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disillustioned

Posted on November 18, 2014, 11:30 am, M spotting M (Around Campus). 7 comments. MIT

I saw you, dear Institute. I remember how amazed and excited I was to come here, how magical the architecture was to my little prefrosg eyes and meeting all of the people that made it so uniquely colorful and vibrant. Lately it has been a struggle to remember why I came here in the first place. There is always that sense of urgency everywhere. I find that I check my email all of the time. I find that I can't go anywhere without my laptop or phone. I can't focus. I can't relax. I feel myself slipping and not being able to catch up. It's so hard to want to stay here. I don't know what to do.

  1. Posted at November 23, 2014, 10:43 am by F Mail

    I totally feel you.

  2. Posted at November 24, 2014, 10:56 am by M MIT

    let go of some commitments and take it easy mate

  3. Posted at November 24, 2014, 5:58 pm by F

    - Drop shit. Drop commitments besides your classes.
    - Sleep. Treat your body well.
    - Add structure to your life. This includes some social time.
    - Get off your damn phone and laptop.
    - Go to Medical and get some mental health treatment if you can't get your life together. It's what they exist for.

    While your classes may be rocket science, this isn't.

  4. Posted at November 25, 2014, 11:39 am by F MailMIT

    ^ I think 3 is being unnecessarily harsh with her recommendations, even if they're technically correct recommendations. I don't understand where the condescending attitude comes from, when this is such a common and serious problem. The fact is, you're not alone in thinking that life at MIT is really hard to juggle. However, with enough practice and experimentation it's definitely possible to get through gracefully. The most important thing is that your sanity and happiness come first, above all else. If this means sacrificing your grades, obligations, email, etc to keep your sanity, composure, and happiness, then that's ok. You come first. Don't let your email become more important than whether or not you're happy and calm. Dig it?

    Some people also need to take time off. That's ok too. You choose what works. If it's not working, choose something else. The worst thing to do is get stuck in a grind where you're not improving. Keep experimenting until it's not a grind.

    You've got this :) Good luck

  5. Posted at November 26, 2014, 10:04 pm by F MailMIT

    Yoga, at a non-MIT studio.

    Make time every day to do the things you used to do in high school that you don't do now, which might have been a big part of who you are.

    Whenever you talk to someone, even if it's just for a moment, stop whatever else you're doing and make eye contact.

    Don't miss class. It's a social thing, not just an academic thing.

    Call home every day.

    Every few weeks, call a random friend from high school (or earlier) you used to be be really close with.

    Leave the bubble with friends at least once a week. You can get a lot more adventure and happiness out of three hours away than you can get done working on a p-set for three hours.

    Whenever you make a to-do list, add "be happy."

    Oh yeah and SLEEP. And eat good food. And exercise. Those things that bodies need.

  6. Posted at November 29, 2014, 5:37 pm by F MIT

    <3 Thanks for putting words to my feelings the last couple weeks!

    Thanksgiving has been so relaxing. I hope it's helped you too.

  7. Posted at November 30, 2014, 11:41 pm by F

    For starters, ignore condescending advice that oversimplifies the problem or makes assumptions. IMHO, try stepping back and see what your gut tells you, even if it runs counter to what you are "supposed" to do or feel. And if you feel like you cannot trust your gut/thoughts/feelings, then it could be worthwhile to seek out mental health treatment. That said, getting mental health treatment does not mean that "you can't get your life together." It just means that you are experiencing problems related to mental health (which ARE NOT your fault) that are making it more difficult to manage your life and why have an extra obstacle to deal when treatment could either eliminate that obstacle or at least shrink it.