9 answers
Kynya
Student
Broussard, Louisiana
1
Question
Updated
605 views
How can I manage stress during times of failure and stagnant progress?
I'm an 18 year old college sophomore majoring in animal science, and I've been really struggling in math based subjects since high school. It seems no matter how hard I study or spend time with my tutors, I barely see any progress and it causes me loads of stress that affects my relationship with my family/friends and a bit of an issue with my other grades, since I'm so focused on improving in mathematics. I want to do better and be better overall.
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9 answers
John Daerr
Consulting
5
Answers
Washington, Washington
Updated
John’s Answer
I think the most important thing to remember is that this is completely NORMAL and you are not alone. Most people struggle with stress throughout their education, and it is simply something that we as humans must learn to deal with and overcome. Especially with subjects like math that can be very challenging and demanding.
It seems like you are taking many of the right steps to overcome this by studying hard and getting help through a tutor. I would also recommend that you approach your professor and have a conversation with them in private about your struggles with the subject. This is a great way to let them know that you are having a difficult time but that you care enough about the class to push forward and not give up. You might even want to consider going to office hours or setting up time privately with the professor as another tutoring session that is more geared toward the class you are taking. In my personal college experience, I never regretted talking with my professors about my difficulties in the class and showing them that I cared enough to improve. Most of the time, they would offer to help me and I would see improvement. Even if they don't offer to help, they may have a teacher assistant (TA) that can support you. Worst case scenario, even if they don't help, now the professor knows that you are struggling with the subject and care deeply about improving so they might be more lenient on your grades.
Reach out to your professors in the subjects you are struggling in and schedule a 30 minute conversation with them. Talk about your struggles with the subject and how you care about learning and really want to improve. Ask if they would be able to review your work or tutor you once a week to get more guidance.
It seems like you are taking many of the right steps to overcome this by studying hard and getting help through a tutor. I would also recommend that you approach your professor and have a conversation with them in private about your struggles with the subject. This is a great way to let them know that you are having a difficult time but that you care enough about the class to push forward and not give up. You might even want to consider going to office hours or setting up time privately with the professor as another tutoring session that is more geared toward the class you are taking. In my personal college experience, I never regretted talking with my professors about my difficulties in the class and showing them that I cared enough to improve. Most of the time, they would offer to help me and I would see improvement. Even if they don't offer to help, they may have a teacher assistant (TA) that can support you. Worst case scenario, even if they don't help, now the professor knows that you are struggling with the subject and care deeply about improving so they might be more lenient on your grades.
John recommends the following next steps:
PwC FMRE
Financial Analyst
1
Answer
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
PwC’s Answer
Hello Kynya,
Congratulations on joining CareerVillage and posting your inaugural question!
It's vital to manage stress effectively during tough times, particularly when faced with academic hurdles. Here are a few strategies to help you:
** Learning Math **
- Set Achievable Targets: Divide your math study into smaller, digestible goals. Celebrate each accomplishment to keep your spirits high.
- Prioritize Quality: Make sure your study sessions are concentrated and productive, even if they're brief.
- Request Feedback: Frequently seek advice from your tutors about your progress and areas to enhance.
** Incorporate Breaks **
- Frequent Breaks: Incorporate regular intervals during your study time to prevent exhaustion. Short strolls or a few moments of mindfulness can rejuvenate you.
- Healthy Habits: Uphold a nutritious diet, exercise consistently, and ensure sufficient sleep to keep your mind alert.
- Time Management: Designate specific times for studying math and other subjects to maintain a balanced study routine.
** Coping with Stress **
- Stress Reduction Techniques: Incorporate stress-alleviating techniques like deep breathing, yoga, or mindfulness meditation.
- Positive Affirmations: Replace pessimistic thoughts with uplifting affirmations. Regularly remind yourself of your capabilities and past triumphs.
- Support Network: Rely on friends, family, or a counselor for support. Discussing your worries can alleviate your emotional burden.
- Leisure Activities: Participate in hobbies or activities you love to provide a mental diversion from studying.
Remember, progress isn't always a straight line, and it's perfectly fine to experience slower growth at times. Treat yourself with kindness and understand that persistence and resilience are as crucial as the grades you earn. 📘✨
Best of luck!
