How to get through the present semester

I partially agree with Martika. We do, in fact, already have some experience in on-line learning from the previous semester. It was stressful and sometimes messy, but I believe it teached us a lot. We should use our knowledge to operate in this quite peculiar circumstances, so that should make us feel more confident. Of course, the present semester will still be stressful, as it is our last one. We have a lot to do and the ongoing pandemic certainly does not help. My advice is to remember that when we feel our body sending us signals - pounding heart, shaking hands etc., it is nothing else than preparing itself for the future challenges. Our reception of stress has an enormous influence on the actions we take. When you see it as a danger, you will most likely get out of the situation, but when you will accept it and consider its purpose in your body, it can be a great motivator.

It is quite obvious that we should use our experience from the past semester to get through this one as smoothly as possible, but we already know that it will differ from the previous one. We will attend some classes on site which could already generate some stress regarding meeting people and also getting to those clasess, often via public transport. It all depends on our approach, if we focus on the fact that we can finally meet with our friends and not spend most of our time in front of a computer, the stress regarding local classes can be lowered. We should also remember that despite all the problems last semester we managed to get through it and this one has less classes and ends in december/january, so at least theoretically it should be an easier one.

In my opinion, two aspects are the most important in dealing with stress. The first is proper planning and preparation for classes. In my case, if I plan and do all the tasks and read about the topics that will be covered in the next class, I feel much more comfortable because I know that nothing will surprise me, and even if it happens, it probably won't stress me out. The second aspect is the right attitude. Just like Mrs. Kelly McGonigal said. It's healthier and more enjoyable to perceive stress as our ally. If you start to think of it this way, the classes will become much less stressful and thus more enjoyable.

Is this semester going to be less stresfull than the previous one? I think, it's a tough question. We've already had an on-line classes, that's true, but is that make us more confident in this semester? I don't think so. First of all, we've already known how all those things work: classes, zooms, MS Teams, on-line tests. We can easily find thing that we need on the internet and pages such as enauczanie. It has also taught us how to work alone. Moreover stress connected to tests, exams is lower, becuase most of them are online. You can focus on your answers, there is no one to distract you. Finally we got used to cameras and microphones. We seem to have no troubles using them and that's great. On-line classes have thaught us a lot, there's no doubt. On the other hand having on-line classes durig 7th semester is not what we expected to see . Furthermore having on-line consultation about your BSc Thesis is sometimes messy and doesn't meet your expectations. Talking face-to-face is always better than texting, e-mailing and calling, and I think that all of you agree with me. You have clear information and everything is more understandable, that's for sure. But under this circumstances I understand that, there is no different way of having classes. We have to focus on work and don't stress out. We have to make stess into something helpful like the speaker in TED's Talk said. I think, that's our only solution to deal with this on-line semester.

I agree with others. Of course we have more experience and we are ready to face new semester. However, sometimes even online classes could be stressful. For example if we have online exam and our Internet provider decide to cut off connection for few minutes. Present semester is very similar as the previous one, but exams are always stressful even excluding on-line aspect. Then we could use Mrs. Kelly McGonigal advice to try thinking that stress symptoms are preparing us for the challenge and use them as some kind of advantage. If it comes to pandemic aspect, we should just follow the rules about covering our face and remember that we are young and it is rather unlikely to get dangerously sick.

I agree with previous speakers that it is not a new situation for us. For me, online classes are less stressful, because I can’t get diseases. The fact that I can get diseases and I can infect someone makes me very stressed. Although sitting at home all the time is not conducive to contact with people, as Ms Kelly McGonigal advised, it is conducive to writing an engineering thesis. Advice from me to get through the present semester is noting every task. If we set up notifications for each task to be done, we will definitely not forget about it.

In my opinion, the best way to go to the onset of stress during the current semester is not to lose touch with people. Maintaining a relationship is key. Thanks to this, we feel that we are not alone in this situation and that we can suppor each other. Another aspect that provides a sense of security is moving forward and achieving results at work. We should focus on the goal that we have in front of us and that we want to achieve and pursue it.. Thanks to this, we will take our thoughts away from the unpleasant situation in the world. In summary, my ways of dealing with stress are surrounding myself with loved ones (even if it is online or over the phone) and setting a goal comparison, focusing on it, and enjoying overcoming adversity.

From my point of view, the present semester should be a bit easier for all of us. We managed to successfully complete the previous semester of studies, even though we were not prepared to study online. Of course, the present semester will also be stressful, but I think the lessons we have learned from the previous one should help everyone to get through as smoothly as possible. We are more aware of the circumstances we are in and how we should prepare for upcoming semester. My advice is to prepare as well as we can (I'm not talking here about coffe and snacks supplies, but mental preparation). Just like Mrs. Kelly McGonigal said, thinking about stress as a preparation from our body is going to help as get through many stressful situations. Signals send from our body like pounding heart, sweating, faster breathing, are nothing but preparation for upcoming challenges. It matters how we think about stress and how we respond for those signals. I hope we all stay strong and get through this together!

First of all, I would like to point out that we are about to face much less stress this semester, than in the previous one. The situation is not new and we learned a lot on how to handle it. Anyway, the first advice is avoiding any FAKE NEWS! There is a lot of those on the internet, causing fear and confusion. We should use only official university website for informational purposes. Another thing, stay healthy and fit. From my experience, I can tell You that living an active life, keeping a healthy diet keeps Your mind nourished and helps to lower the cortisol levels. The most important thing - socialize. Human nature requires us to meet, either in person or online. Staying in touch with Your classmates will give You the comforting feeling, that everything is okay and that the world keeps spinning.

I also agree with Martika. The present semester should be a lot easier than the last one if we are talking about the stress. We already know how to deal with distance learning. Psychologist- Kelly McGonical is also right. How we think about stress really matters. We can't think that stress is harmful for our health. On the contrary, I would even say that, stress could help us get through difficult situations with our body prepared to this challenges. I mean pounding heart which prepares us for action and fast breathing which gives more oxygen to our brain. In order to get more smoothly and relatively stress free through the present semester we should rely more on our friends and family. We should ask them for help if we need to. We should also talk more about our problems. In spite of all, I believe that this semester should be passed without any major stress.

I agree with all the opinions above. Past semester was quite enigmatic at the beginning of lockdown and chaotic during its start. We were not used to online classes just like lecturers which often resulted in delays, misunderstandings etc. But at its end I personally decided it was the best semester yet. Because all classes were online, I didn’t have to waste my time on riding to college, I could get more sleep and divide my time between learning and focusing on my personal plans. I don’t think that I’ve learned any less than usually and I did a lot of productive things at home at the same time. My advice is that we don’t need to worry and stress out about the pandemic and e-learning, we just need to reschedule our lives a little and find out the way to gain something more of this situation.

In my opinion it's hard to say if this semester can and will be less stressful. We do know more about online classes and we can adapt to the situation better than six months ago. On the other hand the number of infected is higher than ever and it might be just the matter of time before we get sick.
My advice to get more smoothly through this semester is to simply take care of yourself. Listen to your body and replace all the negative thoughts with the positive ones - just like Mrs. Kelly McGonigal with stress. Our attitude has an enormous impact on our life. We need to accept the challenge and beat it with our heads held high.