The Importance of Emotional Intelligence to Students

Today we are stresses to better understand ourselves and understand our emotions so that we can stay safe and healthy. Currently, our world is hit by the COVID-19 which has left all of us living in a state of fear and forced to accept new norms. Students especially have to accept the fact that they now have to study online. Therefore, students are urged to understand their emotions and try to control their emotions in this time of pandemic. Thus, this conceptual paper discusses students emotional intelligence from various angles that should be taken into consideration to keep their emotion stable. A discussion of Goleman’s model is also included to make it easy for students to make an assessment for themselves. Researchers use secondary methods that use existing data from various studies. In order to improve student’s emotions, they have to practice the five Goleman ’s domains, namely, emotional management, self awareness, self motivation, empathy and social skills.


Introduction
Emotions have been a topic of conversation since these two met. This is because the problem of emotional stress is one of the major crises or contributors in human self -development. This is because, emotions make a manifestation of human self -well -being and also influence one's decisions and actions in life. One needs an understanding of emotions for the sake of awareness and deep knowledge of the strengths, weaknesses, wants and needs of the individual. Thus, an individual who is able to identify and control his emotions as soon as a feeling appears in himself is an individual who successfully possesses the key to emotional intelligence, self -knowledge and control of his behavior to live a better life. In addition, the ability to understand one's own emotions will make a person more skilled and confident in making decisions.
Studies conducted on emotional aspects show that emotions are an important component in influencing, harming or harming individuals in making a decision (Lerner et al., 2015). Negatively emotionally influenced decisions can have a variety of adverse implications with other individuals. For example, not wanting to hear real explanations, not thinking before acting and so on. Yet if channeled in the right way, emotions can be the potential for success and achievement. Therefore, research on the emotional component is important to determine the impact and the aspects that affect it, including the regulation of emotions.
Emotional intelligence is a person's ability to express, recognize, see, use and manage his or her own emotions or the emotions of others (Matthews et al., 2017). In line with him, Feldman and Mulle (2009) also define emotional intelligence as the ability of an individual to use his emotions wisely to improve performance and achieve effective communication with other individuals. While Akinboye (2003), considers it as the ability to regulate the processes of perception, intuition and thought driven by emotions.
Additionally, Hakimi and Bashar (2015), describe emotional intelligence as the ability to stay focused in the face of conflict, deal with criticism, control anger and manage various forms of confrontation that can ruin one's life. Thus, emotional intelligence can be said to be an art in dealing with situations involving management aspects and emotional related matters.
In addition to having to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is also bombarded with an increase in statistics for individuals with mental and emotional health problems. If you look at the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) in 2019, almost half a million people (2.3 percent) in the country among adults suffer from symptoms of stress or depression.
However, by adopting a healthy lifestyle and having psychological aspects skills, such as self -management skills and emotional intelligence, it is one of the most important individual health assets in helping to reduce the negative effects of stress arising from this pandemic and helping to improve and maintain health. during the individual. Goleman (1995) describes five dimensions of emotional intelligence. The dimensions are emotional management, self -awareness, self -motivation, empathy and social skills. Based on the model introduced by Goleman (1995), the first element of emotional management refers to the extent to which individuals are able to manage emotions in performing work more easily and quickly (Rahman et al., 2008). According to Huda (2015), to ensure that a person is balanced in terms of emotions, a person must practice a careful and wise attitude in organizing life. Individuals who can perform a task easily are those who are able to control their emotions (Gim & Rodziah, 2012). When faced with stress, a person's ability to manage stress is a healthy self -control (John 2010). For an employee, effectiveness and productivity increase when having self -control where it is able to create an environment full of trust in each other (Abdul Aziz, 2008).

