Stress, Part 2

In dealing with stress, I have come to realize that sleep is a key factor. Let’s face it, in college, sleep is sent way back in our priorities list; it becomes a burden. It took me several inevitable all-nighters and many 5-hours sleep nights to finally realize that the less I sleep, the more time I waste, the less productive I am and most importantly, the more stressed out I get. Not sleeping, I realized, clouds my brain, which leads to me not being able to organize my thoughts. So, to manage stress, the first thing I make sure I do is sleep! Getting to know my body and my limits, especially when it came down to sleeping was crucial. However, of course, not all stress goes away with sleep. So, what do I do in those situations? I bake, I cook and I run; three things that I really enjoy doing and clear my mind of ugly, stressful thoughts. Allowing me to have those little moments of peace, then, boosts my productivity and makes me even less stressed, a win-win situation.

-Triana Tello Gerez

Feeling stressed about midterms, papers, homework, and other aspects of college life? Stress is a completely normal part of college, but it's important that you find ways to deal with that stress and turn it into something positive. This week each of our peer advisors will write about how they deal with stress. We also want to hear how you cope with stress- send us an email at caspeeradvisors@american.edu telling us about your stress relief tactics. We will enter everyone who sends their ideas into a prize drawing, and we'll also publish the submissions on the blog. Please email us your ideas by Friday, November 4th to be entered in the prize drawing. We look forward to hearing from you, and we hope that our suggestions help!
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There’s no way to avoid it: at some point, the semester gets stressful. When class work seems overwhelming, I escape to Katzen. Playing my viola allows me to escape from the pressures of other classes and focus on the music I’m making in the moment. It’s a great way to clear my mind and focus on something other than homework. I also make sure to take time to be social and have fun. Whether it’s spending the day at an event downtown or having Monday night parties to watch Castle (my favorite tv show) these little breaks offer some much-needed relaxation and help me return to work recharged. College is a continuous exercise in balance and time management, and it’s important to find a happy mix of work and fun!

-Emma Morgan

The Supplemental Instruction Program

The Supplemental Instruction (SI) Program offers free weekly group tutoring sessions for classes that students often find challenging including macro and microeconomics, financial and managerial accounting, physics, chemistry, applied calculus, and statistics. Sessions are led by undergraduate students who have already taken the course at AU and done well. SI leaders attend class and hold 2 weekly hour-long review sessions. These sessions are a chance to ask clarification questions and work on problems in a much smaller group. While an intro macro class may have 300 people, SI sessions usually have fewer than 20. Not only is it easier to learn in a smaller group, but asking for help from another student can be less daunting than going to office hours, paying for private tutoring, or struggling through things on your own. SI is also a great resource if you don’t have specific questions, but just want some extra review time going over material. Often before exams, SI leaders hold longer review sessions, and some leaders even make study guides or practice quizzes.

SI leaders are knowledgeable about the subjects they work with, and they want to help people during their sessions. I was the applied calc SI for 3 semesters and have many friends who are leaders, and we would all agree that it’s always better when we have students to work with! Adjusting to your college course load can be challenging, but SI is a completely free resource to help you succeed!

To view the SI schedule or learn more about the program, visit http://www.american.edu/ocl/asc/

Supplemental-Instruction-Homepage.cfm.

If you’re currently doing well in a class that participates in the SI program, you may have a future as an SI leader! Visit the SI website for more information.

--Emma Morgan

MAP-Works

Can you believe that we’re now over one month into the semester?!? The beginning of a new school year is a busy time, especially for new students. Now that you’ve had a month of great (or maybe not-so-great) experiences at AU, now is a good time to reflect on those experiences and prepare for the rest of the year. That’s where MAP-Works comes in!

MAP-Works is a brief (15 minutes or less) survey that gauges both your academic and social progress. It will ask you about homesickness, homework, and other issues affecting your transition to AU. The survey is designed to help students identify their strengths and weaknesses and to help them find resources specifically suited to their needs. Once you complete the survey, you get immediate feedback on your results as well as links to relevant resources. AU also uses the survey to determine what kinds of programs they can plan for the upcoming semester to address students’ needs. To access MAP-Works, simply log into your myau.american.edu portal and click on the icon on the top left of the home page.

