Author: dnk5119

After a blissful week full of family, turkey, naps, and shopping, Thanksgiving break has sadly come to an end and classes have resumed with what seems like more assignments and stress than ever before. Whether you have four or seven courses, you probably have found yourself buried under a litany of final projects, papers, and exams to complete before you can be welcomed by the freedom of winter break in just fourteen short days. Some courses may even have a combination of the three for you to complete. While there is no doubt that the next two weeks will be difficult to get through, there are ways to make it easier. Hopefully the tips below will aide you in your studies and help you stay productive for the next couple of weeks.

Eliminate Distractions

As you may know, it’s difficult to be productive when you constantly have objects of focus surrounding you. Oftentimes, these objects are our phones and their access to social media, or simply the environment we choose to study in. While it may seem simple to just turn off your phone or seclude yourself to a quiet study room,  you may still find yourself instinctively reaching to check Instagram, or aimlessly staring at a painting on the wall- anything to keep from studying.

For the technology aspect of this problem, the best way to stop checking your phone is to simply give your phone to a friend or just leave it in your dorm. However, if you must keep your phone so people can contact you, there are less extreme methods. Many app stores today offer plenty of apps geared towards productivity- often times, these have timers so that you know when to start working and when to take a break and check your phone. Also, if you have a more recent iPhone, they now have a screen time feature in settings, which records how long you spend on certain apps. With this feature, you can also set daily app limits, which only allows you to check certain apps for a limited time during a day. There’s also a downtime setting, which shuts down apps on your phone for a scheduled amount of time. During this time, you can choose which apps you would still like access to, but the others you will not be able to open until the time ends.

Focus Your Efforts

While finals are an important component of your overall grade and GPA, not all finals may need to be treated in the same way. Before you open a textbook, be sure to know which courses and topics are your priorities- this will keep you from wasting time studying topics you may already know or that will barely impact your grade.

To know which courses to prioritize, take time to look back at each of your syllabi. Look at the weighting of the final and use your past grades to determine what you would need to get your goal for the class. If you only need a 60% on your Economics final to reach a B+ but need an 80% on your Calculus to get a B-, then you should put more effort into studying Calculus. It’s also important to consider how many credits each course has. Higher credit courses count more to your GPA, so doing well in these courses are slightly more important.

Another tip would be to start studying for your last final first. By the end of finals week, you’ll likely be worn out and won’t want to put in as much effort into last minute studying. If you spread out your studies throughout the next two weeks, you won’t have to worry about cramming the night before your last exam. Spreading out your studies also allows you to look at multiple courses over time. Make a goal to look at one chapter a day for each class, and if you get tired with one class, you can just move on to another course to stay productive.

 

“Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow”

–Anonymous

Week after week, students have been pushing through the same dreadful schedule: waking up early for morning lectures, completing four hour labs, attending dull recitation sessions, and staying up late to make last minute changes to assignments. Now, after three months of this pattern, the students of Penn State have finally reached their winter break. Although the past week seemed as if it would last forever, the excitement for the impending break encouraged students to continue pushing forward and finally, they have reached their reward.

Now that classes have finally concluded for the next week, it feels tempting to forget about all of the stress of final projects and assessments and just enjoy the short span of freedom ahead. After all, there are still two weeks after break to prepare for finals, right? Well, there are two more weeks of classes, meaning two more weeks of homework, last-minute projects, reflections, essays, and thus two more weeks of late night working sessions. With all this scrambling going on, will you really have enough time to properly study for all of your finals?

Although it may seem discouraging now, setting aside time over the break to work ahead will lead to plenty of long term benefits. Beginning your finals studies earlier will allow you to better conceptualize the information you need, leaving you more prepared for your finals. Similarly, working ahead on upcoming assignments will further ease your workload in the upcoming weeks. So, taking simple steps towards being productive now will lead to lower stress levels throughout the rest of the semester.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you must spend your entire week studying. Make plans to go out and see friends and family, do things you normally can’t- you deserve to enjoy yourself. However, during instances where you find yourself without plans, make the choice to be productive rather than to binge watch The Office on Netflix- or, at least attempt to be productive during your binge.

