Under pressure

Long time no see! It feels weird updating my blog after a couple of weeks, but I'd better get to it ASAP! I have been reading my classmates' posts and, to be honest, they are raising very interesting questions and at times relatable content. I feel like whereas most of them have the hook of it, some of us are still overwhelmed by the workload from our master's. I cannot help but to wonder, is this how it is supposed to be? Couldn't we follow a more relaxed path with the same academic outcome?

Ever since we were asked to look into innovative schools, I have had that same question on the brain. The basis of many of those schools was that students were supposed to feel comfortable in an anxiety-free environment while taking on the course, and the more I learn from other subjects, the clearer it is that stress underminines an otherwise positive and successful learning process. I think we are old enough to self-study but it sometimes feels like the autonomous work we take home is too much. We are used to being under pressure at work and we see how it affects our mental health, but translating it into university, our performance is also upset. Moreover, most of us are studying because we want to and enjoy learning, but I am afraid the educational system we are under doesn't really care about the student's well-being. As a current and future teacher, I always try to take the pressure off of my pupils' shoulders, but at the same time the only place to put it is on mine. I feel like, on the one hand, we are required to be attentive and caring with them but at the same time we are given no tools for that. However, we usually manage to carry out our tasks despite the difficulties, and that's grit, a concept that was mentioned a couple of blog posts ago but that I have rediscovered and found closer to me.

Thank you for reading and I wish you a very happy week!