How to Beat College Related Stress
College can be a very stressful time. You are living away from home, often for the first time and often with someone you didn’t choose, in a community situation where you are constantly surrounded by other people. There is pressure to work hard, look good, make friends and, most of all to succeed. Many people find the pressures of college overwhelming. They end up dropping out, and often they live to regret this choice, sometimes for the rest of their lives. If you find yourself feeling stressed out, here are a few tips to keep your sanity and stay in school:
1. Duh… exercise. It’s a clich for a reason. Exercise is the most sure-fire way to beat stress. Even a lively walk several times a week will help enormously. But if you can find a stationary bike to ride or someone to shoot hoops with, even better. It’s a fact: the more you exercise, the better you will feel. You will find your stress level abates and you will sleep more soundly, too.
2. Assemble a study group. If you’re stressed about a course, gather some other students and form a study group. Four or five others to go over the material once a week should do it. Even the most stubborn problem can be conquered with other minds on the matter. And don’t underestimate your contribution: You have things to offer, too, concepts they couldn’t get from the lecture or the text that came easily to you.
3. Eat nutritiously. If you are on meal plan, choose your foods well. Make sure you eat lots of vegetables (e.g., leafy greens), protein, and complex carbohydrates (brown rice, bran, corn meal). Invest in a nutrition book to learn which foods are healthiest for you. If you live off campus, prepare quick, simple meals like rice and beans, tuna sandwiches, pasta, stir fry, and salads. Set aside time once a week to cook something that you can keep in the fridge and heat up during the week-a vegetable casserole or a soup, perhaps. Avoid sugar as much as possible. And don’t get too hungry; hunger can mimic stress and make you feel ungrounded and overwhelmed. Eating well, on the other hand, will help you to feel centered and efficient.
4. Ask for help. If you are having trouble with a course, if your course load is overwhelming, or if you find you feel anxious and nervous much of the time, seek help from your advisor. Don’t try and go it alone if you don’t feel right. You (and maybe your family) are paying plenty of money for college; you want to have a positive experience. Your advisor will have suggestions, maybe that you drop a course and add something different, or take fewer credits. If speaking with your advisor doesn’t lessen your stress level, consult a counselor or therapist.
5. Make sure you are having fun. College is supposed to be one of the best times in your life. Don’t waste these years being unhappy and overwhelmed. Go out with your friends. See a movie or a show. Go to a museum. Have some friends over for a board game or a game of cards. Kicking around with friends is a surefire antidote to stress. And talk about the stress you’re feeling. You’ll be happy to learn that many of your friends feel the same thing.
College can be a lot to handle. But your stress level will abate if you are careful to take good care of yourself. Eat three meals a day, spend time with your friends, keep your workload at a reasonable level, and make sure you get enough sleep. If you still don’t feel well, get help. It may be just a matter of a meeting or two with your advisor or a therapist to get you feeling like yourself again.
Hilary Sloin is a staff writer for the American Educational Guidance Center. She writes on online colleges, accelerated degree programs, and online college doctoral programs.
