This article on 3 Ways to Manage Stress in College is a Guest Post from an actual senior in college.
Your college years can be some of the best years of your life. It’s an exciting time, full of opportunity, but for some, it is also full of stress. You’re away from your family, friends, and even pets, maybe for the first time, and you now also have added stress with the large load of school work.
It is important to manage this stress before it overtakes you. Here are three ways to manage your stress in college.
1. Stay on top of assignments and due dates
One of the lessons that I learned the hard way my freshman year was that college professors are not going to remind you of every due date. After taking a couple of zeros on assignments, I started carrying around a personal calendar and wrote down every deadline and important date. Each morning I would look at this calendar to see what had to be done that day and what was due in the next couple of days.
By knocking out assignments early and being aware of when my work was due, I cleared a large serving of stress off my plate.
2. Carve out some time in your schedule for personal hobbies or alone time
Constantly working on schoolwork can get tiring, both physically and mentally. Mental health is very underrated in college. If you are not mentally healthy, it will affect you both in your personal life and your school life.
By carving out an hour or two each day to do something that you love, you can reduce your stress levels and give yourself something to look forward to each day. For example, if you enjoy going to the gym, set aside an hour or two each day to work out. You’ll feel better.
3. Get a good night’s sleep to manage stress in college
Getting a good night’s sleep is often neglected in college. Sometimes sleeplessness is unavoidable, nights when you have to stay up working on assignments and mornings when you have to wake up extra early. However, if you develop good sleep habits in college, you will be refreshed and stress-free throughout the day.
College is a time to enjoy yourself, learn, and grow as an individual. However, due to stress, some students do not get to achieve their full potential. Following these three steps can help you, the student, manage stress in college. They helped me.