How to Manage the College Stress

We’ve all heard it said that college is the best years of our lives.  So far, I also consider this statement to be true.  The freedom to live on your own and do whatever you please is so much more liberating than being trapped under your parents’ strict laws with the constant feeling of them breathing down your neck.  Plus the social aspect of college is pretty epic.  However, I think something all college kids would agree on is it can get STRESSFUL.

We all have our own ways of dealing with the stress, and some students deal better than others.  Since beginning my freshman year at Ohio Northern last fall, I found myself as someone who was not very good at dealing with stress.  But as I got through the school year, I found myself coping better with this issue.  Here are some tips to keep you stressing less:

1.     Don’t procrastinate. A major reason we get stressed as college students is because we do not always have the time we want to complete our assignments or study for exams, etc.  Time management is extremely important at college.  If you start your assignments shortly after they are given, you will surely find yourself stressing less about having time to get them done.  Plus, it always feels relieving to cross one more thing off of your to-do list.

2.     Stay organized.  Keep a planner to organize assignments and exam dates.  Seeing exactly what needs to be done on paper makes getting around to completing those tasks a little bit easier (and every bit helps).  It also helps keeping track of where you need to be at what time in a calendar.

3.     Give yourself some "me" time.  If you feel yourself getting over-stressed, take sometime to lay off of the schoolwork for a little bit and save some time for yourself.  Exercise: releasing endorphins will make you feel happier, plus it will give you that extra burst of energy you may need to finish that last assignment of the night.  Listen to music: pick a few songs to calm you down and keep you sane.  Focus on the sound and lyrics that you find intriguing in these songs to jumpstart your brain-flow.

4.     Be social, but not too social. After all, this is college.  I am not saying to relieve your problems by going out and partying on a Monday night to forget about your paper due the next day, but it is okay to take out some study time in your day to spend time with friends.  In fact, this is probably necessary to you sane in college.  Studying with friends also encourages you to get some work done, which benefits your social life and grades at the same time.

5.     Get involved.  Although burying your head in the books 24/7 may get you good grades, it does not make you a well-rounded student.  Get involved in clubs or sororities or religious groups to meet new people take your mind off of schoolwork once in a while.  Being involved around campus also looks great on resumes, which will only benefit you in “the real world.”  But remember, education comes first, so make sure you are not too involved that you cannot handle your stress.  Keep an equal balance.

6.     Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  As evil as you think they may be, your professors are only here to help you and are usually more than happy to meet with you individually to help you with any issues you are having academically.  If you have a teacher that is not so helpful, reach out to a friend or tutor.  Everyone understands stress and will more than likely be willing to help lesson it for others if they are able to.