You are selecting subjects for the next semester and, suddenly, among the options, there is one that catches your attention due to its uniqueness – the experiential study of happiness. Yes, the course exists and will be taught at the Gama campus of the University of Brasília (UnB).
The innovative initiative by a Brazilian public institution was inspired by Yale and Harvard universities. The aim is to support students in facing personal and academic adversities, helping them to find something that makes sense for themselves or people around them.
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Mentioning the fear of failing to enter one of the most desirable institutions in the country, Wander Pereira da Silva, professor at the matter, explains that “students who enter UnB are increasingly younger and find it difficult to separate personal life from life academic”. The consequences can be felt in class performance.
However, the academic environment is not the only one to cause this type of effect on university students. “We live in a moment of hopelessness, intolerance, bullying and lack of perspective”, stresses Wander. Therefore, he comments that understanding the meaning of happiness is essential to face social malaise and academic challenges.
The teaching dynamics will include conversations, exchange of experiences and group practices. The menu contains the presentation of cognitive and behavioral strategies capable of helping students to deal with the factors that generate stress in their daily lives. The anchorage will be in self-knowledge and reflection on the meaning of things.
From there, the purpose is to provide these students with instruments to face problems that are very common in this phase, such as insecurity, shyness, anxiety and depression. Wander, who holds a PhD in Psychology from UnB, as well as a degree in History and Philosophy, emphasizes that the difficulty of the course will not be removed, but made less painful.
Classes begin to be taught from the 7th of August on the Gama campus. There, the faculties of Engineering are concentrated – Automotive, Aerospace, Energy, Electronics and Software. The choice was based on needs identified by the Mental Health Committee of engineering professors.
Teachers point out cases of depression, anxiety, mainly because most of the students come from other states. The subject holder adds, to this, the very structural conditions of the campus, including the reduced age of the students and weakened mental conditions.
But, the primordial point is the very load dispensed by engineering courses, normally, many disciplines and requirements required in research and laboratories. In all, 240 vacancies were made available, of which 164 have already been filled.