Before you leave for home, quickly make a list of everything you would like to get done over the break and bring home the supplies you need in order to complete this list. It is important to note that you should keep this list long enough so that it will allow you to make a dent in your work load, but also short enough to be realistic. If you set too high goals for yourself, you may be more likely to give up on any progress throughout the week. When choosing what to get done first, think ahead towards the rest of your plans. Will you be busier at the beginning, or the end? Plan ahead so that you can do your easier assignments during times when you are busier. This will give you more time for harder projects and subjects. Plus, there is less to worry about if you are unable to complete simpler assignments.

Whether you devote days or hours towards your studying efforts, any progress you make will help in the upcoming weeks. Plan ahead, work diligently, and, most importantly, get it done.

“Productivity is NEVER an accident, it’s the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort”

–Paul Meyer

Sometimes, when we find ourselves at our lowest, we let our anxiety get the best of us. When everything that could possibly go wrong has, it can be tempting to throw our hands up in the air and surrender to the voice in the back of our heads. In these times we not only listen to the dark thoughts, we believe in them and even add fuel to the fire. Before you know it, one intrusive thought leads to the next, and it’s like a snowball rolling from the top of a snow-covered mountain: initially small and unthreatening, but grows and picks up momentum, becoming an unyielding force of negativity.

It can be tempting to give in to these thoughts- to be the one to first push the snowball down the mountain- and make a small problem much larger than it really is. Obviously, this would be the worst thing you could do for yourself. Although it is healthy to have some form of emotional release every now and then, these kinds of thoughts will only lead towards low self-confidence and unproductivity.

It’s important to recognize when these thoughts begin to take form- when the snowball has yet to be pushed down the mountain- and to stop yourself from taking them any further. Make the conscious decision to stay away from these thoughts, and choose instead to distract yourself through any of the methods described below.

Practice deep breathing. This method is among the most immediately effective in this list. After about two to three minutes of breathing exercises, your heart rate will begin to slow, forcing your body and mind to calm down. Similar to physical exercise, this activity will help you clear your mind and feel more relaxed. Although there are several exercises to choose from, my personal favorites are belly and alternative breathing. You can learn more about these methods in the videos below.

Set long term goals. This is a great way to get yourself out of the present. Whatever may be worrying you now will not last forever, and thinking of the future will help you to realize that. Your goals can focus on whatever you’d like; perhaps the goals can focus around something that makes you happy, or a solution to a problem you are facing now. Whatever you choose, be sure to make your goals realistic and positive- give yourself something to look forward to.

Make lists. If you are a type A person, you may love this option. Again, what these lists are of is to your discretion, however there are some lists that might be more beneficial in certain situations. Say you’re stressed about the amount of work that needs to be done- make a to do list prioritizing what must be done first. If your day was not that great, make a list of everything that went well in the past week. So what if you didn’t do so great on your lab report? At least you got your favorite pasta for lunch! Find all the little things that made your day or week better, and appreciate those moments. Or, list things to look forward to: the next football or hockey game, your favorite club meeting, Thanksgiving break, the new semester. The possibilities are endless, you just need to see them.

“You are more than the mistakes you’ve made. You are the wisdom, love, strength and compassion you’ve gained from all you’ve been through.”

–Karen Salmansohn

In case you may have failed to notice, the weather in State College this week has been nothing short of beautiful! The leaves have fully changed, the breeze has calmed, and the chill has subsided. However, this period of bliss will certainly not last forever, so you must take advantage of it while you can! Chances are, you probably won’t be so eager to venture outside once you see six inches of snow on the ground. So, while it’s nice out now, take some time to explore campus, go on a hike in the arboretum, find an outdoor study spot, or just have fun with friends. Take this opportunity to find any excuse available to escape the concrete walls and fluorescent lights of your dorm while you can.

Of course, this suggestion doesn’t solely stem from the current state of the weather. While it is true that time is running out for students to enjoy the cool and crisp autumn air, there are also plenty of mental and emotional benefits from spending more time outside. For instance, reduced anxiety and depression and enhanced cognitive abilities have all been regular symptoms of increased exposure to nature, as well as a heightened overall quality of life.

