Great Expectations

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 By Arabella Chamberlain

Just about a year into a global pandemic and where are we? As the weather warms, we seek the solace of sun and warmth, companionship from friends six feet away, and faces covered. But inherently, our lives are different than they were a year ago - even a few months ago.

As the world keeps turning, life has started to return to normal. Well, not really normal, more like a facsimile of the lives we once lived, filled with masks and vaccines. And where does that leave us?

We expected this to be over sooner. We expected things to be the same as they always were eventually. But they won't be.

That's okay.

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As our personal expectations of normalcy have waned, I found this to not be true in my experiences with academia. Professors were extremely generous our first semester online, as with the transitions to hybrid the second. But this semester, we find ourselves on the precipice of what life was like a year ago. Professors are starting to expect what they expected a year ago in class - attendance in-person, engagement, turning in assignments on time - and rightfully so. We're moving on. And strangely, things many of us never struggled with before have become a challenge to people everywhere. Expectations we used to accomplish without a second thought are now insurmountable when we can barely pull ourselves from bed.

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It's been a long time since we have seen professors face to face (or mask to mask), been able to go to office hours, not had to deal with buffering Zoom connections. It's truly a privilege to be where we are, and perhaps we need to remind ourselves of that next time we want to rag on a professor for pushing us a little harder than we think we can handle. You'd be surprised how much you've already endured and walked away from - maybe with a little wear-and-tear, but you're stronger for it.

I wish I could tell you all the answers to thriving in a time like this, but I don't think anyone has those answers. This is just a reminder that you've already accomplished so much, and even when this semester tries to kick your butt, know that you can kick right back. I know what it feels like when everyone around you has great expectations. But be kind to yourself. You may not always put forth your best work. You might have rough times. It's alright. Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.

Remember to take a deep breath.

And get back up again.

Because you will not let anything stop you from succeeding.

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To Do List: Things You Shouldn't Forget About in College

To Do List: Things you shouldn’t forget about in college

Call your parents/ Guardians

-Just as much as you miss home they miss you. Don’t forget to check on them because their little babies (us) aren’t home anymore.When we’re stressed we tend to stress ourselves even more and forget about all of the people and resources who are here for us. Even just hearing my family’s voice, or their words of encouragement or that they believe in me or are proud of me motivates me to always be better and makes me so incredibly happy.

Don’t forget about your mentors

-We all have that high school counselor or mentor that helped us in some way at some point. Remember when they said “Keep in touch”? Do it! Call them whether it’s for advice, to catch up, or to vent about everything you’re stressed about. It definitely helps; especially if talking to your parents just stresses you out more and you need to talk (I’ve definitely been there too).

Take Care of you

-Being in a super hard class or having a schedule that is way too busy can take up so much time. First semester, there were so many nights I realized I hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. There were so many hours of sleep that I lost over studying. I feel like our ability to learn and the health of our bodies definitely go hand in hand. When I haven’t eaten or slept it’s harder to retain information. Even when I get sleepy at night and ignore it, it's almost as if all of the studying goes to waste given that my brain is burned out and needs to rest.

Do things you enjoy when you get the chance

-We are all humans and we still have things we want to do, opportunities we want to take and people that we want to meet or have fun with. School is extremely important and may take up a lot of time but take a little time on weekends for yourself to reflect, do things you enjoy, and release stress you’ve been holding in all week. Life is learning, but life is also more than that so don’t forget to fully live your life!

I love college and learning how to adult. Part of growing up is finding a balance between juggling your work/school and personal life, keeping those connections that matter to you close, and remembering to stop and breathe and take care of yourself by doing those little things that are extremely important for your body to function. These are all things we forget about, so hopefully this checklist will help you remember!

The End of the World: The Onslaught of Finals

By Arabella Chamberlain

It's never too late to save your grades. You can't give up yet. Sounds cliche, but it's true. (Okay, actually, if you try to save your grade minutes before finals, it may not work.) Honestly, you can always do better in a class until the minute you turn in your last final. What I'm trying to say is, want to make that "D-" a "C+" and pass that class? You can, but it ain't gonna be easy.

When facing the dreaded "finals," what's your attack strategy? Do you:

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a. Panic.
b. Attempt to study. Then, panic.
c. Panic. Then, study. Then, panic.
d. Flawlessly ace every exam handed to you.

(If it's the last one, give me a call. I doubt it is though - Not because I lack faith in you, but because I lack faith in the universe.)

