i humbly request more college advice. what do you do when homework makes you cry? keep trying or give up for the night and play pokemon?
i have nO idea when this was sent so sorry if it’s late anon!!!!
what i do when homework makes me cry- an excellent question tbh. so i think the first thing to realize is why you’re crying. sure, it’s while you’re doing the homework, but what’s the real issue?
do you not understand the homework? if so, take a break. staring at words you don’t understand will only make you feel worse. first, reassure yourself: it’s just one assignment. i’m still an intelligent person. one grade will not make or break me having a successful and happy life. i can get through this. second: do you know where you should start? what equation to use? if so, try and break it down as much as possible. if not, check your notes or the textbook again, or email a prof or TA (or text a classmate!)- it does not matter if it’s 2 pm or 4 am or 30 minutes before the deadline. at least putting yourself out there as “hey, i don’t understand this” can make you feel better (and if you get some sassy response back- well, they’re rude lmao, and it means their sense of superiority matters more to them than student success, which means you should care a little less about their class in turn).
are you just overwhelmed by Life Itself? close your eyes and take eight deep breaths. look at something that isn’t your screen or the lines of a textbook for a hot minute to rest your eyes. stopping to recharge will always bring a greater benefit than rushing headfirst into more stress. if you’ve got the time- take a walk, do some stretches, or just plain go to bed and worry about it tomorrow. i can’t tell you how many times i’ve thrown up my hands and just Gone To Sleep- and survived the next day. Sure, I may get a bad grade or do worse than i wanted, but I’m still here, right? college has a way of making you feel like Everything Is The Most Important Thing Ever, but I promise you it’s not. seriously- seriously- ask me how many times i’ve fumbled the ball or crashed and burned, and then compare that exhaustive list to my resume. it’s appalling.
is something else the problem? if that’s the case, ask yourself: can i take eight deep breaths and finish this homework, or is this issue worth more to me than X percent of my grade this homework will be? because. surprise!! it’s okay to turn in work late (or even not at all!) sometimes. your professor isn’t about to call you out mid-lecture to ask why you didn’t do last night’s assignment. college is about balance and figuring out how it fits together, and sometimes mental health does take precedence.
so i guess to answer your second question- it depends! sometimes i just need to take a drink of water and grab a snack and rest my eyes before powering through. other times, i really do need a break so i’m not burnt out 2 weeks into the semester on a monday. again- college is about balance. sometimes academics just aren’t enough to tip the scale in that moment, and anyone who fights you on that has their own life to deal with about it. to me, a degree is worth nothing if you’re utterly ripped to shreds by the time you get it. so take a break every once in a while!! take a nap!!!!!!
