I made Julia Child's pound cake from her cookbook master the art of French cooking. Fun fact it's called pound cake because the 4 ingredients are each a quarter of a pound.

My school hasn't made any solid decisions about fall term and I am already super stressed since I've been moving around my class schedule, hoping to accommodate and prepare for all possibilities. I just want answers ㅠㅠ

Anyways, I had a productive start to this weekend. Read from my textbook about intelligence being measured across different cultures, which was super interesting. I also found a quote (the highlighted one in the picture) that I needed to hear since I was beating myself up over quiz scores last week hahaaa.

June 4, 2021

This is what a 9am aero summer class looks like in distance learning

- coffee (it’s from Starbucks but I wanted to look fancy)

- my new mouse that makes my computer work SO MUCH EASIER

- about 400 lines of MATLAB code

Taking three summer classes is a lot. Two of them being senior level courses with large projects has left me with a lot of worry about whether I’ll have time to get them done. I’ve felt like I’m drowning in school projects. My anxiety and depression has flared up. So, how do I combat this?

Breathe. It’s going to be ok. Step back, pause, and take a moment to breathe.

Make a list of everything you need to do. I recently got the app Google Keep and I like how it allows me to color code my lists. You can upload pictures, make drawings, and add voice memos. You’ll need to connect a google account but that makes it nice as I can connect my school email to it.

When you study, make a color coded check list for your study breaks. I like using bright colors as an incentive and also a way to differential that yes, green is break and orange is study. It helps to see everything laid out in a nice and easy way to read. (Add a fun sticky note to find the page better. Yes, that is a dalek)

Reward yourself. You need to take breaks to maintain your best mindset and study effectively. 

Make your study space comfortable. Blankets, water, anything that helps you get into the mindset that you want to be there. I don’t study at my apartment as there are too many distractions. I study at the library normally, but since the summer is here they are doing a lot of construction in my preferred library. I’ve started going to a community center very close to my apartment, so I’ve been adjusting to this new location. Luckily it has incredibly comfortable chairs and I bring my little General Organa figure and my African Wild Dog stuffed animal with me. Sounds silly, but having Leia there reminds me of what my goals are and my stuffed animal is soft and calms me by hugging him. Never feel ashamed if it helps you stay calm.

Eat regularly and eat healthy. You need to make sure you’re getting the proper nutrition and feeding your mind as well as your body. You need energy to do well in lectures and on your assignments. Eating healthier and making sure to stay hydrated is a good way to do better. Will this solve everything? No. Will it help? Absolutely!

If you’ve made it all the way down here, thank you! If anyone has any more tips on how to do better handling feeling overwhelmed please add them! I sincerely hope this helps someone :)