Honestly, a lot of us aren't really that stressed, are we?

Maybe you are though. Finals can be a really intense time. Sometimes we can get too caught up in a percentage instead of our understanding. We should be focusing on putting forth our best work possible, even if that's not A+ material right now. Nevertheless, here are some things to do to make finals a little easier:

• Study. Well, duh. You all knew that one. However, when I suggest you "study," I'm not just saying sit down for five minutes and flip through your notes. That isn't going to get you anywhere. Instead, make flash cards, find a study group, practice old problems, catch up on unfinished assignments - it really does make a difference when you actively engage in studying.
• Get a tutor if you need one. (Or even if you don't) Don't be afraid to ask for help. Even if you think you've got it all figured out, it's okay to have someone help check you, just in case you aren't. You don't want to spend a bunch of time studying, only to realize you learned something wrong, do you? It's super easy to get a tutor and they're a great resource while studying. 
• Talk to your professors about concerns. If you're really freaking, don't. Try to pinpoint what's stressing you out and let your professors know. A lot of professors want you to succeed so many are willing to help. Address the issue early on so you can work together to find a good solution. 
• Get a good night's sleep. This should go without saying. Yet, how many all-nighters have I pulled in the past? I know it's hard to sometimes just say I can't study anymore because my health is a priority, but sometimes, that's what you have to do. Don't let that be an excuse not to study, but also, SLEEP. Your brain can only retain so much when you've been chugging 5-hour energy drinks for 48 hours straight. Put down the pencil and turn off the lights.
• Try to eat a little healthier. Avoid all the french fries, potato chips and other snacky foods while bunkering down for finals. You want to be in tip-top shape while taking those last crucial exams and some old candy and chips ain't gonna cut it. Just be a little kinder to your body, maybe even do a little exercise to destress. And don't forget to stay hydrated - It's flu season!
• Make time for you. Check in with yourself. I know this can be a stressful time, but a little self-care goes a long way. Watch an episode of that one show you always watch, kick back and read a book that isn't assigned reading, take a long, hot shower - you and your roommate will thank you! It's just as important to study hard as it is to take it easy. Find a good balance for you and let yourself unwind. Lastly, don't forget...
• "C"s get degrees.   But also, try to remember for next semester that Coe offers four opportunities to change the grading scale to pass/fail after your first semester. Set high standards for yourself always, but it's okay if you don't ace every class. Put forth your best effort and hope for the best. You can do this. You got this.

Ultimately, just remember to take a deep breath. This semester's been a little crazy, a little hectic, but don't let that discourage you. It'll hopefully be better next semester, right? Don't give up. It's not like it's the end of the world.

The Importance of Taking a Break: The Pomodoro Technique

The ratio of study hours for a class is often described as 1:3. For every hour of class, there should be three hours of studying. Do you remember hearing that number and dreading having to focus three whole hours on one subject? How would you be able to do that with all of your classes? The best way to overcome the struggle of ineffective studying is to find a method of studying that works for you. That's where the Pomodoro technique comes in.

The Pomodoro technique encourages fast sprints of productivity with small breaks in between to allow your mind to relax and not get overwhelmed by continuous studying. There are only six steps to the technique and doing one full set will take about an hour and fifteen minutes, broken up into four twenty-five minute blocks with breaks in between.

Here are the six easy steps to use this technique:

1. Pick a task. This may seem like a throwaway but the decision of picking one thing and mentally preparing yourself for it will go a long way in helping you do the rest of the steps.
2. Set a timer for 25 minutes. While there is an official Pomodoro timer you can get feel free to use whatever timer you want. A kitchen timer, hourglass, or even your phone can work!
3. Work on the task. Don't let yourself get interrupted. If you think of something else that you need to do in the middle of your Pomodoro then make a quick note of it and go back to working on the task at hand. You'll thank yourself later for focusing on it so much.
4. Once the timer goes off, give yourself a checkmark! You did it! Commemorate working so hard to get it done! It may not seem like much, but the little things can help make us our happiest.
5. Take a short break. Refill your coffee or drink, meditate, go to the bathroom. Do whatever quick thing you want to do to help clear your mind after focusing for the last quarter of an hour.
6. After every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break on a paper. This break can be around a twenty-half hour. This will allow your brain to have a nice rest after focusing for over an hour on one subject. After the break is done you can go back to another round of Pomodoros! 

You can find out more information on the Pomodoro method here and also find resources that can help you be your most productive self!