In this episode, Dr. Renee Jordan revisits a blog post from August 2018 titled "Balance." She shares a personal story about a particularly challenging semester during her junior year of college, where she took an overly demanding course load. Dr. Jordan discusses how this experience taught her the importance of balancing course selections to manage stress and optimize learning.

Key Points:

1. Challenging Semester: Dr. Jordan recounts taking 17 credits in one semester, including demanding courses such as Biochemistry, Quantitative Analysis, Physics, and Statistics, which led to significant stress and weight loss.
2. Health Impact: The stress from the semester caused Dr. Jordan to become ill, leading to her withdrawing from classes and taking a medical leave.
3. Recovery and Success: After taking a break, she returned to school and had her best academic semester, changing her minor from Chemistry to Art and finding a better balance in her course load.
4. Adapting and Learning: Dr. Jordan emphasizes the importance of knowing how you learn best and arranging classes to create a balanced schedule. She encourages students to mix challenging courses with those that engage different parts of the brain.
5. Long-term Lessons: She highlights how this experience has influenced her approach to managing stress and making mindful decisions about balancing work and personal life.
6. Practical Advice: Dr. Jordan provides practical advice for students on selecting courses, managing stress, and seeking help when needed. She encourages inserting "counterweights" into academic schedules to maintain balance and well-being.

Takeaways:

• Understanding your learning style and capacity is crucial for creating a balanced academic schedule.
• It’s important to mix challenging courses with those that engage different cognitive skills to avoid burnout.
• Pay attention to your health and well-being; stress can manifest physically and mentally.
• Seek support from friends, advisors, and medical professionals if needed.
• Be adaptable and willing to make changes to ensure long-term success and well-being.

Quotes:

• "Slow and steady wins the race." - Aesop
• "Know how you learn, and arrange your classes to create balance."
• "Stress affects people in different ways; pay attention to what's going on with you."

Recommendations:

• Consider taking a mix of courses that challenge different parts of your brain.
• Seek medical help if stress impacts your health.
• Utilize campus resources like student services and counseling.
• Communicate with professors and advisors about your situation.

Listener Engagement:

• Reflect on your own academic experiences and consider how you can create a balanced schedule.
• Share your stories of managing challenging semesters and finding balance in your academic or professional life.
• Like, subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to help it become more discoverable.

Closing: Thank you for listening to another episode of the Black-Liberation.Tech podcast. I am your host Dr. Renee Jordan. Until next time, bye-bye.