By: Bonne Leung It’s getting to the point of the year where all of us are just trudging through the days, Christmas break stubbornly out of reach as we’re bombarded by assignment after assignment by teachers who don’t seem to understand that there aren’t enough hours in a day to finish all that they ask of us. So we all do what we can sacrifice a few minutes a day to catch up with friends, watch an episode of a TV show, and then mechanically carry out homework tasks and chores. Sometimes, we don’t even finish the work we intended because we just lack the energy to, and we fall into bed, sometimes at midnight, sometimes later, and savor the delicious warmth and calming dark draped over us until the alarm rings and we repeat the same all over again. Needless to say, the toll of this perfunctory life — if you can call this living at all — is affecting our mental health. Since the beginning of lockdown and the implementation of quarantine protocols, there has been a significant rise in the rate of stress and anxiety. That’s not to say that the ongoing pandemic is the only culprit in our deteriorating sense of normalcy and mental health. A survey conducted by the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development that involved 72 countries and over 540,000 students between the ages of 15-16 reported that 66% of students reported feeling stressed about poor grades and 59% reported that they often worry that taking a test will be difficult. Research also shows that stress precipitates the development of other mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, with the prevalence of anxiety being as high as 35% and depression at 30% in students. Now imagine how high those figures could become with the stress of some of us finishing our final year of high school online or some of us having to adjust to a new environment. So what do you do about it? Some people get so stressed they work fanatically until they can finally relax, or if you’re anything like me, you just lament the time slipping through your fingers but do nothing to stop it. In truth, I think we all just need to hit pause. Not by spending an hour on a gaming console or scrolling through TikTok, but truly stop. Let your mind rest, take some time away from your technology. I’m not going to recommend you read a book because even that is too much at times, so here are some things you could do (some of them scientific, others not so much) to reset, and hopefully, after all of this, you will feel good enough to actually do all those tasks that are needed to be completed. 1. Poke at some Play-Doh. Not the most conventional way to relieve stress, I know, but if you have younger siblings (or if you still have a container or two from your glory days) you could just sit down and play with some Doh. Part of the reason why this is such an effective way to reduce stress has to do with psychological studies on nostalgia where the research suggests it’s an effective way to boost mental well-being and reduce stress. Maybe you recall how much you loved the way your Play-Doh creations could be felled by one squish or find even that peculiar smell that didn’t smell like anything in particular trigger feelings of nostalgia. Nostalgia can increase an individual’s self-esteem as well as their sense of belonging, so take a moment and relive the past. If not with Play-Doh, you can do it with anything else that you might have enjoyed as a child even if it feels silly doing so. 2. Talk to yourself. This one is definitely weird, and not very scientific, but it does work. I utilize positive self-talk very often, even when I’m not alone. While it may feel strange at first, it helps to develop a healthier outlook on your situation. The way we talk to ourselves matters, even when it is not out loud. Everyone has an inner dialogue, and it doesn’t help your stress if it’s constantly hissing that you don’t have time or you’re not going to finish the task on time. Instead, you could talk to yourself out loud, talk through the tasks that you have to do, how you’re going to do them. You could even give yourself encouragement. If you don’t want to say it out loud that’s fine too: just find a quiet place to sit or lie down and think it through in your head. Just be careful to avoid any negative thoughts that could lead to any feelings of doubt or worthlessness. I would recommend you say them out loud because it’s easier to think badly of yourself than it is to say them out loud. 3. Create a to-do list. It might seem obvious but it’s amazing how many people’s to-do lists are miles long. When you make to-do lists, make sure they have all the information you need: a brief statement about what it is that you need to do (for schoolwork, you could format it with the subject at the beginning and then the task and due date eg. English — finish analysis for Macbeth, next Tuesday) and the deadline too. When they’re organized like this, you can go through them according to the due date, so it’s not one neverending list of tasks to do with a doomsday you don’t know about. They also help to relieve stress because you don’t have the added worry that you’re going to forget something, and it’s also helpful when you have those in-between moments maybe between a class where you have some time to get things done. You simply need to glance at your list to decide on a course of action. Also, I don’t know if it’s just me but ticking things off my checklist makes me feel infinitely better about myself, so a lot of the times my motivation to do things is simply knowing that doing them would mean ticking something off my list and subsequently watching it grow smaller. 