Dear CRCers:Â Â
How am I? Busy! And I didn't think I'd be so early in the semester. I spent much of last week and the weekend working with an extracurricular group I'm a part of; additionally, I kind of shopped a lot of classes, and I'm already behind. I'm also working at a new off-campus job, looking for a summer internship or fellowship... I thought that I planned out my semester well, but now I'm not so sure! Â
Signed, What Am I Missing?
Thank goodness the Long Weekend is approaching: a time when we can catch up on sleep and missed assignments, and chip away at making those summer plans.Â
Yes, the shopping period is hectic and stressful in its own way, and many extracurricular groups take advantage of the start of the semester to get their ducks in order before midterms hit. Keep in mind that the semester has an ebb and flow quality to it. Download the 2018-19 Academic Calendar from your ASK portal--find the "Materials" link and find the file under "Resources and Tip Sheets for Students" (or pick up a hard copy from the CRC or 2nd floor of University Hall); this one-page calendar of the weeks of the semester can help you see ahead to your major events and deadlines.
And, maybe you *are* too busy, a state of reality no stranger to Brown students. Jackson Sales '20 introduced us to a method for helping us make choices about how we spend our time:Â Check out this list of values, and consider what your core values are; how do they guide you in making choices about how you spend your time? Did this exercise prompt you to consider making a change in your daily or weekly schedule?
Finally, remember that part of what makes Brown stressful is the 24/7 nature of it, that it can feel like you're always at school, that you're always "on." Consider allocating one afternoon or evening that's your "off" time--no academic work, no "work" work, no meetings to be at, but rather time to see a friend, go to a movie, read a book, go to an event off-campus.
CRCer Soyoon wants to add:Â
As the response mentions, it can be useful to organize our days and plan out our goals with tools like the Academic Calendar. But I also want to stress that it's alright to plan things and go back to reassess them. It's important to meet yourself where you're at, to take things day by day. It's difficult to look ahead and plans change, for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the best we can do for ourselves is to keep these realities in mind, seek out help and resources when we need them, and remember to step back from our work to revisit our core values, our orientations, and the important things (e.g. community, growth, sustainability) that keep us going and that drive us to do our work in the first place.