No matter if you're still in the US (or wherever you may be from) or studying abroad, there are going to be good days and also bad days. It might seem a bit more extreme if you're studying abroad, since your normal comforts are no doubt not readily available. Probably. Well, and for many other reasons. Just push through it and I'm sure you'll feel better in a day or so.
I'm bringing this up because lately I've been really stressed, and I've been getting a bit down and--to put it nicely--grumpy. It probably doesn't help that I'm a "zannensei" and so have more homework and more material to go over before class and after. Class is a lot of fun, I really do mean that, but sometimes I start to become stressed over all the work (which probably usually isn't as bad as I make it out to be), but more than that, I become stressed over my own thoughts on whether or not I'm doing good enough. Especially in the last week or two I've been getting really angry and sad because I've been feeling like I'm not doing good enough, combined with one test grade that went down a bit. I have set high standards for myself, and yet I'm a rather lazy person and so I only do the minimum amount of work to get what I think is a good grade--which is mostly A's; sometimes B's are acceptable. Well, and here at JCMU, a B is a very good grade, or so I've heard. In any case, I can be very hard on myself, which causes me to become more and more stressed, when in reality I probably don't need to worry that much.
Anyway. Up until now, I've been getting away with barely studying, spending most of my time doing homework, but now we're getting into more difficult, specific grammar that can be often easily confused with other grammar points or easily forgotten, in spite of its simplicity. This means I need to start to actually study, other than just before a test or vocab or kanji quiz. I also need to begin being more social again, though my becoming like this again is in part due to all the stress.
My advice: do NOT fall behind on studies, but within reason, try to constantly be doing things and going places and exploring. The wind is really strong that day? Too bad, there's a strong wind nearly every day of the week, so barrel your way through it and bike to that shrine or that store someone told you about. It's a 20 minute bike ride? 45 minutes? That's nothing, you can do it. Don't let little things like this stop you from going out and about. You're only going to be here for 4-8 months, and let's face it, some of you may never come back, for whatever reason you have. So enjoy it while you can. So you miss an American food? Oh well, you'll be home in a mere 4-8 months anyway and who knows when or if you'll be back, so enjoy the unique and local foods while you can. Take my word on this, because I already know I'm going to really miss some of the foods here. Not just foods, but also conveniences like trains and conbini's.
I'm not sure how I got to this topic, so I digress. Even though I've been having a rough week or two, but I still try to remember that I'm living one of my biggest dreams, and I take a step back and just look at everything around me and I become content again, even if it is only for a moment. So, if you're having a rough time while you're here, just try to push through it and it'll pass.
In any case, time to relax for a bit tonight, before starting a massive project on reviewing everything and then keeping up on reviewing every day or two at least.
I'm bringing this up because lately I've been really stressed, and I've been getting a bit down and--to put it nicely--grumpy. It probably doesn't help that I'm a "zannensei" and so have more homework and more material to go over before class and after. Class is a lot of fun, I really do mean that, but sometimes I start to become stressed over all the work (which probably usually isn't as bad as I make it out to be), but more than that, I become stressed over my own thoughts on whether or not I'm doing good enough. Especially in the last week or two I've been getting really angry and sad because I've been feeling like I'm not doing good enough, combined with one test grade that went down a bit. I have set high standards for myself, and yet I'm a rather lazy person and so I only do the minimum amount of work to get what I think is a good grade--which is mostly A's; sometimes B's are acceptable. Well, and here at JCMU, a B is a very good grade, or so I've heard. In any case, I can be very hard on myself, which causes me to become more and more stressed, when in reality I probably don't need to worry that much.
Anyway. Up until now, I've been getting away with barely studying, spending most of my time doing homework, but now we're getting into more difficult, specific grammar that can be often easily confused with other grammar points or easily forgotten, in spite of its simplicity. This means I need to start to actually study, other than just before a test or vocab or kanji quiz. I also need to begin being more social again, though my becoming like this again is in part due to all the stress.
My advice: do NOT fall behind on studies, but within reason, try to constantly be doing things and going places and exploring. The wind is really strong that day? Too bad, there's a strong wind nearly every day of the week, so barrel your way through it and bike to that shrine or that store someone told you about. It's a 20 minute bike ride? 45 minutes? That's nothing, you can do it. Don't let little things like this stop you from going out and about. You're only going to be here for 4-8 months, and let's face it, some of you may never come back, for whatever reason you have. So enjoy it while you can. So you miss an American food? Oh well, you'll be home in a mere 4-8 months anyway and who knows when or if you'll be back, so enjoy the unique and local foods while you can. Take my word on this, because I already know I'm going to really miss some of the foods here. Not just foods, but also conveniences like trains and conbini's.
I'm not sure how I got to this topic, so I digress. Even though I've been having a rough week or two, but I still try to remember that I'm living one of my biggest dreams, and I take a step back and just look at everything around me and I become content again, even if it is only for a moment. So, if you're having a rough time while you're here, just try to push through it and it'll pass.
In any case, time to relax for a bit tonight, before starting a massive project on reviewing everything and then keeping up on reviewing every day or two at least.