4. Cuddle. No, not all of us have a beau to cuddle with, but a lot of us do have pets. Cuddling with something you love is known to release a chemical known as oxytocin, which provokes a release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that improves mood. If you have a significant other or a family member nearby that you could get a hug from, even a brief hug can increase levels of dopamine and serotonin, do it. Just ask for one. Or if not, you could have a cuddle with your pet. Research has shown that owning a cat or dog can help to reduce stress, but if your pet has to stay within the confines of an aquarium or a terrarium, simply spending time taking care of it can help to boost your mood. Maybe clean out your fish’s tank or watch your lizard bask in the warmth of his heating lamp, or have a singing contest with your parrot— any time spent with something you love can help to reduce your stress. 5. Become a sailor. Not literally, but also kind of literally. Science has proven that swearing can help to improve your mood. This is more for times where you’re frustrated with pent up emotion and need an outlet to empty your feelings. Just swear. Channel your inner pirate and string together the most vulgar sentence you can think of. No examples will be given in this article but I’m sure you have an idea or two already. Just make sure you’re alone or with someone that understands your intentions because it could get awkward real quick. As ridiculous as it sounds, swearing has proven to increase pain tolerance. In 2009, a study done at Keele University where participants had to keep their hands in ice-cold water found that participants who repeated a swear word over and over again could leave their hands in the water longer than those who didn’t. So close the door, maybe put on some music, and swear away.
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By: Kirti Moteka Being a student can be time-consuming, you have homework, assessments, extracurriculars, classes, and so much more! Attempting to reduce your carbon footprint between all this can be difficult, so here are some easy ways that students should consider towards saving our planet: - Composting: Creating your soil may not seem like a very fun task, but it is a necessary one. There are two main ways of composting, commercial or backyard, that you can choose from. Commercial composting is collecting scraps and depositing them in a local community compost. Backyard composting consists of using your food scraps to create soil in your backyard and may involve adding worms for certain types of food. Composting reduces emissions of greenhouse gases and therefore works to reduce methane emissions in the environment - furthermore, food scraps often end up in the waste, so composting is an easy way to recycle those scraps into nutrient-rich soil for your very own garden. - Avoid driving: This is one of the easiest ways to reduce your carbon footprint and your spending. Especially this year, avoid unnecessary driving trips and try to stay home. If safe, try to carpool, especially for longer journeys. Try to walk or bike to your destination if you have some extra time on your hands and would like some physical exercise. As of 2017, the carbon emissions from transportation exceeded the carbon emissions from electricity, according to the New York Times. This is because many newer electricity procedures use renewable resources, while nonrenewable resources are still the primary type of fuel for cars. During this pandemic year, take the opportunity to avoid flying and driving if you can. - Try Meatless Mondays: Cut down your meat intake! If going vegan is too much of a stretch for you (although, cutting off dairy is known to improve acne problems, which may help during teenage years), try becoming vegetarian or pescetarian. The key is to reduce red meat (which is unhealthier for you too) because red meat production requires tons of energy. It has been noticed that vegetarians have nearly half of the carbon footprints of meat-eaters - even if you don’t want to cut off meat permanently, try avoiding meat once a week. - Donate or sell your clothes: This is not only a way for you to reduce your carbon footprint, but also a super-easy way to recycle old material! If you choose to donate your clothes, you are helping out someone in need. If you choose to sell your clothes, you can earn some extra pocket money! Regardless of which route you choose, by giving away your old clothes, you are helping reduce the production of new clothing. - Avoid fast fashion: You can do this by searching for sustainably sourced clothing or by thrifting! The fashion industry is the second largest contributor to pollution and is especially destructive with fast fashion - clothing that is mass-produced rapidly. Therefore, try to avoid this kind of fashion by reusing or repurposing your outfits, thrifting, or researching sustainable clothing brands (if you don’t want to wear secondhand clothing). Plus - as a student - thrifting is an easy way to save some extra money yet have a stylish wardrobe. These are five easy ways that students can reduce their carbon footprint easily from the comfort of their home! Climate change is now more important than ever, so let's all do our part to make the world a much cleaner