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Dawn Lein - Visionary
My name is Dawn Lein and I am the visionary behind Student Success Spaces. As a trained product manager I've spent many years solving human problems for businesses. Finding patterns of problems that need a better solution. I am also a mom of 3 college students whom over the last few years have seen my children and their friends significantly struggle with focus, anxiety, and sleep while in college. This problem got the product manager in me asking 'why?' So I began digging. Here is some of the data that I found super interesting.
Mind Association with Spaces:
The mind makes associations with spaces. The brain tells us how to act based on the setting. This is why 91% of people can't work/study in the same place they sleep. Per Sleep Foundation - Working in the bedroom establishes unhealthy associations between your bed and work. According to productivity experts - Your room is a place for rest. If you bring your work into that space, your brain and body might associate it with productivity, which could make it harder to sleep. On the flip side, you might be tempted to relax or even doze off in your room when you’re supposed to be getting things done.
Bottom-line - we need to create boundaries between the rooms and the type of activities performed in the room for healthy brain association.
Memorization:
Healthy memorization is key to college success. Healthy memorization requires a focused setting when performing the memorization activity And quality sleep to keep the memory working effectively. Good sleep quality is directly associated with improved memory performance. 26.4% of college students experience insomnia. How many students do you know that are taking 'focus' medication to help memorization?
Bottom-line - students need spaces for healthy memory focus and memory relaxation.
Anxiety & Depression:
63% of college students experienced overwhelming anxiety in the past year per American College Health Association. 41.2% of students had symptoms of depression. 15.8% exhibited signs of true attention deficit. These mental health conditions were significantly associated with poor quality of sleep and insomnia.
Bottom-line - students need space that encourages good quality sleeping habits. Spaces where they can fully relax and feel safe.
Let's not forget Technology
45% of college students spend 6-8 hours per day checking social media sites. Social media also has a huge impact on anxiety and depression and can interfere with focus and sleep time.
Bottom-line - The demands of staying connected via social media is time consuming and interferes with students time to focus, relax, and a healthy point of view.
Safety
In a new BestColleges survey 56% students say that they worry about campus safety. This is no surprise with the fact that most college towns attract a variety of non-student population and even homeless. My son's roommates were actually robbed at gun point last year outside their off campus apartment.
Bottom-line - Safety should always be #1 priority. Students should not be afraid to go to school or home. Period!
It is imperative we recognize the challenges students face today and modernize the accommodations to enable success for college students and our future. That's why I am using my product management experience and passion for this problem to revolutionize off campus housing. Asking 'What is the ideal environment for a college student in today's world?'.
During focus groups and real estate research I have realized the ideal space does not currently exist. So we will build and design it. We are starting at University of Arkansas. Piloting 4 bedroom spaces this year in a safe neighborhood with full communities coming in the near future. University of Arkansas holds a close place to our heart with our oldest son just graduated and our younger son a freshman. I could not think of a better place to start this revolution! Woo Pig!