According to the article, “The Great Outdoors,” a severe lack of sun exposure may lead to Vitamin D deficiency, a known risk factor for depression and other health issues, such as high blood pressure or weakened bones. However, too much exposure can lead to melanoma and other forms of skin cancer. So, although sunlight may significantly reduce symptoms of depression as well as Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease, it’s important to moderate how much time one spends under the sun.

But perhaps one of the most interesting correlations noted by the article referenced above is the one between time spent outdoors and your brain’s cortisol levels- cortisol being the hormone responsible for creating all of your stress, whether due to an upcoming exam or a paper deadline. This shouldn’t be all too surprising, since hikers often report feeling much more calm and relaxed after returning from an excursion.

But why is this? Perhaps it stems from the unusual sense of peace that a trail in the woods provides, with light birdsong, the scrambling of squirrels in the underbrush, and the crunch of leaves and sticks under your feet. In this place, the problems which troubled you before now begin to seem so distant, so small. Here, so far from every day life, you are able to think more clearly about what worries you, and perhaps are able to find the solution to a dilemma you’ve been facing.

However, don’t feel as though you must venture out into the woods to find this feeling of peace. In truth, any trek you take outside can offer you the same opportunity of self reflection. Whatever path you choose to take will offer a new perspective on the world around you, and will remind you that there is more than what is currently causing you distress. So, while you still can, go outside.

 

“Move the body, still the mind”

–Anonymous

Have you ever found yourself unable to focus- where it feels like no matter what you do, you just can’t stand to sit yourself down and be productive?

Perhaps you feel too restless, or have too many thoughts racing through your head. Sometimes when stress builds up to a breaking point, it’s hard to think about anything other than what you’re worrying about. An important presentation, a midterm, a fight with a friend, a loss of a relationship or loved one. These can all be stressors that, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t stop thinking about. No matter how engrossed you try to get into your chemistry or math homework, there remains that sense of dread which feels like it only develops the more you try to ignore the problem. Try not to think about it, you tell yourself and, in doing so, you only end up thinking about it more.

So, in a situation such as this, what can you really do? Do you accept that the problem will just simply pervade your life? Or could there be another way?

According to studies, exercise might be the solution.

Of course, we all know of the physical benefits of a workout routine, however it has been proven to heighten mood and brain function as well. A study composed of adults suffering from depression showed that regular exercise was more likely to produce a lasting effect. While subjects who were only given antidepressants did show signs of improvement, they were found to be more likely to relapse (Siegfried).

Exercise was also found to produce similar positive effects with memory. In an experiment with mice, it was noted that those with inactive lifestyles performed poorly on intelligence tests, displayed depressed behavior, and lost brain mass. However, those which spent more time on the mouse wheel showed the complete opposite characteristics. Interestingly, it was also found that once the sedentary mice began to undertake a more active routine their brain mass eventually grew back (Siegfried).

How can this be? Well, scientifically speaking, exercise tends to increase blood flow to your brain, leading bursts of endorphins and other hormones to be released. Serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine all tend to be present during and after physical activity, and leave you feeling happy and peaceful. This heightened brain activity also leads to neurogenesis, which creates neurons in the hippocampus, which deals with memory storage in your brain. This enables you to think more clearly after a work out, and causes you to feel more in control of your feelings.

However, there are some other theories as to why those who exercise tend to lead an overall happier life. One proposition is that those who incorporate exercise into their weekly routine live more structured and therefore less hectic lives. By planning when to exercise, people also tend to organize when they will eat, maintain themselves, and get their work done. Being more grounded in these habits decreases the stress involved with work and school, because you have the opportunity to focus on other things as well.

It is important to note that while getting started with an exercise routine is beneficial overall, that one must take the proper precautions to ensure that this will turn into a long term habit. To do so, try to set realistic goals. For most, it is best to have at least three 30-minute workouts spread throughout the week. If this is too hard to accomplish at first, try for 10-15 minute intervals whenever you can. Begin with moderate exercises, such as walking or jogging, and incorporate new aspects whenever you feel more comfortable. If you can, go with a workout buddy to hold you accountable for sticking to plans.

 

“Each new day is an opportunity to improve yourself.

Take it. And make the most of it.”

