Caffeine Craze

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Lets Get Some Answers Up in Here

(Excerpt from David Foster Wallace’s Brilliant Commencement Speech)

When fully immersed in a cultural setting, it is easy to lose sight of the way context influences individuals. As members of a highly driven society, we feel excessive amounts of pressure, yet we deem this as normal, because it is a consistent aspect of our environment. The first step in combating this harmful social norm is to raise AWARENESS (the purpose of my blog, to this point).

The Obstacle- Stress

Here is a brief synopsis of my posts thus far...

Causes of Stress

Academic course load

Social demands

Familial obligations

Time constraints

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Signs for Diagnosis (based on survey answers and personal experience)

Excessive coffee drinking

Lack of sleep

Mood swings and irritability

Shortness of breath

General state of confusion

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ALSO

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Now, it is PROBLEM SOLVING TIME!

What the UMass Administration Can Do:

Inform professors of student needs, and remind educators that we need their support. Students have lives outside their academics.

NOTE- Many professors are very understanding of this fact, and are flexible about deadlines when approached by hardworking students. 

(Understanding teacher image)

What We (The People, The Students of UMass) Can Do: 

Help Ourselves

I asked around, and got some tips from fellow stressed scholars...

Here are some suggestions for combating stress:

Make art (knit, draw, paint)

Drink tea

Take naps

Take time to do something that makes you happy 

Make some quiet, personal time

TREAT YO SELF!

Help Others

Treat one another with kindness! It is important to remember that your peers are struggling as well, and small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact. 

The UMass Amherst community is a wonderful place to begin adult life, full of inspiring individuals with high hopes for the future. However, our home turn is still flawed. It is time for us to take a step back, inspect our daily interactions, and question what we accept as “normal” day-to-day routines, and an acceptable mental state. This reflection will open us to a new kind of happiness. 

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Ah, Southwest, the true heart of “Zoomass.” Even before considering attending UMass, I already knew one thing for sure: no matter what, I was not going to live in Southwest. Looking back, I am not sure why I was so dead-set on this decision, as I didn’t know a thing about the area besides that it...

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True dat! The residential life stereotypes reinforce division and segregation on campus. College is about bringing people from all walks of life together, providing us with a unique opportunity to learn from others. As individuals, we need to reflect on our tendency to judge others quickly. Labeling and categorizing people is counterproductive, and harmful to the individual. 

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The students of UMass are clearly upset about this fence. Every student who I have spoken to over the course of my research has given some complaint to its inconvenience and pointlessness. Even students who haven’t seen or had to deal with this fence have heard about how awful it is. Although the fence stayed down for a while after it was demolished in the midst of the Super Bowl celebrations, when students came back from Spring Break the fence was completely repaired. 

What was even more shocking and confounding than the repair of the fence was the total silence of the administration. The administration has made no statement whatsoever in regard to this fence. Usually acts of destruction such as what occurred on the Super Bowl begs for some sort of reprimand from the authorities, especially since the school was so heavily prepared for Super Bowl riots. Instead we have received utter silence, a sign that the administration doesn’t even want to open up a discussion about the fence.

Lucky for us UMass didn’t give up. Soon after the fence was put back up, a student put up a sign that addresses Chancellor Subbaswamy directly in a reference to Reagan’s speech regarding the Berlin Wall. Not only was the sign hilarious, but it highlights what the fence is to UMass: a wall; a great big, dividing, infuriating wall. 

The poster is on the decline, bleached by the sun, faded by the rain, torn, and completely ignored. It’s appearance mimics the slowly fading ambition of the students. This is exactly what the administration wants! They think that if they ignore us long enough that we will just forget about it. We can’t let ourselves be silenced. We have to keep driving in our point until the administration acknowledges our existence. This is our school!

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I definitely agree with this, that the fence is really annoying, especially because I have two separate classes in Hasbrouck and one on of them is at 8:30 in the morning. The extra time it takes to go around the fence in the morning is really killer sometimes. Also, I remember how me and my friends went walking around after the Super Bowl and filmed some of the student reactions and I remember watching students around the Hasbrouck fence as it was taken down. There was A LOT of student support there so clearly, this is an issue that many students have and the fact that the administration decided to remain silent both about the tearing down and rebuilding of the fence almost belittles the students’ opinions.

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Question- What are the environmental repercussions of the fence? (This is a new lens to interpret the fence through).) I see two possibilities, so far... 

Pro- The fence limits the destruction of grass, due to students trudging up the hill. By protecting the grass, the UMass administration prevents erosion of the hill, and excessive runoff of water. 

Con- The fence hinders the movement of wildlife on the UMass campus. Also, as a piece of unnecessary construction, the fence represents a waste of valuable natural resources. This waste continues to this day, due to maintenance required to keep the fence functional. 

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Pressure

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Over a short period of time, this blog has evolved considerably. My purpose here is not to condemn coffee drinkers, nor to criticize those who prioritize other things over sleep. I am among the coffee addicted and sleep deprived population of UMass Amherst...criticizing other individuals who share my own vices is not the intent of this blog.

My purpose is to discuss the underlying problems that coffee addiction and sleep deprivation reveal about the UMass Amherst college community.

(Word Cloud, text from MSCIL)

Merriam-Webster defines stress as...

“a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc.

something that causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety

physical force or pressure”

Stress may be institutionally driven, when a society places excessive pressure on its citizens. I would argue that fast paced, modern American society places copious amounts of stress on individuals. 

(A Stress Management Exercise) I love this movie!

