Drowning in Schoolwork- Literally

I’m up to my eyeballs in monster assignments.

Although I’ve been chipping away relentlessly at my backed up assignments for days, I can barely see the light at the end of the road. Here are just three assignments that I’ve had recently and have completed. 

Assignment # 1 (Public Speaking) <<<<<<<<<<

• Discuss the tips for formulating a specific purpose statement.
• What is the difference between the specific purpose and the central idea of a speech?
• Identify the six demographic traits of audiences, and discuss why each factor is important to audience analysis.
• Discuss the five elements involved in situational audience analysis.
• Speakers need to use audience adaptation both before and during a speech. Identify three hypothetical situations that might occur during the presentation of a speech, and discuss how you would adapt to these unplanned circumstances or experiences.
• In your first set of speeches for this course, you will be presenting four speeches with a hypothetical audience. Audience analysis affects the ideas you will present as well as the instructor’s evaluation of your ability to adapt your remarks to a particular group of listeners. With these thoughts in mind, prepare a written analysis of your audience using your knowledge of demographic characteristics. For example, a hypothetical audience may be comprised of nontraditional students, international students, European Americans and/or minorities from various geographical locations, individuals varying in socio-economic backgrounds, persons of different genders and body types, and scholars with various majors and academic abilities. Your analysis may include details related to each of these variables or others that apply to your particular audience. The hypothetical speaking context could be a classroom containing 23 students, who have convened for a 50-minute class session at 10:00 a.m. Incorporate applicable factors into your analysis related to demographic and psychographic variables outlined in the textbook. In addition, discuss any needs that you are going to try to fulfill for your audience.
• Discuss the five resources noted in the textbook for finding information for your speeches in the library.
• Discuss the three criteria for evaluating research material that you find on the internet.
• What should you do during the three stages of an information gathering interview to ensure a successful interview?
• What information do you need to record in your preliminary bibliography for the following: (a) a book, (b) a magazine and (c) an internet document?
• Discuss five things you should do to take research notes efficiently.

Assignment # 2 [Earth Science] <<<<<<<<<<

MINERAL AND ROCK IDENTIFICATION LAB EXAM

NAME________________________   DATE_____________

This exam has 3 parts.  The first two parts can be answered in tables in this document and submitted as a .doc file, but the third part should be submitted as a word document or powerpoint file (.doc or .ppt).  Please attach the two files to an email and send to my address which is rlmetz.metz@gmail.com.  I will send an email confirmation when I receive your exam.  You can use your notes and the textbook for this exam.  Use the samples from the Rock and Mineral Kit that you purchased from the VU bookstore to make observations as needed.

PART 1.  Minerals

Task

For each of 9 minerals in your kit (numbers 1, 3, 7, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19), record the following information:

A.  Write the mineral name.

B.  Write the mineral’s chemical formula.

C.  If the mineral exists in one or more of the rock samples in your kit, name which ones, OR, if not, indicate the name of a rock in which it does commonly occur.

D.  List three diagnostic properties (properties that can be used to identify a particular mineral) and their values that can be observed in each of the 9 samples.  For example, the gold color of pyrite (number 6) is a diagnostic property of that mineral.

E.  Indicate an economic use or societal importance of this mineral or a rock that this mineral is commonly part of.

Record your answers in the table below. 

PART 2. Rocks

For each of the indicated samples from your kit, please record its name, rock type (igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary), and sub-category within each rock type (e.g., foliated, extrusive) to which it belongs.  Also describe the texture including features such as fossils, sedimentary layering, foliation, interlocking crystals, etc.  Include minerals observed in the samples.  If there are two or more, record two of the minerals.  If only one mineral is present include its name.  If no mineral grains or crystals are observable, write “not observable”.

Part 3. 

Find three different geological materials, each at a separate location (at least 0.5 miles apart) near you.  These can include bedrock outcrops (road cuts are convenient), pieces of three different rock types so long as each piece is large enough to cover most of your open hand, or large boulders used in landscaping. You also may find it helpful to wash the specimen off.  Don’t use soils because I haven’t given you enough tools to work with them.

For each of the materials, take two pictures (one showing the whole area of the material exposure, and one close up), sketch and label texture and minerals on the photos in MS word or powerpoint.  For each of the separately located materials, also include a paragraph or table with the rock type, complete texture description, sub-category, and rock name.  If using landscaping cobbles or gravel, pick one piece and describe that.  Be sure that each specimen is of the required size.

Assignment # 3 (Health Psychology) <<<<<<<<<<

Assignment: Unit Two

1. With respect to the Stress scales:
a) Discuss your results on the three stress scales
b) Do they agree/disagree with your perception of your stress level
c) How do you know when you are under stress
d) Identify whether the indicators of stress that you listed are physical, psychological and/or
social
2. Discuss your results on the two coping exercises.
3. Using information from the text/lecture, how do these results affect your life and what can
you do to reduce stress.
4. Regarding Proschaska’s stages of change model:
a) identify and describe with regard to your stress and your plans to manage it, at which
stage of Proschaska’s model you believe you are at the present time.
b) if you are planning (or were to plan) to manage your stress, describe yourself in terms
of each of the other four stages (minus the one from question 4a).Which of the following events have you experienced in the past 12
months?

