Good evening everyone,
I wanted to address some things and hopefully provide some words of encouragement. We are in trying times this semester. There is no doubt about that. For the past year, as a whole, we have encountered a range of different social, health, and geographically related events that have caused a lot of us to wonder when we will reach the light at the end of the tunnel. Hungry for a minuscule drop of normalcy in not only our lives but our academics. A shift from the chair at home to a chair at the PCL library. A night out with friends on Friday evening after a long week of exams. Not having outside variables negatively impact your academic pursuits. Not needing to worry about a global pandemic. The list goes on. That kind of light at the end of the tunnel.Please take care of yourselves. As humans, it is incredibly important that we take mental breaks. The online environment has made this incredibly difficult. Marty Lobdell, a famous psychologist who taught at Pierce College, gave an absolutely outstanding lecture on the techniques of studying. One of the largest points that he got across was that the environment in which you work can be incredibly impactful to your productivity. We sit in our chairs all day and overwork ourselves because we want to be the very best at something, and in the heat of the moment, it can be incredibly difficult to realize that as humans, we have to do other things besides just work in order to be able to work efficiently. I can't tell you how many times I have worked on programming assignments or labs and just became obsessed with figuring it out to the point where I am unproductive for 4-5 hours without realizing it because of how burnt out I am. When you are struggling on a programming assignment/homework... Take a step back. Let your subconscious handle the thinking. Take a nap. Go for a walk. Get some fresh air. Rest for the night and tackle it in the morning. Step away. Put time for yourself, go watch a movie, eat a snack. Treat yourself every now and then for how hard you work. You deserve it.
Furthermore, I want you to understand that your mental health is of the utmost importance to me and the rest of the teaching staff. We are not in ordinary times. If you ever need anything or feel as if this class has become detrimental to your mental health, please let one of us know. We are all here to help. This includes Santiago, Kiana, Debbie, Divya, Nathan, Caleb, Tejna, myself, and Dr.John. @9
I also want you to understand that I have been there before. That feeling that things are crashing and burning, wondering if there is any way out of the situation you are in. Wondering if there is any bouncing back from a bad grade. Wondering if it would even be worth asking for help. Feeling hopeless, lost. I have taken so many courses in my academic career where professors or teaching staff have absolutely no care for student mental health or success. One of my biggest inspirations for becoming a TA for Dr.John was seeing how much my own TA (Jeffrey Wang), Dr.John, and the other TA's (such as Debbie and Santiago) cared for me when I was dealing with my grandfather getting incredibly sick overseas when COVID-19 happened. I want you to know that the teaching staff and I will do everything in our power to help you succeed in this class. We are here for you. It is incredibly important to communicate with us.
Some resources:24/7 CMHC Crisis Line (confidential and free): 512-471-CALL (2255) (more info: https://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/24hourcounseling.html) - Use when you yourself need help.
Behavior Concerns Advice Line: (512) 232-5050 (more info: https://besafe.utexas.edu/behavior-concerns-advice-line) - Use to report a concerned classmate/anyone at UT for whom you have concern => This is also frequently recommended in many cases in which you are not sure if any help is needed and do not want to cause/get anyone in trouble. They fully understand / respect confidentiality.National Lifeline: 1 (800) 273-8255 (not just "the suicide prevention hotline", it's for all cases) - Good to try if you tried the CMHC crisis line.
It is important to keep working hard. Beginner programmer or not, this course can be incredibly rigorous, and although it might seem unreasonable at times, everything we do in terms of style, design, tests, etc, is for a reason. We want you to develop strong programming skills and be able to think through different scenarios and problems. These skills will hopefully be beneficial to you if you continue to pursue CS or not.
Finally, remember that a grade is just a letter. It does not define who you are, or your skills as a programmer. We are so proud of you all for making it this far in the course. You are almost there. 1 month to go. The light at the end of the tunnel might seem dim sometimes, but it is there.
"One of my favorite quotes by Randy Armstrong: “Worrying does not take away tomorrow's troubles. It takes away today's peace".