– Anonymous

With Homecoming week coming to an end, many students are scrambling to prepare for parents weekend. Although the streets and local businesses of University Park and State College will be filled to the brim with reunited families for the next few days, there will remain plenty of students who may feel left out. Whether due to conflicting schedules or distance, some parents just won’t be able to join the festivities, which may lead students to develop increased feelings of homesickness over the next few weeks, especially first years or transferring students.

What is Homesickness?

Currently, about 7% of US college students experience some form of homesickness, totaling to approximately 1 million young adults. However, the statistic for first year students alone is drastically more concerning at 69% according to a UCLA survey, and only heightens the further the student is from home.

Of course, this trend is mainly due to the stress which comes with acclimating to a new environment. Students are pushed out of their comfort zone and must adapt to living on their own for the first times in their lives. However, if they don’t adapt quickly enough, they may become vulnerable. As Kirsten Wong from NBC News explains, homesickness at its core is about a student’s lack of security. Many experiencing homesickness often feel as if they have little control, and develop a negative outlook towards their situation.

Homesickness is often mistaken for depression, for the two share many of the same symptoms. They each lead to a decrease in motivation and can cause students to develop unhealthy coping deficits, such as over- or under- eating and sleeping. Homesickness also leads to seclusion and anxiety, which only worsens a student’s situation. However, the effects of homesickness will go away whenever the student is home or around family, whereas depression’s symptoms will stay.

How to Cope

The effects described above can cause lasting harm to a student’s confidence, and have led homesickness to become one of the top ten reasons for dropping out of school. Because of this, it is imperative for students to learn the following positive coping strategies.

The first strategy involves ways of making the new environment feel more like home. The best way to do this is to first form a new support network at school, a “friend family.” These people will be able to relate to new problems and provide a safe space to vent distressed feelings. Adding decorations from home into a dorm room may also be beneficial. These can be pictures of family or friends, posters, anything that a student may be used to seeing. This will add familiarity to living spaces and may make students feel more comfortable.

It may also be beneficial to take some time to simply explore the campus. By now, students will probably know their hometown like the back of their hand, so it may be off-putting to live in an area they know very little about. They must take some time to learn about the area they’re now living in- including the off campus areas. Exploring now will also decrease the likelihood of getting lost on the way to class later, something their future self could be eternally grateful for.

The other possible route focuses more on communication with home. As mentioned above, negative effects usually fade when the student returns home, which may lead him or her to make an excessive amount of visits. While these may offer short-term relief, they will only prolong the student’s insecure feelings and prevent them from becoming fully acclimated to their new home. In order to combat this, a student and their parents should set strict dates for the student to visit home. This plan allows students to still have visits to look forward to, but because these visits will be limited and spread out, the student will have enough time to adapt to their new home. This can be done with phone calls to friends and family as well.

 

Adapting to a new environment is never easy, especially when it’s a student’s first time living alone. There are a lot of tasks to juggle which can be overwhelming at times, and will leave many with a sense of longing for home. However, because homesickness is so common, students have no trouble finding someone who can relate to their situation.

 

“Change is not pleasant,

But change is constant.

Only when we change and grow,

We’ll see a world we never know.”

-Wisdom of the Orange Woodpecker

By this point in the semester, you have likely heard of the Counseling & Psychological Services (otherwise known as CAPS) offered here at Penn State. However, you may be underestimating the effectiveness of their services, since orientations tend to skim over what CAPS really provides. Below will provide some further information about the resources you may not yet know about.

Counseling Options

The best way to get started with the more serious end of CAPS is by scheduling a phone appointment with a counselor. This usually only lasts around 15 minutes, and will allow you to discuss your options for the next step. Typically, these appointments lead to a in-person encounter where you can make plans for further services, such as individual or group counseling. However, you may be referred to other campus resources, urgent appointments, or off-campus companies.

While the services offered at CAPS are beneficial to most students, the staff are committed to ensuring that each student receives the proper care he or she needs, and may direct students to off campus facilities if they believe they will need counseling over a long period of time. Although individual sessions are able to focus on a wide range of issues, such as couples counseling and eating disorders, they are solely intended as times to create a plan to help the student get better and to follow on their own. These services act as a guide towards better living, and while they will have check-ins to ensure that you are adhering to your plan, they are not meant to be used as long term therapeutic help. Although CAPS doesn’t provide long term therapy, they do have a Community Provider Database, which provides information on trusted services located near all Penn State Campuses.