Congratulations on joining CareerVillage and posting your inaugural question!
It's vital to manage stress effectively during tough times, particularly when faced with academic hurdles. Here are a few strategies to help you:
** Learning Math **
- Set Achievable Targets: Divide your math study into smaller, digestible goals. Celebrate each accomplishment to keep your spirits high.
- Prioritize Quality: Make sure your study sessions are concentrated and productive, even if they're brief.
- Request Feedback: Frequently seek advice from your tutors about your progress and areas to enhance.
** Incorporate Breaks **
- Frequent Breaks: Incorporate regular intervals during your study time to prevent exhaustion. Short strolls or a few moments of mindfulness can rejuvenate you.
- Healthy Habits: Uphold a nutritious diet, exercise consistently, and ensure sufficient sleep to keep your mind alert.
- Time Management: Designate specific times for studying math and other subjects to maintain a balanced study routine.
** Coping with Stress **
- Stress Reduction Techniques: Incorporate stress-alleviating techniques like deep breathing, yoga, or mindfulness meditation.
- Positive Affirmations: Replace pessimistic thoughts with uplifting affirmations. Regularly remind yourself of your capabilities and past triumphs.
- Support Network: Rely on friends, family, or a counselor for support. Discussing your worries can alleviate your emotional burden.
- Leisure Activities: Participate in hobbies or activities you love to provide a mental diversion from studying.
Remember, progress isn't always a straight line, and it's perfectly fine to experience slower growth at times. Treat yourself with kindness and understand that persistence and resilience are as crucial as the grades you earn. 📘✨
Best of luck!
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1616
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Chronic stress can keep all of us from feeling and performing your best – mentally, physically and emotionally. No one’s life is completely stress-free, so it's important to know how to manage the stress in our lives.
POSITIVITY
Let’s be honest, we all talk to ourselves and sometimes we talk out loud, but usually we do it in our heads. Self-talk can be positive (“I can do this” or “Everything will be OK”) or negative (“I’ll never get better” or “This is too hard”). Negative self-talk increases stress. Positive self-talk can help us calm down and manage stress. With practice, you can learn to shift negative thoughts to positive ones. For example:
CHANGE A NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE
• Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,”
say, “I’ll do the best I can. I’ve got this.”
• Instead of saying, “I hate it when this happens,” say, “I know how to deal with this – I’ve done it before.”
• Instead of saying, “I feel helpless and alone,” say, “I can reach out and get help if I need it.”
• Instead of saying, “I can’t believe I screwed up,” say, “I’m human, and we all make mistakes. I can fix it.”
TALK IT OUT
Sometimes, all it takes to improve your stress levels is a friendly ear who will listen to you. Talking through your problems has been shown to reduce stress levels and improve overall health. While professional therapy is a great option, talk to your family, they often have dealt with stress before and can help you work through your stress problems.
PROFESSIONAL HELP
As mentioned before, stress is a very normal part of life. There are some cases where it is manageable and others where it feels too overwhelming. When is the right time to reach out for help from a professional. You can talk with one of your counselors at school on finding solutions, implementing new coping strategies, and getting back to feeling like yourself again. Stress management is key to leading a healthy and fulfilling life. While stress is very normal, you don’t have to live with the anxiety and fear that can come with excess or chronic stress. Work with a professional to get yourself back on track and build the life that feels best for you.
POSITIVITY
Let’s be honest, we all talk to ourselves and sometimes we talk out loud, but usually we do it in our heads. Self-talk can be positive (“I can do this” or “Everything will be OK”) or negative (“I’ll never get better” or “This is too hard”). Negative self-talk increases stress. Positive self-talk can help us calm down and manage stress. With practice, you can learn to shift negative thoughts to positive ones. For example:
CHANGE A NEGATIVE TO POSITIVE
• Instead of saying, “I can’t do this,”
say, “I’ll do the best I can. I’ve got this.”
• Instead of saying, “I hate it when this happens,” say, “I know how to deal with this – I’ve done it before.”
• Instead of saying, “I feel helpless and alone,” say, “I can reach out and get help if I need it.”
