Stress is as much a part of the college experience as textbooks and tuition. Many incoming freshmen are overwhelmed soon after the semester starts. It is crucial that you have a strategy for managing stress during your freshmen year.
College stress doesn’t crush students on the first day of classes. True, there is a great amount of stress that comes with the tests, papers, strict professors, and financial strain. However, students typically succumb to college stressors after creating a bad situation for themselves. They further complicate the problem by not seeking help, for example, from the college’s counseling center. Here are the most common mistakes that freshmen tend to make.
Those trips to the vending machine, skipped breakfasts, late nights and early mornings, all weaken your body. Hunger and exhaustion breed irritation and eventually, anxiety ensues. Your ability to concentrate is diminished. Junk food contributes to stress in the form of a sugar high, which makes you hypersensitive and unable to concentrate. Fatty foods drain you of motivation and energy.
This is also a one way ticket to burnout. You take on more than you can handle. Any extra time is spent studying. The result is exhaustion, hunger or weight gain, as well as anxiety.
The freedom that comes with the college atmosphere is often intoxicating. However, the freedom high wears off. Many students are then left with an overwhelming homesickness that tends to take over their concentration, motivation, and energy.
There are ways to manage all forms of college stress. Consider these tips early in the semester, or before leaving home.
· Get organized. Time management is essential to relieving stress. It prevents procrastination and overload by giving everything a designated time. Make schedules that include study breaks and separate time to just relax.
· Exercise. Exercise will not only keep you fit; it will also give you the energy to get through your hectic days. Hormone produced exercise is also known to prevent anxiety and depression.
· Eat well. Food is fuel, and your body needs lots of it. Avoid foods that contain too much caffeine, sugar and fat.
· Sleep well. A sleep refreshed brain can handle more information, is sharper, and more alert than one exhausted from parties and cramming.
· Look on the bright side. A positive attitude can help prevent stress from taking over.
· Have some “me” time. Take frequent breaks from studying to reset your brain. If possible, set aside time each day to do something that relaxes you.
· Create a support system. Join a club or organization which shares your interests. Keep in touch with your family—even if it is a weekly phone call. Watch campus calendars for activities that are geared especially for freshmen. Drop into the campus counseling center if you are having trouble mingling.
Again, consult the school’s counseling center to get more support. Trained professionals are there to help freshmen transition smoothly into college life.
Although stress is a fundamental part of the freshmen experience, it doesn’t have to take over your life. Make a strategy for managing college stress before you go. Oftentimes, just knowing the escape route is enough to avoid a problem.