Another option you have is CAPS Chat, which is more informal and requires no appointment. Some choose this over scheduling a phone appointment, because it can lead to further services as discussed above. These chats are offered in each of the living commons, LGBTQA center, in the Hub, as well as other locations. However, this service is only open two to four hours a week at each center, and is done on a first-come, first-served basis. This session will last approximately half an hour and may offer an opportunity for you to have any of your mental health questions asked. Many students also tend to use this time to get advice on stressful decisions or conflicts as well.

 

Informal Services

It’s important to realize that while CAPS does specialize in the areas mentioned above, they also provide more relaxed services such as outreach workshops. Their program “Life Hacks with CAPS” offers one hour seminars about two times a week on topics such as mindfulness, anxiety, and perfectionism. The next two sessions will focus on anger management and mindfulness this Tuesday and next Monday, respectively.

CAPS also provides educational outreach services which send faculty members to classes or student organizations. By request, these workshops can focus on topics ranging from stress management to relationship issues. Anyone can submit a request form for this event, however they prefer medium to large groups and will need the request at least two weeks in advance. These seminars are conducted based on faculty availability, so not every request may be fulfilled. To decrease your chances of having this happen to you, it is important that you submit a request as early as you can for an event, especially if it happens to be over midterms or finals.

 

Each service described above has been specifically designed with students’ best interest in mind. It’s important to understand that if one resource doesn’t work for you, others are readily available for you to try.

 

“Self help is the best help”

-Aesop

 

We’ve all been there. You come out of a testing room feeling like you did fantastically. Well, maybe not fantastically, but at least like you did well. Or, at least, average- maybe? Anyway, you leave the room with a specific score in mind. Maybe your performance wasn’t A-level material, but it was certainly adequate enough to earn you at least a B, right? Right?? Then the professor reveals the grades, and it’s like somebody’s just punched you in your stomach, your chest, your head- simultaneously. You click refresh on the webpage to double check that it wasn’t just some glitch, but still the score remains, and finally the reality sinks in. You just failed an exam.

 

Congratulations on finally becoming a college student! 

While failing a test in high school may have seemed like the end of the world, in college it is more like a right of passage. Ask any upperclassmen, and you will find that there are few who haven’t experienced this same type of horror story. Yet most of the time those who have failed a test are still able to pass the class with flying colors. How? By understanding that failure is the first step towards success.

But, of course, there’s more to it than just that.

 

Step 1 (or, more accurately, 2): Allow Yourself Time to Grieve

I know this may sound counterintuitive, but you must allow yourself some time to be upset. If you try to jump back into working right away, you may end up being less productive. Without purging your emotions now, you’re endangering yourself to a much larger catharsis later on. So break out those tissue boxes your mom bought in bulk, and allow yourself anywhere between thirty to sixty minutes of grieving time. This of course can include anything you would like. Some of my favorites are crying, calling my mom, and binging on some dark chocolate while watching sappy Netflix romcoms.

However, it is important that you stick to the time limit. It’s far too easy to lose yourself during this stage and waste an entire night on going over things you no longer have control over. Instead of wallowing in the past, begin to focus on what you can do now to be better prepared next time.

 

Step 3: Make a Plan

Once you have composed yourself, it will be time to make an action plan. To do so, you must identify what didn’t work well for you this time. Be honest with yourself, did you really devote enough time to studying? Was your time used effectively?  Usually these are the two biggest problems when it comes to studying. Many people overestimate their ability and rely on cramming during the days leading up to the test. While this method may be useful for simple memorization, it will in no way aid your understanding of the  overarching concepts of the course. Others may devote much time to studying, but do so without quizzing themselves on the material, relying on just reading the information over and over again. Although these two issues are most common with studying, there are plenty more that may describe your case.

After you’ve recognized your points that need improvement, you must decide on what you should do about  them. Set goals for yourself that are not only effective, but also achievable. While studying twenty hours a week would drastically heighten anyone’s chances of getting better scores, what is the chance that someone could actually implement into their routine? And even then, how long can a person keep this habit up? Make a plan to implement your goals in a way that will help you create a long lasting routine- don’t implement drastic changes right away.