and healthier place. Sources: ● https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showdocument?id=198 ● https://austintexas.gov/blog/top-10-ways-reduce-your-carbon-footprint-and-save-money ● https://www.nytimes.com/guides/year-of-living-better/how-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprin t ● https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/5-ways-to-reduce-your-carbon-footprint/ By: Kayla Pinkerman There are many reasons to exercise; maybe you want to lose weight, improve your strength or endurance, or you might just want to stay active. Whatever your reason is, there are some serious benefits that come out of making exercise a part of your schedule. When you’re walking, you may not realize you are actually not only helping your body, but your mind as well. Walking, particularly outside, is a natural aid for depression and PTSD. That doesn’t mean if you walk to the mailbox and back into the house you are suddenly healed of all mental illnesses. Regular exercise has been found to have a positive impact on mental health. Exercise is also a good anti-anxiety treatment. It can relieve stress and boost physical and mental well-being through the release of endorphins. You don’t have to do any particular exercise, just anything that will get you up and out of the hazy state. Try to focus on your movements. If you decide to go for a walk, try counting your steps. If you’re doing an at-home workout, focus on your breathing as you do the movements. If you find that you’re struggling with depression or anxiety on a particular day and you don’t feel like you can exercise, here are some tips.
By: Perri Schwartz Our mental health affects us at all times, even when we are feeling ok. What we see on social media is not real life, and when we’re constantly changing our looks to make us look “cool and pretty”, it actually makes our image look bad. When you’re on your own for the first time, it can be really stressful to manage deadlines and priorities, as well as your overall image. Mia Pearce is a college freshman from Maryland who is working to change the norms of how mental health is stigmatized and how we should properly normalize it in her blog, Life Beyond The Box. I decided to interview Mia Pearce because she is an alumna of my youth group who is highlighting a really important issue that deserves proper attention and should not be stigmatized. Tell me about you: “I am a freshman at the University of Maryland and I graduated from the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, Maryland. I was really into BBYO (a Jewish youth group) in high school. I also co-founded and was president of my school’s mental health awareness club, and was co-captain of my school’s varsity dance team. That’s kind of my biggest outlet for me, aside from writing.” Tell me about your blog, Life Beyond The Box: “Well, primarily it’s an outlet for me. I love writing, and I have never been able to hold myself accountable to keeping a consistent journal, and I found that sometimes I’ll be talking to a friend about something that was going on in my life and would be like “Oh my G-d, I relate to that so much and what you’re saying about it and how you come to think about it.” really helped me see it in a different light. I was like “Huh?”, maybe people give a crap about some of my own experiences. — I hate to sound cocky, but I know that I have an act for writing, and have just been really good about putting my own voice into writing. And so, I was like “You know what? If I do it, no one cares, no one sees it. You know what? It’s an outlet for me, it’s a space for me, and if by some chance, someone else enjoys looking at it or finding it, then even better.” When did you want to start this blog and why? “I actually never had any intention of starting a blog. I was in love with Tulane University when I was applying to schools. I was not intending on going to college after high school — I was planning on enlisting in the mental health division of the medical corps of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). I have a lot of family in Israel, I have a connection to the country, it was what I wanted to do. I was also raised Jewish. My parents were unopposed, but for their sake and sanity, we need you to at least do the college admissions process, just in case as a back up plan. So we did all the usual touring campuses, looking at schools, making a list, whatever. I had looked at most of my schools, and I was like “I see why people want to go to college, but it’s not for me. Why do I need another 4 years of sitting in a classroom and partying?” That was until I saw Tulane, and at Tulane, I had this realization that there’s so much more that I can get out of college and so much more I can do to an extent that I can start now and not enlist. Tulane was the school that made me start questioning “maybe I should get my degree now.” - What are you majoring in now? “Psychology.” Where did the name ”Life Beyond The Box” come from? While Tulane ultimately didn’t work out, the reason being that it’s 75K a year and I applied for both of their scholarships and I did not get either. - “Life Beyond The Box'' started from a video that I made for one of their scholarships, the prompt is something like “make a project with this box that shows your academic interests, your creativity, and says something about you as a person, but you cannot be the main topic of it.” I was on Instagram and saw a screenshot of what old Instagram used to look like, and I thought ‘When I think square, I think box.’ I want to go into psychology and talk about the psychology of social media and its impact. How can we find our own “Life Beyond The Box”? “Biggest thing as cliche as it is is remembering what you see on social media is a highlight reel. No one goes and posts a crying photo of them being ‘I just had a panic attack after the worst day of my semester.’ No one posts that. That’s not what anyone puts out for the general public to see, but that does not mean it’s not happening. So I think just reminding yourself, and reminding others too - the amount of times I’m with a friend, and someone’s like “Oh my god, your body’s insane” and I’m like “Dude, lets just take like one look for a second at any of these actresses or influencers other photos’ angles, money, photoshopping, because they play a part in what you see. No one ever takes a photo being like “Huh, this is the one I don’t like the way I look the most, I don’t think my body looks perfect in this, let me post this one.” No one does that, and so you really have to remember to remind yourself and others about the outtakes and the things that you’re not seeing that probably goes on in their life and in their mind.” How can we encourage our friends to find their Life Beyond The Box and how can we all support one another? - “I think the biggest thing is empathy. Trying to put yourself in their shoes and understanding that they’re struggling with something and how it might impact you. When you actually do that, it changes your mindset and how you address yourself and other people.” As a college student, how are you managing a school-life balance? “It’s not easy, to say the least. Virtual classes are not my thing, I have a really hard time with it. I have a lot of learning disabilities and they’re not adapting to that routine. What I’ve been doing to manage is giving myself a routine as much as I can and also a change of scenery really helps. At the beginning of school, I would have class at 11 and would wake up at 10:30, roll out of bed 10:40 hop on in my pajamas and after a week or two, I was like ‘this is not working for me.’ I realized I needed to get up and be in a classroom for school. I started getting up an hour before my classes, got dressed, got breakfast, and I came somewhere else on campus to do my work, whether it would be one of the libraries or one of the buildings. Going somewhere else gives me the separation between the dorm room where I’m relaxing and hanging out, and my school work. I also try to make sure to do the little things like text a friend and be like ‘Hey, wanna grab food with me?’ It’s easy to trap yourself in your dorm all day doing school work and not having any social interaction. I think pushing myself to get out and making a distinction. What is the key to managing a healthy lifestyle? “My most important thing is being in tune with myself. I’m a very self aware person.” What are your favorite self care-necessities? “This sounds so funny, but it’s important. Sometimes, I’m a really big fan of a good cry. As funny and ridiculous as it sounds, a lot of emotion is built up as you go through life and it’s really easy to push it all down.” What is your most important advice to other college students who might be struggling? “Reach out. Everyone is struggling right now. This is not a normal college experience. This is not optimal circumstances for this experience. More often than not, someone else is struggling. Knowing that you’re not alone can be really beneficial. Fun Questions: What do you like to do for fun? “Dance” - Do you like TikTok dancing, too? “Like, yes kind of sometimes. Good at it? No. I’d rather go to a dance class.” Do you like Zumba? “Yes” What is your favorite food? “Sushi” Where is your favorite UMD Study spot? “ESJ - Edward St. John’s Learning Center” (a building for interactive learning) What is your favorite ice cream? “Ben and Jerry’s half baked” Beaches, cities, or mountains? “Beaches” What is your favorite Instagram account to follow? “@pubertyhit.s” If you could use a subscription to a monthly item service, what would it be? “FabFitFun” If you could be a social media app, what would it be? “Pinterest” A link to Life Beyond The Box can be found here: https://www.lifebeyondthebox.net/ By: Aryan Wangdue Roka There is no one that has escaped the existential and unnecessary negative judgment about their character, body structure, experiences, and many other things. When you begin to take account of what is actually being said to you, it does actually affect you. When I began to understand the negativity that people cast on me, I used to try and change myself so I wouldn’t hear why people didn’t like me. I sunk into the abyss that is “trying to please everyone”. I suppressed a lot of my individuality to make other people like me. I was a nobody. I lost the personality I bottled and there was nothing more to my uniquity beyond my name. It took a lot of guidance, reflection, and realization to understand the dilemma I had drowned myself in. It is very unhealthy to succumb to negative judgment. Your mental health, fulfillment, and happiness will deteriorate if you don’t understand how to accept and channel negative judgment to your advantage. To begin with, you need to differentiate constructive criticism from negative judgment. All criticism isn’t bad. The lines between good and bad criticism are often blurred. There isn’t much to