Life Event Point Value
Death of a close family member 100
Jail term 80
Final year or first year of college 63
Pregnancy (yours or your partner’s) 60
Serious illness or injury 53
Marriage 50
Any interpersonal problems 45
Financial difficulties 40
Death of a close friend 40
Arguments with your roommate (more than every other day) 40
Major disagreements with your family 40
Major change in personal habits 30
Change in living environment 30
Beginning or ending a job 30Problems with your boss or professor 25
Outstanding personal achievement 25
Failure in a course 25
Final examinations 20
Increased or decreased amount of dating 20
Change in working conditions 20
Change in your major 20
Change in your sleeping habits 18
Vacation of several days 15
Change in eating habits 15
Family reunion 15
Change in recreational activities 15
Minor illness or injury 15
Minor violations of the law 11
Score: ________
(1) Interpretation
Life events can function as stressors that influence the body through
activation of the stress response. An accumulation of 150 or more points
(see point ranges below) in a 1-year period may lead to increased physical
illness during the coming year. Of course, you must remember that, for a
given person, certain events may be more or less stressful than the point
values indicated.Less than 100 limited likelihood of stress related illness
101 to 200 moderate likelihood of stress related illness
201 or above high likelihood of stress related illness
(2) To Carry This Further
Having completed this Personal Assessment and evaluated your responses
based on the interpretation, were you surprised by the number of stress
points that you generated? Are there stressors listed that you have not
en-countered either in your own experiences or in those of your close
friends?DETERMINING YOUR STRESS LEVEL
To evaluate your level of stress and to help you identify changes that you
need to make, circle the number under the appropriate response to each
question.
Use the following guidelines in making your decisions:
Rarely Almost never
Sometimes Once or twice each week
Often Four or more times each week
How Frequently Do You: RARELY SOMETIMES OFTEN
Experience one or more of the symptoms of excess
stress such as tension, pain in the neck or shoulders,
or headaches?
1 3 5
Find it difficult to concentrate on what you are doing
because of deadlines or other tasks that must be
completed?
1 3 5
Become irritable when you have to wait in line or get
caught in a traffic jam?
1 3 5
Eat, drink, or smoke in an attempt to relax and/or
relieve tension?
1 3 5
Worry about your work or other deadlines at night
and/or on weekends?
1 3 5
Wake up in the night thinking about all the things
you must do the next day?
1 3 5
Feel impatient at the slowness with which many
events take place?
1 3 5
Find yourself short of time to complete everything
that needs to take place?
1 3 5Become upset because things have not gone your
way?
1 3 5
Tend to lose your temper and get irritable? 1 3 5
Wake up in the night and have a hard time getting
back to sleep?
1 3 5
Drive over the speed limit? 1 3 5
Interrupt people while they are talking or complete
their sentences for them?
1 3 5
Forget about appointments and/or lose objects or
forget where you put them?
1 3 5
Take on too many responsibilities? 1 3 5
1. Add the numbers together that you circled.
2. Enter your score here: ________________
Evaluate your score according to the following criteria:
Potential level of stress
Low #60; 35
Moderate 35-42
High 43-50
Very high > 50HASSLES IN YOUR LIFE
The following gives a list of common events you may sometimes find unpleasant because they
make you irritated, frustrated, or anxious. The list was taken from the Hassles Assessment Scale
for Students in College, which has respondents rate the frequency, and unpleasantness of and
dwelling on each event.
For this exercise, rate only the frequency of each event. Beside each item estimate how often it
occurred during the past month, using the scale:
0=never, 1=rarely, 2=occasionally, 3=often, 4=very often, 5=extremely often.
___Accidents/clumsiness/mistakes of self – e.g., spilling beverage, tripping
___Annoying behavior of self – e.g., habits, temper
___Annoying social behavior of others – e.g., rude, inconsiderate, sexist/racist
___Appearance of self – e.g., noticing unattractive features, grooming
___Athletic activities of self – e.g., aspects of own performance, time demands
___Bills/overspending: seeing evidence of
___Boredom – e.g., nothing to do, current activity uninteresting
___Car problems – e.g., breaking down, repairs
___Crowds/large social groups – e.g., at parties, while shopping
___Dating – e.g., noticing lack of, uninteresting partner
___Environment – e.g., noticing physical living or working conditions
___Extracurricular groups – e.g., activities, responsibilities
___ Exams – e. g., preparing for, taking
___Exercising – e.g., unpleasant routines, time to do
___Facilities/resources unavailable – e.g., library materials, computer
___Family: obligations or activities
___Family, relationship issues, annoyances
___Fears of physical safety – e.g. while walking alone, being on a plane or car
___Fitness, noticing inadequate physical condition
___Food – e.g., unappealing or unhealthful meals
___Forgetting to do things – e.g., to tape TV show, send cards, etc.
