In one of my previous articles, I wrote about how to recognize stress in college students. Well, it is that time of the semester again, and college students, including myself, are feeling the weight of mid-terms (and life) on their shoulders. The demands financially, academically, and emotionally, far outweigh the supply of money, study time, and emotions that college students possess.
To help, I have compiled a list of smart ways to prevent this stress.
Make smart financial decisions. We have all had to learn the skill of money management the hard way. Every day, college students are bombarded with advertisements, trends, and even foods, that tempt us to break our budgets, which often is the case. The way to prevent a lot of financial stress is to simply do a little bit of financial planning, even going so far as to making a written budget. Every purchase a student makes needs to be a conscious one. Do you need the $7 salad in the university snack store, or should you use your meal plan that has already been paid for? Situations like this arise several times a day. With a little bit of planning, and a whole lot of self-control, your money will go a lot farther.
Make smart relationship decisions. One of my close freshman friends has been dealing with a person this year that constantly insults her, and starts drama at every turn. It is people like that who will push your stress level through the roof. Although it may not seem simple now, cutting negative influences like that out of your life will contribute to your happiness. And getting rid of the negativity will reduce your overall stress level. The same goes for relationships. If you are simply too busy to be able to maintain a steady relationship, do not spend a great amount of time stressing over that fact. College is a time for personal growth and academic success. Do not stress over this now; you have the rest of your life to develop long (loving) relationships.
Make smart academic decisions. At least for me, this is the area that causes the greatest amount of stress. Professors have a never-ending stream of assignments, tests, and most importantly, readings. I have an average of about 300-500 pages of reading per week. It is not humanly possible to complete this task, but developing a few tricks will relieve some of the pressure. If you prioritize the readings, skim unimportant sections, and make notes in the margins as you read, the stress of the reading will not by any means disappear, but it will be a little bit easier. In addition, work with your advisor to make sure you take classes that apply towards your degree. No need to take extra credits; those will only add to your stress level.
The most important thing to remember is to prioritize your life. You always come first, then academics, then other activities, then relationships and extraneous issues.
Here’s to a less stressful semester!
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