 

Step 4: Incorporate These Study Tips

The best way to improve how you study is to first understand what your learning style is. There are four separate categories many tend to fall into: Visual, Aural, Read/Write, and Kinesthetic (VARK). If you don’t know what category you may lie in, you can take a quick two minute test here. Once you know what category you fall into, you may have a better idea of what to incorporate into your study routine. However, do not rely on one specific method to study. While you should focus on one method more than the others, incorporating all four methods of VARK into your routine will have a greater effect.

Once you know how you learn best you can begin to implement new study habits. If you’re a visual learner, begin to incorporate some color into your notes. Use color coded highlighters to indicate vocabulary words, equations, and important concepts. Add sticky notes to draw attention towards points emphasized in lecture, or to make questions on the material to test yourself on later. If you’re an aural learner, consider joining a study group, either with a program run by the school or with your classmates. If you’re read/write, find time to rewrite your notes before an exam, or perhaps create flashcards. If you’re a kinesthetic learner, it may be difficult for you to simulate classroom topics depending on the class. For chemistry, you could buy lewis structure models to see the differences between an octahedral and a trigonal bipyramidal, however you can’t exactly test a reaction between elements to determine which is more electronegative- or at least not whenever you have a homework question regarding it. In this case, talking with your professor may be the best way to lead to some creative learning strategies for you.

Whatever learning modality you may possess, try to incorporate a mixture of the strategies listed above. Also try to go easy on yourself- completing an exam is no easy feat. Relax, and take this time to reflect on what you can be better at. See this as an opportunity for self-improvement rather than as a failure.

 

 

“Failure doesn’t mean the game is over,

it means try again with experience.”

-Len Schlesinger

There’s no denying it- college is tough.

Whether you’re a freshman figuring out how to live on your own for the first time or a senior scrambling to finish your thesis by the due date, you have to deal with countless unavoidable stressors you may not have experienced before.

Often, it may feel like you’re drowning in responsibilities and deadlines with no hope for escape. Should you skip your club meeting to study for chemistry, or go and sacrifice a few hours of sleep? Should you spend more time on your weekly economics homework, or on that essay that’s due soon? Should you take time to have a nice dinner with friends, or take food back to your dorm and study while you eat? Don’t know the answers to these questions? That’s okay! Ultimately, college life is filled with hard choices. It is up to you to prioritize responsibilities and projects to be as productive as possible, which may sound daunting, but it is a skill that can be built upon over time.

However, one of the most important choices you will make during your time on campus is how you will choose to deal with your stressors. We all know how tempting it is to wrap yourself up and binge Netflix for hours at a time to avoid assignments (believe me, I’ve done it), but, in the end, what does this act accomplish? All it leads to is further stress, which in turn leads to more binging sessions. Not only are you hurting your grades with this behavior, but also yourself.

 

So, if Netflix doesn’t solve all your problems, what can?

That’s precisely what this blog is here to answer! Over the next ten weeks, we will explore efficient strategies of handling and reducing stress and anxiety while on campus. Some topics we will discuss include an evaluation of the CAPS resources, an analysis of the positive effects of physical activity, and an explanation of how mental exercises can help change the way you think. These posts are designed to give you, as readers, an idea of where to start on your road to self-improvement. Of course not every method will work, but the one that works for you could make all the difference!

Another area of focus will be productivity. After all, you won’t have to reduce stress if you eliminate the source of it! These posts will focus mainly on time management and some study methods. With time management, we will refer back to the issue discussed at the beginning of this post: prioritizing. How do you decide what class to focus on during the limited time you have to study? How do you recognize that your schedule might be too overwhelming? How do you choose what activity to drop? Come back to my blog later to find out how to answer these questions.

 

Important Disclaimer!

While this blog is meant to provide support and potential solutions to readers, it is important to note that this is not a replacement for treatment. Later, we will discuss the warning signs that should tell you to seek professional help, but for now, you may reference here for a list of anxiety symptoms. If you recognize any of these, it is imperative that you seek help right away. This can include anything as simple as telling someone you trust about your concerns, or as serious as heading to a licensed professional to seek treatment. Whatever you choose to do, it is essential you know that you are not alone.

 

“Your life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.”

-Anonymous