationship.College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship9ReferencesAlexus Hurtado. (2021). Acknowledging red flags in romantic relationships. University Wire.Coyne, Stockdale, L., Busby, D., Iverson, B., & Grant, D. M. (2011). “I luv u :)!”: A DescriptiveStudy of the Media Use of Individuals in Romantic Relationships. Family Relations, 60(2),150–162. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2010.00639.xEnrollment Fun Facts (Headcounts) for 2021 Fall. Retrieved fromEnrollment Fun Facts (Most Recent Term) Cal State Monterey BayKacerguis, M. A., Adams, G. R. (1980). Erikson stage resolution: The relationship betweenidentity and intimacy.  Journal of Youth and Adolescence. 9 (2). 117-126.Khazan, O. (2014, July 2). Why college students need a class in dating.  The Atlantic.Retrieved fromhttps://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/07/why-todays-college-students-need-a-class-on-dating/373823/Weissbourd, R., Peterson, A., & Weinstein, E. (2013). Preparing students for romanticrelationships. The Phi Delta Kappan, 95(4), 54–58. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2361183710 tips for healthy relationships in college. SUU. (2018, August 8). Retrieved from November27, 2021, from https://www.suu.edu/blog/2018/08/ten-tips-for-healthy-relationships.html.College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship10Appendix ACollege students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship11College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship12College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship13College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship14College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship15College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship16Appendix BCollege students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship17College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship18College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship19College students are often unaware of how to maintain a healthy romantic relationship20

College Students Are Often Unaware of How to Maintain a Healthy Romantic Relationship

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College Students Are Often Unaware of How to Maintain a Healthy Romantic Relationship

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