How Do Sequoyah Students Feel About Journaling?
Journaling can be beneficial; writing down one’s ideas and thoughts can be great for mental health and overall well-being. It can help one map out thoughts for projects, including school work. But are there scenarios where journaling can hurt Sequoyah students? What do Sequoyah students think when journaling is required within a class?
When it comes to students’ overall relationships with journaling, Connie Zhao ’27 explained that she used to “do it every day” but now does it “once a week to once every two weeks.” Similarly, Isha Agrawal ’27 said, “I don’t currently journal, but I did for a long time… I haven’t had the time… but it really helped.” While journaling used to be a consistent habit for both Agrawal and Zhao, journaling does not take priority in their lives and takes effort to keep up. Agrawal recognized that journaling was helpful, and she has a positive relationship with journaling, but there are too many other things to do.
Journaling seems to help get one’s thoughts on a page. Zhao articulated this stance well: “it helps me work my feelings out, especially when I don’t really know how I feel.” Journaling helps you better understand yourself and bring out feelings you didn’t even know existed. Eurus Wang ’27 agreed and said, “journaling can help people slow down” and understand “what they actually have in their brain.” Wang also said that journaling “helps [her] to remember what [she’s] learned from [a] day.” Journaling can be a way of reflecting on one’s day and getting things down on paper so they are not forgotten.
Some students noted, however, that they have felt resentful of journaling when it is forced upon them. Zhao said, “I dislike it when we’re being told to [journal] because then it feels like I’m forced to put my feelings down.” But, “if it’s on my own time, then I’m willingly putting my feelings down.” Wang also said that when journaling is required for a class, she’s “not very willing to do that.” Feeling forced to do something immediately turns many people off from doing that thing, especially when it comes to something like expressing yourself. Agrawal said that when you are forced to journal and share, you think about what you are writing differently because you know you have to share it.
Students noted that one downside of journaling is the amount of effort journaling it takes. Wang observed that “it’s a good habit, but it’s really hard to keep the habit.” Journaling also means “a lot of work and a lot of deep thinking, which is hard.” While journaling can be a great thing, it is a lot of work and can be draining.
Overall, there are many benefits to journaling. It can let students get their feelings out, and help students understand themselves better. However, when it is required, it becomes more of a rigid activity, and it puts students off from journaling on their own time.