Stress? What Stress?

So.

Stress.

Fun.  Not really.  I've been dealing with a lot of end of school year things and as a result I'm under a lot of stress.  Tonight, I am going to give a presentation on my senior thesis, and I have finals and final portfolios to finish.  I know I can do this, I've done it all before, but it still is stressful and bothersome to have this sense of foreboding hanging over my head.

So how do I deal with it?

Lately I've gotten hooked on Animal Crossing for the 2DS.  It's a game where you live in a small village, (Mine is called Hapville) and you are the mayor.  You have to keep your villagers happy, and usually that means talking to them and running errands for them.  There is also the opportunity to fish and gather fruit and seashells for money.  That money can be used to build and expand your house, buy cool clothes, and create public works for the village.  You can also take brief visits to an island to fish, collect bugs and seashells and play mini-games.

I find it relaxing to escape into an imaginary world when I'm overwhelmed, and I allow myself a little time to play when I've finished homework or a block of studying.  It's a great stress reliever.

I also write in my journal.  It's great to get my emotions out on paper and released out of my head. It also helps to get things written in a linear fashion so that I can actually prioritize what needs to be done and see that if I do things one step at a time, it will get done properly.

So please, wish me luck on the end of term and send me happy, relaxing thoughts.

Graduation Getting Me Down

So, I've been working really hard on getting my final things done for school.  I've been working really hard on my thesis, which has drained the soul out of me.  It's 20 pages plus whatever works cited page that I have, and I've been working on it almost non stop for the past month or so.  I've been working on it in stages, and now I've been working on revisions and polishing the work, and soon I will be turning it in, all shiny and ready for my defense.

Last night, I was reflecting on all the things I was going miss about school.  I know I'll miss the campus.  My college has a beautiful campus.  It has a lot of green space, quite a few trees, and in spring, everything comes alive with blooms and flowers.  It's just lovely.  In the fall, the leaves change colors, and it's like walking through an autumn pallet.

I'll also miss the little things.  Coffee in the coffee shop on campus.  The smell of printer toner when I print out my papers in the library.  The smell of old books in the back of the library.  The kindness of my professors.  I'll miss all of it.  I am so grateful that I had it to begin with. 

Hopefully, I'll have less stress soon-ish, and be able to update things more often.  Wish me luck that I don't finally lose my mind around finals.