Stressmanagement

Stress is a huge part of college. Keeping stress levels low can be very difficult. For me, I feel most stressed when I leave my work to last minute. When I have an exam, I try to begin planning at least a week before. If I try to study the night or two before the exam, I don't know any of the information with not nearly enough time to learn it all. Not being fully prepared causes me so much stress. Being stressed effects my whole life. When I'm stressed I can't eat or less or focus at all. I used the Stress-Ometer to work out my weekly stress. I found that my my stressful days are Tuesdays and Thursdays, when my I have the most classes, Monday and Wednesday are a little less stressful because I only have 1 class those days, and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the least stressful. This would be a great strategy to use at the beginning of the semester, so I can make a schedule of which days are my homework days. This way I can spread my work out and not feel overwhelmed by homework on certain days. I can spread my work out and get all my work done on the days that are least stressful. Had I made this at the beginning of the semester, I could have made a schedule to get all my homework done on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, when I only have one or two classes. For next semester, I definitely plan on using the Stress-Ometer next semester, with my new schedule.

Using my planner, and making priority lists can also be a great way for me to avoid leaving my work to the last minute. I made a list of things for each class that I still have to do from now to the end of the semester. I printed out two copies and put them in places I would where I would always see them, and constantly be reminded of what I have to do. I posted one on my bulletin board next to my bed, and the other in my planner.  This way, I could check them off when I finish them, and not leave any of the assignments to the last minute. 

Overall, I found that making a list of priorities to be the most effect way for me to avoid stress. I helps me avoid forgetting my assignments and from leaving assignments to the last minute. For the future, I will definitely use this strategy. It's rewarding for me to check the assignments off after I did them in advanced, rather than worrying about getting it done the night before its due!

Stressmanagement

Stress is a huge part of college. Keeping stress levels low can be very difficult. For me, I feel most stressed when I leave my work to last minute. When I have an exam, I try to begin planning at least a week before. If I try to study the night or two before the exam, I don't know any of the information with not nearly enough time to learn it all. Not being fully prepared causes me so much stress. Being stressed effects my whole life. When I'm stressed I can't eat or less or focus at all. I used the Stress-Ometer to work out my weekly stress. I found that my my stressful days are Tuesdays and Thursdays, when my I have the most classes, Monday and Wednesday are a little less stressful because I only have 1 class those days, and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are the least stressful. This would be a great strategy to use at the beginning of the semester, so I can make a schedule of which days are my homework days. This way I can spread my work out and not feel overwhelmed by homework on certain days. I can spread my work out and get all my work done on the days that are least stressful. Had I made this at the beginning of the semester, I could have made a schedule to get all my homework done on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, when I only have one or two classes. For next semester, I definitely plan on using the Stress-Ometer next semester, with my new schedule.

Using my planner, and making priority lists can also be a great way for me to avoid leaving my work to the last minute. I made a list of things for each class that I still have to do from now to the end of the semester. I printed out two copies and put them in places I would where I would always see them, and constantly be reminded of what I have to do. I posted one on my bulletin board next to my bed, and the other in my planner.  This way, I could check them off when I finish them, and not leave any of the assignments to the last minute. 

Overall, I found that making a list of priorities to be the most effect way for me to avoid stress. I helps me avoid forgetting my assignments and from leaving assignments to the last minute. For the future, I will definitely use this strategy. It's rewarding for me to check the assignments off after I did them in advanced, rather than worrying about getting it done the night before its due!

Stress Management

I complain about being stressed very often because I am not accustomed to being in college yet. I have to learn how to adjust myself and my time so that I can complete assignments in a reasonable time. This week, I used the 10-minute Vacation strategy in all my courses to try and get away from doing my Physics homework. This strategy did not help me much because I would tend to go over the allotted 10 minutes because something interesting would catch my attention and I would lose track of time. I could not force myself to get away from Facebook at all.

In addition to the 10-minute Vacation, I tried the A Day at A Time strategy to help myself realize what things stress me out the most in a days worth of tasks. Then, I would cross off the tasks that I have gotten out of the way so I can then see how much free-time I can allow myself to have in order to release stress. This strategy is effective for all my classes because I got to see the visual of tasks I need done.

