Ask Ava 11/08

By: Ava C. Green, Editor-in-Chief

Do you have tips for getting through stress at this point in the semester?

The fun part about college is that you're never not in a stressful point of the semester…said no one ever. Especially now though – as we make our way down the rugged mountain of mid-term season and round the corner on the close of the semester – it definitely starts to feel like stuff is getting real. I think you’d be strapped to find anyone more experienced with stress than me, but I also think that makes me the perfect person to give you a few ideas for some ways to be sure you keep on truckin’.

I’m a big fan of to-do lists, and an even bigger fan of getting to cross things off of those to-do lists. For those new to the game, a long list of all the things you haven’t done yet may feel like too visceral of a reminder. I think you’ll come to find, though, that the satisfying slash you get to draw over your tasks as you complete them will motivate you to slash a few more. Let the slashes serve as just as visceral a reminder that you can and will get it all done.

TAKE. CARE. OF. YOURSELF. I mean it. Take it from me, I am someone who is possibly the most inept a person at taking care of themself, like, sitting here in an arm sling as I write this very column type of inept. I can promise you that taking on too much and becoming a mid-term martyr is not as noble as you think. You have to be at your best when you’re facing stress, so you need to make time to sleep and eat and be a person outside of your various responsibilities, or else burnout will be inevitable.

Sometimes us Griffs need to be grabbed by the shoulders, (Please, not me though. Mine’s dislocated, hence the sling) shaken half to death, and be told loud and clear that it’s really not that deep. When we’re in the midst of stress is when we need this most, and when we need to make sure our priorities are in line. It’s easy to forget; but you’re a person first, a student second, and an e-board member/athlete/student leader last. I tend to choose to work on Griffin-related things before an actual assignment, and I regret it every time. You have an entire club or team behind you in those cases, ready to lighten your load. When it comes to classes though, it’s up to you alone to pull it all off. Just as it’s important not to forget about the cura personalis of it all, you also have to remember that your extracurriculars can’t take priority over your curriculum. 

Like I said, every part of college is a stressful part, but if you’ve gotten through all of those parts so far, I have confidence that you’ll get through this too. You’re already on the right track just by asking for some help, especially asking Ava.