___Friends/peers: relationship issues, annoyances
___Future plans – e.g., career or marital decisions
___Getting up early, for school or work
___Girl/boy-friend: relationship issues, annoyances
___Goals/tasks; not completing enough
___Grades – e.g., getting a low grade
___Health/physical symptoms of self – e.g. flu, PMS, allergies, etc.
___Schoolwork – e.g., working on papers, reading hard/tedious material
___Housing; finding/getting or moving___Injustice: seeing examples or being a victim of
___Job: searching for or interviews
___Job/work issues – e.g., demands or irritating aspects of\
___Lateness of self – e.g., for appointment or class
___Losing or misplacing things
___Medical/dental treatments – e.g., unpleasant, time demands
___Money; noticing lack of
___New experiences or challenges; engaging in
___Noise of other people or animals
___Oral presentations/public speaking
___Parking problems – e.g., on campus, at work, in the mall
___Privacy; noticing lack of
___Professors/coaches – e.g., unfairness, demands of
___Registering for or selecting classes to take
___Roommate(s)/housemates: relationship issues, annoyances
___Sexually transmitted diseases – e.g., concerns about, efforts to reduce risk of
___Sports team/celebrity performance – e.g., favorite team losing
___Tedious everyday chores – e.g., shopping, cleaning
___Time demands/deadlines
___Traffic problems – e.g., inconsiderate or careless drivers, traffic jams
___Traffic tickets; getting
___Waiting – e.g., for appointments, in lines
___Weather problems – e.g. snow, heat/humidity, storms
___Weight/dietary management – e.g., not sticking to plans
Add all of the ratings for a total score. You can evaluate your relative hassles with the following
schedule compared to the stress other college students have from hassles. A total score of 105 is
about average, above 135 indicates much more stress, and below 75 indicates much less stressPositive and Negative Coping Skills
People react differently to stressful situations. Following is a list of what
would be considered “positive” responses.
Check off the appropriate response for each of these. If there are other
positive ways that you deal with stress, please list them at the bottom of the
list.
Response NEVER SOMETIMES OFTEN
Meditate _____ _____ _____
Stretch _____ _____ _____
Engage in progressive muscle relaxation _____ _____ _____
Listen to music _____ _____ _____
Exercise aerobically _____ _____ _____
Watch television _____ _____ _____
Go to the movies _____ _____ _____
Read _____ _____ _____
Work on puzzles or play games _____ _____ _____
Go for a leisurely walk _____ _____ _____
Go to a health club _____ _____ _____
Relax in a steam room or sauna _____ _____ _____
Spend time alone _____ _____ _____
Go fishing or hunting _____ _____ _____
Participate in some form of recreational activity _____ _____ _____
such as golf _____ _____ _____
Do some work in the yard _____ _____ _____
Socialize with friends _____ _____ _____
Sit outside and relax _____ _____ _____
Engage in a hobby _____ _____ _____YOU’RE FOCUSES IN COPING
Think about a very stressful personal crisis or life event you experienced in the last year – the
more recent and stressful the event, the better for this exercise. How did you handle this
situation and your stress? Some of the ways people handle stressful experiences are listed below.
Mark an X in the space preceding each one you used.
___Tried to see a positive side to it.
___Tried to step back from the situation and be more objective.
___Prayed for guidance or strength.
___Sometimes took it out on other people when I felt angry or depressed.
___Got busy with other things to keep my mind off the problem.
___Decided not to worry about it because I figured everything would work out fine.
___Took things one step at a time
___Read relevant material for solutions and considered several alternatives.
___Drew on my knowledge because I had a similar experience before.
___Talked with a professional person (e.g., doctor, clergy, lawyer, teacher, counselor) about
ways to improve the situation.
___Talked to a friend or relative to get advice on handling the problem.
___Took some action to improve the situation.
Count how many of the first six ways you marked – these are examples of “emotion-focused”
ways. How many of the second six – “problem-focused” – ways didIdentification of Coping Styles
Directions
There are a variety of ways and methodologies to help us deal with stress.
Consider each of the activities below and determine whether you are
currently using any of them to deal with stress.
Often Rarely Not at
all
Listen to music
Go shopping with a friend
Watch television/go to a movie
Read a newspaper, magazine, or book
Sit alone in peaceful outdoors
Write prose or poetry
Attend athletic event, play, lecture, symphony,
etc.
Go for a walk or drive
Exercise (swim, bike, jog)
Get deeply involved in some other activity
Play with a pet
Take a nap
Get outdoors, enjoy nature
Write in journal
Practice deep breathing, meditation, autogenics,
muscle relaxation
Straighten up desk or work area
Take a bath or shower
Do physical labor (garden, paint)
Make home repairs, refinish furnitureBuy something – records, books
Play a game (chess, backgammon, video games)
Pray, go to church
Discuss situations with spouse or close friend

******************

Yeah, and this doesn’t include all of the precalculus problems.

DROWNING IN SCHOOLWORK. <<<<<<<<<<