Dealing With Stress

Stress is something that can really bring your grades down. When I get stressed out about work it usually leads to me accomplishing no work. When being stressed there are many different things one can due to try to lower their stress level. One strategy that really has worked for me is five-minute escape. Personally, five-minute escape has really worked for me. I really enjoy movies and trivia games(sporcle) so when i get stressed out, I like to watch a movie trailer or do a sporcle. Doing this five minute activity has really made me fell less stressful.

Another strategy that has been helping me is a day at a time. I am really bad at remembering things and causes me to wait til the last minute. Writing a list of everything that stresses me out before I go to sleep has really been helping me remember them and even more important, finishing the assignment.

Motivation JM- With Pictures

I am often very bad at motivating myself to do my work. I am most stressed when I procrastinate and leave my work to the last minute before its due. Because I'm so easily distracted by my friend, the t.v and many other things, I often end up putting my work off. I try to give myself rewards for doing my work before the night before it's due. Tonight for example, I completed my EDU readings and reading responses. An assignment I dread every week. This is the first time I've ever done it in advance. I rewarded myself by going to insomnia and getting my favorite cookies, oatmeal raisin. I don't usually go out for treats or snacks at night, but I felt that could be great motivator for me to get my work finished, which it was.
Another weekly assignment I have that I dread are the CLS Tech Assignments. Every week, I'm so tempted to not do it, because I always leave the assignment til 8pm on Sunday, before it is due at midnight. This week, because I am so tired from a long weekend, and from doing all my EDU assignments, I had to use the Weighing the Consequences chart to really see how important it was for me to do the assignment. I of course saw that the consequences of not doing the assignment wasn't worth it for me. I would get a 0 out of 8, which though it doesn't seem like it, could really hurt my grade, since I've already missed one tech assignment. I decided the best plan of action for me would be to do the tech assignments before the weekend, and not leave it until Sunday, when I want to do it the least. For the next tech assignment, I am going to do it at least 3 days before it is due.
I also used the Putting It All Together strategy for motivation. I am a visual learner and like to write things down so actually seeing the reasons for motivation written down is a good way to get myself to do work. Writing down the motivation also shows me the consequences of not doing something. For example, I say my motivation for attending class was that I get good notes to study from for the exams. When I study, I always have a hard time using a textbook. Taking good notes in class is really important for me when I'm studying.
I found giving myself rewards to be the most effective way to get work done in advance. It is a strategy that could work for anything. Watching my television shows, hanging out with my friends, or going out for ice cream. If I do my work and deserve a reward for it, I don't feel guilty for doing these things, with my work hanging over my head. I can really enjoy all my 'rewards!'

Motivation JM

I am often very bad at motivating myself to do my work. I am most stressed when I procrastinate and leave my work to the last minute before its due. Because I'm so easily distracted by my friend, the t.v and many other things, I often end up putting my work off. I try to give myself rewards for doing my work before the night before it's due. Tonight for example, I completed my EDU readings and reading responses. An assignment I dread every week. This is the first time I've ever done it in advance. I rewarded myself by going to insomnia and getting my favorite cookies, oatmeal raisin. I don't usually go out for treats or snacks at night, but I felt that could be great motivator for me to get my work finished, which it was.
Another weekly assignment I have that I dread are the CLS Tech Assignments. Every week, I'm so tempted to not do it, because I always leave the assignment til 8pm on Sunday, before it is due at midnight. This week, because I am so tired from a long weekend, and from doing all my EDU assignments, I had to use the Weighing the Consequences chart to really see how important it was for me to do the assignment. I of course saw that the consequences of not doing the assignment wasn't worth it for me. I would get a 0 out of 8, which though it doesn't seem like it, could really hurt my grade, since I've already missed one tech assignment. I decided the best plan of action for me would be to do the tech assignments before the weekend, and not leave it until Sunday, when I want to do it the least. For the next tech assignment, I am going to do it at least 3 days before it is due.
I also used the Putting It All Together strategy for motivation. I am a visual learner and like to write things down so actually seeing the reasons for motivation written down is a good way to get myself to do work. Writing down the motivation also shows me the consequences of not doing something. For example, I say my motivation for attending class was that I get good notes to study from for the exams. When I study, I always have a hard time using a textbook. Taking good notes in class is really important for me when I'm studying.
I found giving myself rewards to be the most effective way to get work done in advance. It is a strategy that could work for anything. Watching my television shows, hanging out with my friends, or going out for ice cream. If I do my work and deserve a reward for it, I don't feel guilty for doing these things, with my work hanging over my head. I can really enjoy all my 'rewards!'