• Instead of saying, “I can’t believe I screwed up,” say, “I’m human, and we all make mistakes. I can fix it.”
TALK IT OUT
Sometimes, all it takes to improve your stress levels is a friendly ear who will listen to you. Talking through your problems has been shown to reduce stress levels and improve overall health. While professional therapy is a great option, talk to your family, they often have dealt with stress before and can help you work through your stress problems.
PROFESSIONAL HELP
As mentioned before, stress is a very normal part of life. There are some cases where it is manageable and others where it feels too overwhelming. When is the right time to reach out for help from a professional. You can talk with one of your counselors at school on finding solutions, implementing new coping strategies, and getting back to feeling like yourself again. Stress management is key to leading a healthy and fulfilling life. While stress is very normal, you don’t have to live with the anxiety and fear that can come with excess or chronic stress. Work with a professional to get yourself back on track and build the life that feels best for you.
Rommeka James
Service Process Coordinator
2
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Rommeka’s Answer
Hello Kynya, remember that every stride you make towards expanding your knowledge and personal growth counts as progress, regardless of its size. Even your setbacks are nothing but stepping stones leading you towards success! Life's experiences are valuable lessons, and as long as you persistently march forward, victory will be yours.
Math can indeed be challenging, but rest assured, you're not alone in this journey. Utilize the resources available to you. Perhaps you have a friend who has already aced the class or is performing exceptionally well - don't hesitate to ask them for help. Seek guidance from your teacher, request a personalized lesson plan or explore online resources. I hope these suggestions prove beneficial! Keep propelling yourself forward!
Math can indeed be challenging, but rest assured, you're not alone in this journey. Utilize the resources available to you. Perhaps you have a friend who has already aced the class or is performing exceptionally well - don't hesitate to ask them for help. Seek guidance from your teacher, request a personalized lesson plan or explore online resources. I hope these suggestions prove beneficial! Keep propelling yourself forward!
Tiffany
Student
Writer & Instructor
Highland, California
0
Questions
Updated
Tiffany’s Answer
To begin with, let's talk about mathematics. It's not everyone's cup of tea, and I'm no exception. There were two things that really got me through college: sticking to deadlines and practicing yoga. Once a deadline had passed, there was no going back. If I failed to meet a deadline, I'd miss dinner. My dinner was scheduled for 10:00 P.M., bedtime was at 2:00 A.M., and I'd wake up feeling exhausted the next morning. Setting a personal deadline, no matter what, proved to be beneficial. It's essential to remember to take care of yourself. If you're struggling with math, it's better to stop on time rather than striving for perfection.
When it comes to math, which I must reiterate is not my favorite, I enrolled in a class that met daily.
When it comes to math, which I must reiterate is not my favorite, I enrolled in a class that met daily.
Robert Epstein
General Manager
85
Answers
Naples, Florida
Updated
Robert’s Answer
Hi Kynya,
Stress and failure: I’ve been there too. But stress led me to become skilled in stress management (try Mindfulness or Mantra-based meditation practices). One of my early small businesses failed too, leaving me with debts that took years to pay off. But I persevered with new career options, and that led to success. I suspect there are other underlying issues that are troubling you. Perhaps talking with someone—a career counselor or other?—might help. My sophomore struggles in college with biochemistry caused me to concentrate instead on electrical engineering. Maybe your math challenges are telling you to seriously consider other majors? Although you need to maintain your own happiness and integrity, do hang on to those kindred friends/relatives who truly care about you. Be well, choose “positive” and remember there are many, many paths to a fulfilling life!
Stress and failure: I’ve been there too. But stress led me to become skilled in stress management (try Mindfulness or Mantra-based meditation practices). One of my early small businesses failed too, leaving me with debts that took years to pay off. But I persevered with new career options, and that led to success. I suspect there are other underlying issues that are troubling you. Perhaps talking with someone—a career counselor or other?—might help. My sophomore struggles in college with biochemistry caused me to concentrate instead on electrical engineering. Maybe your math challenges are telling you to seriously consider other majors? Although you need to maintain your own happiness and integrity, do hang on to those kindred friends/relatives who truly care about you. Be well, choose “positive” and remember there are many, many paths to a fulfilling life!