what makes a judgment positive or negative, but a general rule that I use is if you are criticized about something that is out of your control (like, skin color, race, religion, etc). Then, that is usually negative and depreciating. But if the criticism is about a decision you made or how you could do something better, it generally isn’t said with mala fide intentions. There is no textbook method on what you should do to develop an emotional firewall to negative opinions, but there are a few things you can do to make it easier to deal with negativity. If you haven’t done this yet, find things that you like to do, things that help you unwind and release built-up stress, anxiety, etc. Finding things that help you destress will make you feel happier and relaxed. Another thing that can help is getting enough quality sleep, I can’t emphasize enough how proper sleep helps you maintain your physical and emotional well being. A big thing that can help is expressing your emotions, I’ve often seen people bottle up their emotions and suppress their vehement feelings in hope of it just pushing them away. It can be mentally taxing and strenuous. Instead of this, you should express your emotions even if it is by crying, throwing a fit, venting to a close friend, or maybe even breaking something. Whatever works for you. Finally, the thing that will help you the most is embracing your individuality. What people often judge you for is something that is different/unique to them. Learn what makes you different and cherish it. One thing you need to constantly keep in mind is you are the best at being yourself. It is cheesy but very true. You are a unique individual. Your experiences are unique and what you’ve struggled with is a testament to your character. What others say will become irrelevant when you embrace what makes you different. To sum things up, what others say about you shouldn’t be affecting you no matter what it is. When someone judges you, it is them stating that you’re different from their own perspective. You should be able to move on from what someone has said, irrespective of what it is. By: Hana Mariappa I am probably not the only one who loses track of time or gets distracted during studying. Especially during these times when many are still in a virtual learning setting, staying focused and on task is very difficult. So, I have compiled a list of the top three tools that I have been using to effectively get my work done and study! Forest I have been using Forest for a little over 4 years now. This is an app for IOS and Android which helps to keep you off of your phone. One of my primary distractions is my phone. Constantly buzzing and flashing, when I am studying, I often find my eyes on my phone more than my notebook. Forest makes you plant a tree for a given amount of time. If you stay off your phone for that time, then you will receive coins and your tree will grow. However, if you go on your phone, your tree will wilt and die. The more and more you grow trees, you can unlock new types of trees and plants. This seemingly silly little app encourages me to stay off my phone for long periods of time. I love watching my little seedling grow into a tree. Looking back on all of the trees that I have planted also gives me a sense of accomplishment. Anki Anki is a software for your computer or phone to study using a new approach to flashcards. There are pre-made flashcards but you can also make your own. Unlike many other flashcard programs, you can add your own images and cover the parts that you want to Memorize. The most popular feature is its spaced repetition feature. You have the option to pick the difficulty of each flashcard. This will allow the program to give you the harder flashcards repeatedly to help you memorize. The app will also space out the time between giving you new flashcards to promote gradual learning of the difficult topics. Pomodoro Timer The Pomodoro method is a proven scientifically efficient way of working. You start with 25 minutes of undistracted work followed by a 5 min break. After 4 sessions, there is a 15 minute break. Many apps can track your time and productivity but you can also use a traditional Pomodoro timer! This method really helps when you are trying to be productive on long tasks as it helps you clear your mind every 25 minutes. So, you’re feeling under pressure. I don’t blame you—and I don’t think anyone could—given the current state the world is in. You return to the safety and comfort of a few pillows and warm sheets and you just lay in the dark for a few moments, staring at nothing in particular, but the stampede of thoughts in your mind run wild. Breathe. Take a deep breath, be brave, tackle the world head-on.