Motivation Strategies

I am easily motivated by things and people. This week, I decided to use the motivation strategy Academic Fears because it allows me to notice what I am afraid of happening, but also what I can do to fix it. I used this strategy for all my classes in general because I need motivation to do anything. I identified my fear, provided what would be the best and worst outcomes, and finally proposed to myself some actions that neededto take place in order to avoid these fears.

The other strategy I used that was also helpful for all my classes was the Motivation Questionnaire.

As I was checking off yes or no in the boxes, I realized what really motivated me, and what I really didn't care for.I also was able to see how much people or things (External motivators) motivate me as opposed to how much I motivate myself (Internal motivators). I used the Questionnaire strategy together with the Exploring Rewardsstrategy because I was able to see which rewards were more meaningful than others, as well as the price I have to pay to do well.

When I decided to go over seas to study I knew that I need a high motivation to keep me work hard and achieve my goals. There are several people who had a grate impact on me and they are one of the reasons why I agreed to study abroad.

My father is the fist person who motivates me to do so, he is expecting a lot of me and I know I should do my best because I do not want to disappoint him. Some times he compares me to my brother who, graduated from Whitman the school of management. The way my father compares us the way he do it, I know that he wants me to be better than all my siblings. Therefore, I do not want to let him down and I am trying my best not to fail a class or get a grade that might affect my GPA.



The second person that motivates me is his Royal Highness prince Turki bin Faisal al Saud. When I meet him on Wednesday Nov8, 2010 he told me that I present the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and I should be presenting my country as best I can. We talked about the classes I am taking and he advised me and gave me some tips that would help me in my career and my college life. The main focus was to get better grades and get involved with any activities the school is doing.





When two of the most people I respect in my family expect a lot of me that would give me a lot of pressure. However, I know that I should not let that affect me and do what they want me to do or even more to show them that I can be better that the people or my spellings which, they like to compare me with them.

Motivation

Getting motivated for class is something can be difficult for some. For me, it is very difficult. I much rather be with my friends watching TV or playing video games. The reason that i don't do that all day and I do go to class is because I am motivated. My motivation comes from many different things. Originally, I thought that motivation can only come from oneself. After reading chapter 14 in Dr.B's book, I learned that there are many different ways for me to get motivated to get work done. After completing the external and internal chart, I realized that although I am motivated through my parents, I also motivate myself. Another useful tool I used was exploring rewards. Using this tool really showed me that by the amount of work I do is the size of the reward I receive. This toll has been very helpful because I am finding that I am managing my time much more then I used to.

Procrastinating

I consider myself a expert procrastinator. That is pretty clear to see considering I am doing an assignment right now that is due in 20 minutes. This is a problem that I have been suffering from ever since middle school. I know that i have a lot of work but i will just keep putting it off. It is a problem that I have tried to break for years. I believe that ever since taking CLS 105, this problem has become less of an issue. I have tried many new strategies and the have been helping me beat this problem.

My favorite strategy that I have been using is admitting the consequences. This strategy has been very fitting for me. I spent some time in the library thinking about an average day for me. I wrote down all the tasks I do throughout the day. I then looked at this schedule and realized how much time I spend doing enjoyable activities rather then doing work.

After understanding how i was spending my time, I knew I needed a change. I made a rule for myself that I could not spend any time with my friends, watching tv, etc. until all my work and studies were finished. Ever since starting this strategy, I realize that I can can spend time balancing my work with my time for myself. I plan on using this strategy for the rest of my life.