Liza Ampong
2
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Liza’s Answer
Hi Kynya! There are a lot of ways to deal with stress and failure as some people have stated earlier. I will focus more on the stress management portion of your question. I think it is important to find activities and hobbies outside of your job or school or whatever is stressing you out that you enjoy. It is crucial to be able to give your brain a break because that will help you to recharge and have more energy to tackle whatever problems you have to face. It does not have to be something big. For me, I really enjoy dancing, so on the weekends, I try to make time to take dance classes to relieve stress. However, that is not always possible. So, if I am at school and I am anxious, I will go outside and take a walk around campus for about 30 minutes. By allowing my brain to have that 30-minute break to think about nothing, I feel refreshed later when I have to go back to class. The strategy is to have many strategies to relax so you can practice them throughout the week. Hope this is helpful!
Akeira Warner
Dentist
8
Answers
Mankato, Minnesota
Updated
Akeira’s Answer
Hey Kynya!
Great question! I understand how stressful and overwhelming academic challenges can be, especially in subjects like math. First, it’s important to acknowledge that struggling in a particular area doesn’t define your overall capabilities or potential. To manage stress during times of failure and stagnant progress, try to adopt a balanced approach. Ensure you are taking regular breaks to recharge and avoid burnout. Incorporate stress-relieving activities such as exercise, meditation, or hobbies you enjoy into your daily routine. Make sure you feel your emotions, don't bottle them in.
It’s also crucial to communicate your feelings with your family and friends, as their support can provide a valuable emotional boost. Don’t hesitate to seek help from academic counselors who can offer tailored strategies for improving in your difficult subjects.
Lastly, remember that progress can be slow and incremental. Celebrate small victories and stay patient with yourself. Balancing your focus on other subjects can help prevent your struggle in math from negatively impacting your overall academic performance. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle and seeking support, you can manage stress more effectively and continue to work towards your academic goals.
Great question! I understand how stressful and overwhelming academic challenges can be, especially in subjects like math. First, it’s important to acknowledge that struggling in a particular area doesn’t define your overall capabilities or potential. To manage stress during times of failure and stagnant progress, try to adopt a balanced approach. Ensure you are taking regular breaks to recharge and avoid burnout. Incorporate stress-relieving activities such as exercise, meditation, or hobbies you enjoy into your daily routine. Make sure you feel your emotions, don't bottle them in.
It’s also crucial to communicate your feelings with your family and friends, as their support can provide a valuable emotional boost. Don’t hesitate to seek help from academic counselors who can offer tailored strategies for improving in your difficult subjects.
Lastly, remember that progress can be slow and incremental. Celebrate small victories and stay patient with yourself. Balancing your focus on other subjects can help prevent your struggle in math from negatively impacting your overall academic performance. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle and seeking support, you can manage stress more effectively and continue to work towards your academic goals.
Emma Kinkaid
Tax Consultant
34
Answers
Columbus, Ohio
Updated
Emma’s Answer
Remember, it's perfectly normal and completely okay to feel the way you do. There's many strategies we can use to combat stress and lift our spirits, even if just for a little while. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to hit pause on your studies and take a breather. This allows you to return to your work with a clear mind and a fresh perspective. Your break could be anything - a stroll in the park, quality time with loved ones, or doing a hobby you love.
When stress starts to creep in, deep breathing can be powerful. It can soothe your nervous system and bring a sense of calm. It's also essential to look after your physical health - getting enough sleep, hydrating, and eating nutritious food. These simple daily habits can significantly boost your overall wellbeing and positively influence your mood.
Staying positive during stressful times can be challenging, but it's worth the effort. Remember, there's plenty of resources available to help you manage stress and support your studies. I hope you find these suggestions useful. Best of luck!
When stress starts to creep in, deep breathing can be powerful. It can soothe your nervous system and bring a sense of calm. It's also essential to look after your physical health - getting enough sleep, hydrating, and eating nutritious food. These simple daily habits can significantly boost your overall wellbeing and positively influence your mood.
Staying positive during stressful times can be challenging, but it's worth the effort. Remember, there's plenty of resources available to help you manage stress and support your studies. I hope you find these suggestions useful. Best of luck!