Discussion: Advice and encouragement

5 Comments

1. 

   Jody R. Rosen (Post author)

   December 5, 2023 at 10:42 pm

   In class I shared this meme of how the semester starts and how it’s going now–we just need to finish, but hopefully a little better than this horse!

   ” alt=”Sketch of a horse that devolves from detailed to stick-figure”>

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2. 

   Jody R. Rosen (Post author)

   December 11, 2023 at 12:49 pm

   From Cornell University’s Cornell Health page for students, on a page called “Managing End-of-Semester Stress“:

   Tips for managing stress

   • Prioritize self-care: Try to get enough sleep, eat well, and get in some exercise. Make time to connect with others. Avoid alcohol, since it can decrease your focus, energy, and sleep quality. 
   • Take study breaks: Taking purposeful breaks from studying (unfortunately, social media doesn’t count) refreshes your brain and body, and increases energy, productivity, and ability to focus. 
   • Spend time in nature: Research shows that even short amounts of time in nature help reduce stress, boost feelings of happiness, and improve your cognitive ability.
   • Try five-minute stress-busters: Learn how deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualization can relieve stress within minutes. 
   • Meditate: Even 2‒5 minutes of meditation can calm your mind and help you feel more focused and relaxed. Try these guided meditations, or attend a Let’s Meditate session via Zoom (offered Monday-Friday). For more information and guided meditations, visit our Meditation page. 
   • Press pause: Check out Press Pause (developed by MTV and the Jed Foundation) for short videos, words of advice from other college students, and tools to help reduce anxiety, worry, and the feeling of being overwhelmed.

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3. 

   Jody R. Rosen (Post author)

   December 13, 2023 at 1:30 pm

   How many of us use to-do lists? And what do they look like?

   I Googled how to make a to-do list and wanted to share the results with you. I hope that a to-do list can help you remember all the things you have to do between now and the end of the semester–and that it can help you prioritize, set goals, see when you have time in your schedule, and think about how long each task will take. Plus there’s a real mood-boost from checking things off the list!

   Please let me know if you need help with your work and we can meet on Zoom or communicate over email. Good luck!

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4. 

   Jody R. Rosen (Post author)

   December 15, 2023 at 5:04 pm

   In class this semester, I suggested using the Pomodoro method to help with staying focused and dividing tasks into small chunks. The basic idea is to work on a specific task for 25 minutes, and then take a 5-minute break, followed by another focused 25-minute working session, 5-minute break, etc. After 4 rounds, take a longer break. While working, don’t let yourself get distracted by other tasks, checking your phone, starting something else you need to work on, etc.

   Would this help you as you try to work on finishing all of your courses this semester?

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5. 

   Jody R. Rosen (Post author)

   December 18, 2023 at 12:25 am

   Hope everyone is getting done what they need to get done and finding sleep and peace as well–a tough balance, for sure. Please reach out if you need any additional support as you finish this semester, which I know is the first semester in college for many of you. See you at noon!

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