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If
you find yourself sinking in the sea of a tough school year, swim
to shore by thinking positively!
You
Are What You Think!
By Lynda Kessler
October 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- Sometimes it's hard to have
a positive outlook on school when you're practically failing chem'
class, you sense that your Shakespeare teacher is grading too tough,
and you just can't seem to get the ball rolling in gym class. Don't
count yourself out of the positivity loop. Just repeat this mantra:
"I will have a positive attitude... I can do anything
if I set my mind to it!"
You
may also want to take the advice of a positive-thinking expert.
Pam Najarian, the director of the study center at Merrimack College,
Andover, MA, says that a perturbed student should consider the following
questions before climbing deeper into a negativity pit:
1. How
bad is the situation?
2. Will
this situation matter a year from now?
3. If
it won't, why am I letting it bother me so much now?
With
your answers in mind, do something enjoyable that'll help clear
your mind. Najarian suggests turning to tunes.
"Play
a slow song and think about how you feel. Then play a fast song
that you really enjoy and think about how you feel," Najarian
advises. "Music can help you change how you feel almost instantaneously."
It's
important to feel strong, too. Engage in a healthy lifestyle to
avoid a stressful semester, she adds. That includes getting enough
sleep (eight to 10 hours per night) and maintaining a healthy diet.
Plus,
it doesn't hurt to have some healthy organizational habits when
it comes to your studies. Manage your study time wisely and prioritize
your assignments and other school-related projects. For example,
if a paper is worth 60 percent of your grade and a test is worth
30 percent, focus your efforts first on writing. Then, take a break
and make time for studying.
Keep
time, too! Recording important dates in an organizer is a great
way to stay on track. Pencil in noteworthy dates so you can see
what's ahead of you in black and white. Otherwise, you could end
up with this chaotic schedule: It's your best bud's birthday and
you promised you'd hang out, but your term paper is due tomorrow
at noon and you haven't even started. Plus, you're supposed to meet
with your advisor at 10 a.m. to plan your spring courses. Something
will have to give -- don't let it be your grade!
Now
that you know what to do, turn that frown upside down and get back
to being the happy student you are!
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