Stress is probably the #1 problem for college students like us. Dr. Blumin introduced 'stress' and strategies we can use to relieve from stress. Stress can be very dangerous as it can lead to actions that we may not normally do when we are not stressed. The stress-level is probably getting higher as of this moment for everyone as the semester is ending and final exam week is getting closer. I don't want to think about how much stress I had first semester. I was taking only the core courses that already had the reputation of being a difficult courses. Though I overcame the stress, I knew it wasn't healthy for me both physically and mentally. That's why I chose to take less stressful classes like ENV010 which is a choir ensemble. I can definitely say that the stress-level in second semester is lower than that of first semester. However, stress still exists and it is steadily growing once more as I am reaching closer to the end of the semester.
The two strategies I used to prevent the stress from overwhelming me are: Stress Diagram and Ten-Minute Vacation Plan. The two most difficult courses that I am taking this semester are: CFS 388 and ECN 203. I chose these two plans for these courses, but these strategies are flexible enough to be used for other courses as well as something that is not academic at all too.
Stress Diagram is similar to identifying time wasters. By using this diagram, one will know which element provides stress to him/her. Everything gets much clearer once you have a visual graph or a diagram of something. So I listed down the potential factors that might be stress-friendly. For me, and most of other people I am assuming, grades are probably the most stressful factor in college life. After grade comes my family-issues that I am currently dealing with. I guess this is the reason why I still feel stressed when the stress I get from GPA isn't as high as last semster. Now that I completed this strategy, I have a clear diagram of what gives me stress. As expected, GPA and family-issue seems to be the big problem. My stress from GPA will be relieved as soon as I am done with my last final exam on May 9th. But, for the family-issue, I just have to hope for the best.
The second strategy, 10 minute vacation plan, can reduce the stress instantly. I used this strategy when I was writing a major paper for CFS 388 and studying for ECN 203 quiz. If the Stress Diagram Strategy is for long-term usage, 10 minute vacation plan is more like a short-term stress relief system. Everytime I finish a paragraph for a major paper in CFS388, I would grant myself a 10 minute break. During those 10 minute, I can surf on the web, go to youtube or facebook. I would not recommend sleeping for 10 minutes, because 1. you will not fall asleep within 10 minutes, 2. if you do fall asleep you will not be able to wake up. After the ten minutes are up I will go back to writing another paragraph. This system not only relieves you from temporary stress, but also gives you a slight motivation. You would want to work faster in order get another 10 minute break. For studying ECN 203 quiz, which covered 3 chapters, I will make a list of terms I need to memorize. The number of terms I needed to memorize for this quiz was about 30. So everytime I memorized 10 terms, I would grant myself 10 minute break. The 10 minute you get may sound really short, but it really is better than pulling a straight 3 hour of unstable working mode.
I hope my fellow bloggers also identified their sources of stress and countered it well with strategy like 10 minute vacation plan.
Stress Diagram is easy to make and very effective for finding out what causes you to stress and how you can fix it by prioritizing the most stressful factors in the pie chart. Because of it's visual elements, it's especially effective for those who are visual learners. As a visual learner myself, I prefer using Stress Diagram better than other strategies. 10 minute vacation sounds very interesting and I will try that strategy in my academic career in near future.
ReplyDeleteI really like your stress diagram as it is simple and very clearly laid out. By figuring out your factors of stress and having the strategy such as 10 minute vacation to prevent yourself from bursting out, it really refreshens your mind and let you start your work again with brand new brain. Thanks for sharing Jerry and overall, good job.
ReplyDeleteI really like your stress diagram too! How did you make it?? I see how "insufficient sleep" causes your stress as a part of many factors. I think this is true for a lot of us, mainly becasue we spend our nights off trying to finish the essay or study for the tests. Because of this, 10 minute vacation is a good start to keep us working on track, without wasting our time. I think it is helping you a lot as well as it is to me. Great job overall Jeryy!
ReplyDeleteI have used the sress diagram as well and it helped me to see what kind of things there are that gives me stress. I knew well that they were mostly related to my success in school. There are ways to release stress on each of your own. I haven't technically used your 10 minute vacation, because I thought that if I take a break from doing work, I will not be able to get back and be as efficient. I will try, for some of the agonizing task, such as reading.
ReplyDeleteEveryone LOVES the Stress Diagram (haha). I guess it is because that the strategy is really easy to use and a good one to acknowledge your major stress sources. I, like Brian, did not used the 10 minute vacation, because I know that 10 minutes is NOT enough for me to get rid some of my stress. But if that works for you, good~. Keep up the good work.
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