While we hope that everyone loves their AU experience so far, we also want to know what you are struggling with or have concerns about. Take 15 minutes to complete the MAP-Works survey and help us help you!

Freshman Interviews

By now you should have received an email from your peer advisor asking you to set up an appointment for a freshman interview- many of you have already responded, so thank you! All CAS freshmen are required to meet with their peer advisor for a freshman interview by October 13th. We know that your schedules are getting busier and busier, but you really will benefit from taking the time to come in for a freshman interview.

The interview is an opportunity for us to meet you and for you to learn how the peer advising program can help you. We also use the interviews as a chance to check-in and ask how your classes are going and how you are adjusting to college. If you have any concerns about your workload or professors, we can help you find academic resources and talk about tips for a successful semester. If you are enjoying your classes, we want to hear about that as well! As part of the freshman interview we also show you how to access and read your DARS report, a great tool for helping you plan your upcoming semesters. We can also talk about majors and minors, and can give you contact information for faculty advisors in all the CAS departments.

To make an appointment with your peer advisor, go to: http://www.american.edu/cas/advising/undergraduate.cfm If you cannot make it to any of your advisor's office hours, just email us and we'll work something out! Remember, you must make an appointment by October 13th! Thank you to everyone who already signed up, and we look forward to seeing the rest of you soon!

You're in the Majors!

When: Tuesday, September 20

1:30-4:30 pm

Where: LA Quad (rain site Letts Formal Lounge)

What do free food, prizes, baseball and picking a major have in common? You’ll find them all at You’re in the Majors! Join CAS and the Office of Residence life for an afternoon of baseball-themed fun. Now in its fourth year, You’re in the Majors brings together information about majors, minors, and more. We know that choosing a major can seem overwhelming sometimes, but it should also be fun and exciting to explore all the possibilities AU has to offer! The event will feature representatives from every AU school (not just CAS). Do you find yourself asking, “What can I do with a degree in ___”? Career Center advisors will be there to answer your questions! This is the place to find information about the pre-med program, or the new public health program, while also presenting opportunities to talk with students from different departments. Your lovely peer advisors (that would be us!) will also be there, so stop by and say hi!

Fun Fact: In the spirit of You’re in the Majors, TDR will be serving baseball-themed food, so stop by for a hotdog and then come explore your majors!

Professors' Office Hours

Sitting across the room from a very knowledgeable and passionate person can be a rewarding, yet intimidating, experience. I remember when I came to college I was amazed by my Econ professor; his credentials, experience, passion and knowledge made me want to talk to him, but at the same time, it was a three hundred person classroom where the professor had no idea who we were. There was also the fear that, given that he is a university level professor, he would have no time (or preferred not) to talk to a fresh-out-of-high school student. Then the class started getting a little confusing, and I wanted to ask many questions, but still felt like it would be dumb of me to go ask him questions about stuff that had already been covered in class. But finally, I armed myself with courage, found his office in some remote building and went to his office hours. To my surprise, he was a very down to earth guy, but most importantly, he was happy to see a student come in with questions and enthusiasm. During that visit, not only did he clarify all my questions (even though some took a lot of patience) but we also chatted about his academic career and economics in general (even though I did not know much). From then on, I realized that attending class and doing homework and readings was not all the college academic experience had to offer; here I had the opportunity to go beyond that and enrich my learning through talking to professors and getting to know what they do in their field.

The lesson here is, do not be afraid of the person standing at the podium. These professors are here because they are passionate about their fields, but most importantly, because they love sharing that knowledge with their genuinely interested students. Whether you have questions or simply want to talk, your professors will be glad if you pay them a visit during their office hours—talking with students is the purpose of office hours, so take advantage of them!

-Triana Tello Gerez