If you want to, I doubt anyone would notice a spare glass missing from the cabinet if you went outside to throw it on the floor (don’t actually do that). Or maybe you saw the title of this article and decided you could do with a few facts to stir a laugh or coax a smile. You may be wondering why seventeen in particular, or not, I’ll never know. But if you were, well, no reason in particular. I just like the number. I feel like Gen Z in particular could do with doing more things ‘just because’. Sometimes the world feels like it’s burning, but it’s not your responsibility to put it out. For now, enjoy these seventeen obscene and probably unnecessary facts, just because. 1. We’re all made of stardust. Surprisingly, no, that isn’t a cheesy line from a bygone pop song. Every single element, including the ones that make up you, was at some point formed in the heart of a star. 2. Cows have best friends. If that fact alone doesn’t brighten your day, what if I told you that sometimes, cows choose humans to be their best friends. Now go search up highland cattle. You will not regret it. 3. Some window washers dress up as superheroes to cheer up children that are in hospitals. In most circumstances (I hope), seeing a stranger dangling at your window is quite startling, but if it were, say, Spiderman? I wouldn’t mind hanging out with him for a little while he dangles outside. 4. Squirrels help plant trees. While the image of a few tiny critters scuttling along with their human friends holding seeds between their little paws is an endearing idea, squirrels help to plant trees simply because they’re a little spacey and can forget where they’ve hidden their acorns. 5. BBC played a spaghetti farm prank on the public for April Fools. On the 1st of April 1957, a BBC news program ended by displaying a three-minute segment of a ‘spaghetti farm’ in Switzerland where spaghetti grew on trees. Many people fell for the prank and contacted BBC to learn how to grow their own. BBC’s response? They said, verbatim, ‘Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best’. 6. Smiling is an instinct. Did you know that even people who were born blind will smile when they’re happy even if they’ve never seen one before? Smiling is a natural response, try to do it more often, or if you can’t yourself, try at least to make someone else smile. 7. Rats have super quiet laughs. When rats are tickled, they laugh, though you would need either super hearing or specialised equipment to hear it. I like to think that it shows that there’s always happiness around you, even if you can’t feel it— or in this case, hear it. 8. You can’t angrily say bubbles. Bet you just yelled bubbles out loud a few times, eh? 9. Penguins propose to each other. Gentoo penguins live in the subantarctic islands and will propose to each other using the smoothest pebble they can find. If the recipient likes the pebble, they will put it in their nest. The pair will then find more pebbles to build up their little pile in preparation to lay eggs. 10. There is a basketball court on the top floor of the U.S. Supreme Court. No thoughts head empty, just Judge Judy playing basketball in the highest court in the land. 11. A Roman Emperor once declared war on the god of the seas. Caligula, a human ruler ruled from 37 to 41 AD and ordered his men to run into the water and stab it after he declared war on Neptune, a god. He then commanded them to retrieve seashells as war trophies. 12. In Welsh Folklore, fairies rode corgis for transportation. The Queen of England is not the only one who loves corgis. 13. Speaking of the queen, in the United Kingdom, you are legally obligated to gift any beached sturgeon or whales to the crown. This was signed into law by Edward II in 1324, though he was not a well-liked king. Fairly reasonable. I couldn’t imagine dragging a whale inland to Buckingham just in case the king wanted one. In any case, I can’t imagine him being very popular amongst whales either. 14. There’s a little robot named Curiosity up on Mars. He’s just driving around taking pictures and collecting samples, living his life as he was designed to. He also carries a little lucky penny around with him. 15. Sometimes, sloths mistake their arms for branches, and fall out of trees. They’re trying their best, and that’s all anyone could ask for; if you’ve tried your best but still mistake your arm for a branch, that’s okay. You’ll get back up there eventually. Perhaps a little longer if you’re a sloth. 16. In theory, cheese could be on the run. If all the bacteria in cheese moved in the same direction simultaneously, it could move 9 centimetres a day. Next time you find your block of cheese missing from its original place, perhaps look for it in a 9 centimetre radius. 17. Crows like playing and pranking each other, just because. If those tiny little omens of ill-fortune can let go and enjoy themselves, so can you. By: Lina Amraoui A lot of people ignore this mental illness because it's not ”popular” enough just like, depression or anxiety yet, however, it is the most painful and classified as the hardest mental illness to live with. Between all the mood swings, the trauma, and the unbearable abandonment issues, individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) do not understand how to control their impulsivity and lash out at any given moment in order to feel in control either by getting angry at people they love or letting it all out by crying. Even after knowing that, people with BPD feel emotions ten times more deeply and intensely, their breakdowns might seem way out of control and too dramatic over the simplest thing which is why they get called attention seekers, or manipulative. In fact, a lot of therapists refuse to work with BPD patients after their diagnosis because of how bad their symptoms can become knowing that there's no cure to this illness. The therapist may feel as if these individuals are overly-sensitive, dramatic, attention-seekers, manipulative, horrible, or just bad people, which makes the stigma going around it way more complicated than it already is and as if the illness wasn't hard enough. The “names or labels” given to people with BPD:
