Stress is an inevitable part of life. Used effectively, it can motivate us to accomplish more than we had imagined possible and jolt us toward reaching our potential.
If you have trouble staying focused regardless of the subjects and tasks, here are some tips:
Time management = Priority management.
Everyone has the same 24 hours. What differs is how those hours are allocated.
Use a to-do list and actively rank tasks from most important to least important. When you say, “I don’t have time for ___,” what that usually means is that ___ is a lower priority than other commitments at that moment.
That is a valid choice, but it is still a choice. Part of being a university student is learning to make those priorities explicit and to plan accordingly.
(micro → macro, present → future)
Everyone procrastinates. The challenge is getting started. If you feel focused, begin with the hardest task. Finishing it early often reduces stress and clears mental space. If you feel unmotivated, start with small, quick tasks, such as replying to emails or organizing files. Early wins build momentum and help you move into more demanding work.
Use your classes as an opportunity to identify tasks, jobs, and parts of the field you love or perhaps should avoid going forward. Some things are necessary hurdles to overcome but others are clues to what actually interests you vs. what makes your life miserable. If you have to FORCE yourself to do the work, and you hate it, and you procrastinate everything all the time, what do you think the next 20 or 30 years of your life will be like?
I follow the university’s SLDS process. This course also reflects professional design practice, where deadlines, accountability, and collaboration matter.
If you are registered with SLDS, the default accommodation plan for this course is:
These accommodations provide flexibility while maintaining fairness to teammates and the course structure. If unexpected life events occur, please communicate with me privately.
Please remind me at the beginning of the semester that you are registered with SLDS (too many emails, so I may overlook some). Late requests are difficult to accommodate in a team-based studio environment.
Life happens, but professional practice requires planning, communication, and accountability to collaborators and shared deadlines.
Embedded Clinicians @College of Arts and Sciences