Procrastinating -JM

Procrastination has always been a huge issue for me. I truly am the biggest procrastinator I've ever met. All of the distractions in college make it even harder to avoid procrastinating all of my assignments until the very last minute. I will do just about anything to avoid my work. I always get distracted by my phone, the t.v, my friends, and my messy room. I found that a good way to avoid procrastinating and putting things off to the last minute is to plan ahead. I started using the monthly calendar in my planner, to write down important dates to remember for when things are due. The calendar has the due dates, and the daily planner has a specific amount of work for that assignment. The daily planner is a good way to spread out the work I have for the assignment so I don't leave it to last minute. I know my best focus lasts about an hour so I spread out the daily work based on that. I have a project in my COU 101 class due this Monday, where I have to make a job portfolio and give a presentation on it. In the assignment description, there 5 are bullet points of what to include in the assignment. I started working on the project 6 days before it was due and did one of the bullets everyday. Then when I was finished with the bullets, I prepared my presentation. I found this to be a much more productive way to use my planner and avoid procrastinating. It also helped me to give myself little rewards for doing the daily work on time, rather than putting it off. I mostly reward myself with relaxation time, where I can just watch t.v or hang out with my friends. It was helpful for me to tell myself that I couldn't watch a show until I finished my daily assignment. It gave me more incentive to get it done. I also used the Target Planner. I have a big exam coming up in my HST class, which I need to know a lot of information for. In the Target Planner, I made 7 circles, each circle representing a specific date. I made 7 because I wanted to start studying one week before my exam, the middle target is the day of the test. In each circle, I wrote a daily plan for how to prepare myself for the exam. I wrote down the pages in the text book and the dates of notes I needed to study. Though it was a good way to schedule my preparation for the exam, I feel using the monthly and daily calendar was more effective for me. I am always writing things in my planner so I'm constantly reminded of what I need to do for that specific day. With the target planner, its on my desk, so I'm only reminded of what I need to do to prepare for the exam when I'm at my desk, which isn't often. I probably won't use the target planner again, but I definitely plan to keep up with my daily and monthly planner for future exams and projects.  

Procrastination Strategies

It is almost the end of the semester, and the mistake that most students make is to relax before Thanksgiving break. The week before Thanksgiving break should be the week that everyone is completing assignments that are due for the week after break, instead of hustling to complete assignments during the time off. I know that I have problems completing my PHY 101 homework every single week, so I have used the strategy Chunking the Task to help me manage my assignments better. I would split up my assignment into reading/starting the questions that I do understand, and then the next day I would go to the Physics clinic to get help with the questions I struggled with. This way, I know exactly what I am going to the clinic for and I can go in and get out quickly. This strategy has been effective because I am no longer stressed by attempting to do my homework in one sitting.

The other strategies that I used hand in hand were the Rewards and Schedule a Day at a Time.

Using the Schedule a Day at a Time strategy allows me to realize everything I have to do for that day, and when I cross off what I have completed it makes me feel accomplished. I also like this strategy because I have made a mental note to myself that if I complete all of my tasks for at least five out of the seven days in one week, I can Reward myself. I recently got a VISA debit card from my bank, and I am obsessed with purchasing things online now. Therefore, I will know that I am not buying things in vain, but rather for the purpose of rewarding myself. I use both of these strategies for all my classes because I get to see whenever I have ANY type of assignment to do.

Procrastination.

When it comes to procrastination, I consider my self as professional. I will try my best not do to what I am supposed to do or leave it for the last moment. For example, when I have to write a paper I would not do it until the last moment, which some times makes my grade lower.

I used the 24-Hour Rule strategy to help me finish my paper before the real due day. This way I will have more time to review it by my friends or my self. This strategy helped me in my last week journal in my CLS 105 class I did not have enough time to do it, so I set a final day and tried to finish it before that time. It helps me to have it done before the due day with enough time to review or have some changed done.

This was a helpful strategy and it helped me to manage my time by setting a final due day, which allow me to have more time to makes changes if needed.