How can we stop the stigma? Educate yourself, this is one of the most important things to do when trying to fight for one of your beliefs. Once you dig deep into understanding every symptom and how bad it can get for a person going through this every day, you will realize how overrated or false the rumors are about BPD. Eventually, you will become capable of helping them instead of judging them for something they have never asked for but still have to live with which is their illness. By: Halona Augustine With the absence of in-person activities, quarantine can be quite boring when staying home all day. Adding school to the mix can also make it stressful for teenagers. With shorter semesters, longer classes, online video calls, and many assignments to finish, school can be tough and acts as a contributing factor to the stress that teens experience in this pandemic. Listed below are effective ways in which you can de-stress during online learning. Make a plan Planning out your day can drastically reduce your stress while studying. When planning out your day, establish an objective that you want to complete. Then, list out the homework you want to complete while keeping your objective in mind. Use a calendar to assign each activity you want to do and order it in chronological order. Make sure to include breaks in your daily plan! Making a schedule can help relieve stress as it helps you feel more control over your day because you know exactly what you have accomplished throughout the day. Find time for breaks Having breaks is important to clear your head after doing homework. There are many things that you can do during a break including taking a walk, riding a bike, or even reading a book. Having a heavy workload can be difficult and working on homework for too long can cause you to lose focus. Taking breaks can help you relax and reset your mindset. Video/voice call with friends Keeping in contact with loved ones and friends is crucial. During quarantine, feelings of loneliness and isolation can increase since our socialization has drastically decreased. Calling, texting, or being on a video call with friends or family can help decrease the feelings of loneliness and the stress that often accompany these feelings. School during quarantine can be quite difficult. Hopefully, these tips can help you manage the stress associated with school and quarantine. By: Danielle Dungca It’s that time of the year again! Rising and hopeful students have begun to apply to their dream colleges. Of course, it is no doubt that in doing so, it is rather costly. As college is so expensive, students may want to apply for scholarships that will help aid them financially. Here is a list of scholarships that you need to apply to right now! Bold “No Essay” Community Scholarship The “Bold ‘No Essay’ Community Scholarship” is an annual $5,000 scholarship given to one student, regardless of their education level, school, field of study, or GPA. It’s purpose is to highlight and recognize the value of a strong community. Apply by September 30, 2020! Distinguished Black Engineers Grant The “Distinguished Black Engineers Grant” is a $2,500 grant awarded to one African-American student. To apply, you must be an African American student studying any engineering field. In addition, you must attend a top-tier technical undergraduate or graduate university in the United States. As if the grant wasn’t enough, applicants will be considered to fulfill internships and job opportunities at Markforged to help pursue their career. The deadline is on November 18, 2020 so make sure to apply soon! Do-Over Scholarship Due on June 20, 2021, the “Do-Over Scholarship” gives one lucky student $1500. Applicants must be a legal United States resident over the age of 14. In order to apply, write a 250 word or less essay answering the question: “If you could get one ‘do-over’ in life, what would it be and why?” Flavor of the Month Scholarship The “Flavor of the Month Scholarship” is an essay scholarship that awards $1,500 to any student that is 14 years old or older and is a legal United States Resident. All you have to do is write a maximum of 250 words response to tell readers about your favorite ice cream flavor. Impact Scholarship for Black Students The “Impact Scholarship for Black Students” awards a Black, ambitious, driven, and talented student with $2,550. Applicants will be recognized for dreaming big beyond the standards and doing what they can to achieve their dreams and create a vision. This is an essay scholarship so to enter you must write 500-1,000 words about yourself, what you hope to achieve, and how you are preparing yourself to do so. This is an amazing scholarship which helps to give equal opportunity to the misrepresented Black community. It’s due May 11, 2021, so start writing! WayUp Dream Job No Essay Scholarship The WayUp Dream Job No Essay Scholarship is held monthly and awards $1,000 to one lucky winner. This amazing scholarship is given to an applicant with a strong candidate profile. In addition to the scholarship, applicants will have access to millions of job and internship opportunities. There are so many opportunities to gain through scholarships and grants. Though this is just a starting list, the possibilities are endless. The best thing one can do for themselves is to do thorough research, stay motivated, and keep looking! Consider expanding your knowledge of other ways to gain scholarships and expand your experiences to fit more platforms. The possibilities are endless with scholarships! |