University life heightens this atmosphere of tension.  UMass Amherst has taken steps to reduce student stress levels. They bring fluffy dogs to comfort us around finals week, and offer counseling to those in need. However, the administration could do more to protect its scholars from...

READERS- What recommendations do YOU have, for the UMass Administration, to reduce student stress levels?

Stress management, however, begins on an individual level. I will continue to re-blog suggestions for those interested in recommendations. 

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Here we are, back again to critique the Umass Amherst Honors College Housing.

Now, we all know how nice the dorms in the Honors College are, there’s no denying that, but what about the price tag for this prime real estate? Huh, haven’t you ever heard? You have to actually pay to get into the...

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The lack of honors housing is ridiculous! I think the worst part is the administration’s lack of clarity...it was NOT clear that all honors kids would not be able to live in the honors college. How else has the UMass administration misled applicants about the honors college? What does this reveal about their priorities?

[stress---less]

Go for a walk outside

TEA! Try chamomile, green, lavender, and mint teas they are especially helpful

Play an instrument

Listen to music

Take 2-3 minutes to visualize something great- take a mind vacation

Take a hot bath

Start a gratitude journal, or just write down a few things you’re...

[study-well]

Exams are coming up and we all know how stressful they are so I decided to spread some tips for dealing with it and looking after yourself.

Avoid unhealthy habits. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Swap these for water, herbal teas, or diluted fruit juices.

Indulge in physical activity....

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Some Sunday inspiration - switch off and make your Sunday about you

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Some Essential Questions, and a Large Underlying Problem

 My last blog post introduced the problem of sleep deprivation here at UMass Amherst. Now, it is time to discuss the CAUSE of this campus-wide problem.

The Question- Why do YOU sacrifice sleep?

UMass students overwhelmingly answered…

1) Work

2) Friends

This train of thought prompts us to question an institutionally instilled, socially driven conundrum...why are we forced to choose? 

Why is time a constant limiting resource in our modern society?

(Hourglass Image)

As I rush from class to class, in a perpetual race against the clock, I am reminded of the the wonderful Justin Timberlake movie In Time...

(In Time trailer)

Readers, if you can relate to Justin’s epic struggle to make time, then I want YOUR thoughts on this matter.  

How can UMass Amherst reduce student anxiety levels, due to a lack of time?

(I will address this question in a future blog post, so stay tuned!)

Students at UMass Amherst are under a great deal of pressure. Sleep deprivation is just one indicator of the stress this academic institution puts on scholars. This blog is about more than a couple hours of lost sleep...it is about a society that fails to recognize the stress of its citizens, and which underestimates the importance of mental health.

I made this Word Cloud from the “Stress Management Organization” website home page...I find it to be a depiction of their message and mission...

I would also like to take this as an opportunity to discuss my coping mechanism of choice...COFFEE. This brown liquid is the elixir of my existence...it courses through my veins, and gives me the energy I need to push through otherwise insurmountable days. 

However, my extreme dependence on this substance worries my friends, family, and on occasion, myself. 

(Caffeine Addiction Image)

Research into the health impacts of caffeine reveal that it is not, in fact, as harmful as I previously assumed. There are many myths about caffeine (you can read more about these here). However, this does not change the fact that DEPENDENCY on any substance is harmful. Furthermore, the reason for this dependency, lack of sleep due to excess work, is cause for legitimate concern. Once again, a subtle tendency (increased coffee consumption) indicates a deeper underlying problem within the UMass Amherst community. 

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Behold! the glorious Hasbrouck Laboratory, center for the scientific advancement of many of UMass Amherst’s finest students. Look upon the beautiful brick exterior and interesting architectural details, such as the majestic cylindrical element, topped with an elegant cone roof. But, alas!...

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The Hasbrouck Fence is the worst! I hate it too, but I have to wonder WHY UMass put it up in the first place...If you can counter-argue the initial reasoning for building the fence, you gain a lot of power. 

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The Problem: Sleep Deprivation

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“Man, I only slept for two hours last night. Cramming session for that calculus exam really took it out of me. Its cool though, I will catch up on my sleep this weekend.” -- UMass Amherst Student

Does this sound like something you would say? If so, keep reading!

The time has come for us to discuss a problem that has infiltrated our campus, our dorm rooms, our most intimate spaces. In a modern world of constant hustle and bustle, sleep deprivation is a huge problem. Lack of sleep is an especially prevalent problem on the UMass campus. It is easy to prioritize classes and friends over sleep. However, the time we spend in bed has incredible value.  

We can analyze the negative impacts of sleep deprivation through a variety of lenses. As a college students, I would like to start with an exploration of the impacts of sleep deprivation on academic performance.

ACADEMICS

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Stage One: Sleep deprivation results in decreased performance. This impacts alertness in class.

A Not So FUN FACT- “Reducing your nighttime sleep by as little as one and a half hours for just one night could result in a reduction of daytime alertness by as much as 32%”...That’s why the Calc exam was so hard!

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Stage Two: Lack of sleep negatively impacts memory, as well as processing ability. This has a lasting impact on academic performance.

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You stay up all night studying for an exam, in an effort to prioritize your academics. However, in the process, you diminish your future potential for success.

The purpose of this blog is to...

explore the impact of sleep deprivation...

especially as it relates to students at Umass Amherst

Why is it such a big problem here? 

***READERS-Why do YOU sacrifice sleep?*** 

discuss caffeine dependency

reveal the impact of sleep deprivation and caffeine dependency on student health (mental, physical)

propose solutions for our campus

Tonight, prioritize yourself and get 8 solid hours of shut eye. Here is some relaxing music to help get the job done...

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