Goleman's Model
The second element is self -awareness. Self -awareness is the ability of an individual to understand his own feelings in a situation and be able to make good decisions (Rahman et al. 2008). They will be more open and accept any reprimands and feedback from others if they have self -awareness (Gim & Rodziah, 2012). One should understand themselves accurately and be able to deal with desires and fears appropriately is an understanding of the concept of emotional intelligence (John, 2010). The inability to understand one's own feelings can make it difficult for a person to make decisions (Huda, 2015).
Self -motivation as defined by Crede and Kuncel (2008) is a third element in personal skills. Someone who engages himself wholeheartedly in making something has successfully instilled the value of self -motivation in themselves. According to Fajar Arifianto (2014), having the nature of self -motivation in carrying out something is very necessary. In order to achieve something that is desired and desired, one must have self -motivation. Mat (2007) argues that experience can help develop self -efficacy. In order to improve oneself, one needs a strong motivation to change. Adolescents are easily stuck with negative symptoms and a variety of risky activities if they do not get full attention from parents. In fact, the lack of self -motivation in them also makes them behave unexpectedly when stepping into adulthood (Ma et al., 2002;Monahan et al., 2009). Taufik (2012) describes empathy as the ability to understand the feelings of self and others. Andreasson (2010) stated that the nature of empathy is the understanding of the emotions of others. Wuryanano (2007) stated that the ability to empathize is the ability to pay attention to others, immerse themselves in feelings and understand others. According to Ibung (2009) empathy is a natural trait and should be given a chance and if not, then one will not develop and will not be able to build relationships with others. Borba & Michele (2008) also mention the nature of empathy possessed by parents helping children emulate their nature.
The last element in Goleman's (1995) model is social skills. To create an atmosphere of peace and harmony, one is encouraged to interact with each other to strengthen the relationship. In other words it is the ability to form relationships with others (Muhammad Idham et al., 2010). Zarina (2014) argues that competence in stimulating a positive response is the ability to build relationships with others. Communication skills are an indispensable element to stimulate such a positive response. Individuals with communication skills will be able to convey messages and listen openly (Elmi et al., 2014).
For the spiritual element added in Goleman's (1995) model of emotional intelligence, one is able to establish a good relationship with god, the environment and fellow human beings by purifying the heart and soul. This spiritual practice is known as spirituality. According to al-Ghazali et al (2000), spirituality refers to the four human elements namely alruh, al-qalb, al-aql and al-nafs. This means that the spiritual element is an element that is related to the human body. As a student, this spirituality is very important in the pursuit of success where it depends on God. This statement is supported by Shatar (2005) where according to him spirituality is able to contribute to the effectiveness of learning. Not to be outdone, many studies in the West also use spiritual items in their studies. For example, studies conducted by Buchanan (2009); Campbell (2010); Daniliuk et al (2010); Revell (2008) in which they look at spiritual education. Moreover, the study conducted by Daniliuk et al (2010) also found that schools in Russia need to implement a spiritual component in the personality development of Russian citizens.
In addition, in order to produce Malaysians who are virtuous, moral, noble personality and able to achieve personal well-being, a person must have the strength of spiritual nature and noble values (Khatijah, 2017). Based on the National Education Philosophy also explains that a person who wants harmony and balance in terms of physical, spiritual, emotional and intellectual must be based on faith and obedience to God. This shows that a person must have a religion that must be followed as a way of life. Therefore, we can say that spirituality is important because with it man will adhere to religion. Thus, religion will educate us to be more confident and have a strong stance and change every human being for the better (Kamarudin, 2011).
Maturity is the next element incorporated in the emotional intelligence model (Goleman, 1995). Each individual will become mature in certain situations. Emotional maturity is an individual's ability to process the emotions in himself and be able to control emotions well so as not to cause bad things to others. According to Rizqi (2011), maturity includes independence, being able to accept reality, being able to adapt to surrounding circumstances, being able to respond quickly as well as having the nature of empathy. All these elements must be instilled in a person to produce first -class human capital that can be a legacy connector.
If viewed from the perspective of Islam itself, purification of the heart involves emotional intelligence. In religious demands it is also advised to keep the heart so that it is not rotten and not damaged. By having good emotional intelligence, then a person's heart will be good and clean. The heart will be dirty, as dark and as black as when people sin. As a result, man is said to suffer from blindness in the eyes of the heart and deafness of the ears because they do not learn anything from his life. Clearly here, emotional intelligence is closely linked to religious values. What's more it is intertwined with spiritual intelligence that is spiritual in nature. In other words, spirituality teaches man to maintain a relationship with Allah SWT, while intellectual and emotional intelligence leads man to maintain a relationship with himself, other human beings and the environment. Synonymous with this, then, among the elements in emotional intelligence is the importance of having good interactions with other individuals.

Conclusion
Thoroughly, this paper discusses the emotional intelligence of self-understanding in driving emotions at this COVID-19 pandemic phase. Self-care is very important because it can have a positive effect and increase emotional intelligence. Among the forms of self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic were in terms of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Meanwhile, in improving emotional intelligence, there are five factors that have been highlighted by Goleman's (1999) including self -awareness, self -control, self -motivation, empathy and social skills. Students should emphasize emotional intelligence in themselves because it is very important to enter the world of work later. Studying and working are a different situation. However, students must be good at balancing it. Thus, students are advised to deepen their own emotions before deepening the emotions of others.
Universities play an important role in producing human capital highly skilled and knowledgeable which is much needed in the market work at the moment. This means quality graduates of institutions of higher learning must reinforced especially in aspects high -level mind skills, problem solving and communication oral. This goal requires universities produce graduates brilliant that can meet the needs and expectations of the country, not only knowledgeable and capable mastered the field of science in fact have special skills such as leadership in addition to being able to place himself in the job market. Hence the issue this emotional intelligence and leadership should be given due attention by university management and ministry so that the quality of IPTA graduates able to be strengthened and become seizures of employers when they graduate later. According to Goleman (1995) emotional intelligence is more great than intellectual intelligence because it is a predictor of success reliable either at the level university or in someone's life.
It is important for every human being not to ignore this emotional intelligence because the lack of a part in the human being will affect the other part of the human self. A human being needs to have emotional qualities that contribute towards the production of a human being perfect i.e. a human being who is capable of understanding himself as well understand the self of others around him. In addition to acting wisely in overcoming one's own problems and weaknesses. Therefore, this concept of emotion needs to be absorbed starting from childhood onwards. This is to enable them to be more sensitive to the environment and feelings of others. Individuals with emotional intelligence who stay certainly has an easier way of life because they are more receptive to and understand the environment and its problems faced in life. With this it is necessary for every human being to cultivate emotional intelligence as a guarantee of a more prosperous life. (CORRECTION DONE) Students are an important asset to the country in producing highly skilled and highly knowledgeable human capital. Students must have quality and have high emotional intelligence as well as be able to solve problems and be able to communicate well. A university not only wants to produce students who are academically successful, but the institution also wants to produce a generation of educators who are smart in dealing with emotions. Therefore, this emotional intelligence should be emphasized by the university. As such, students should be mindful of the importance of emotional intelligence and always practice it for future use and stepping into the world of work. Goleman's (1995) model has highlighted five important domains that must be inculcated in the individual to achieve excellence in life.