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BEATING
THE COLLEGE BLUES ...
STRESS REDUCTION TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
Betty
C. Carlson, Ed.D.
Beginning college is an exciting experience for most young
people, coupled with some anxiety about leaving home for
the first time and being on one’s own. In the college
dorm, there is no one around to tell you to do your homework,
get to bed at a decent hour, get off the telephone, or eat
a healthy breakfast before leaving for class. The thrill
of being independent also carries with it the reality of
being independent - you are responsible for yourself in
ways you may have never imagined. Considerations implicit
in being responsible for yourself include such things as
managing your time effectively, organizing your schedule
to meet your school and personal obligations, identifying
and using personal and academic resources appropriately,
and learning to understand and meet your own needs in the
context of living and interacting with people who - up to
now - were probably strangers. Most young people have learned
to achieve some of these skills before college, but few
have been wholly responsible for themselves prior to leaving
the home environment.
Stress is a natural and inevitable occurrence in college
life, particularly in the first semester away from home.
Exposure to new experiences, demands on one’s time,
and a variety of new choices to make all combine to create
stress for the college student, even one who is excited
and ready to jump into college life with both feet. After
the novelty and excitement of the first few weeks of school
wear off, many students find themselves overwhelmed, overscheduled,
and overloaded with class work, studying, and maintaining
a personal life. Often a crash occurs around midterm evaluations,
when the realization of “too much to do in too short
a time” hits home. Stress, fatigue and anxiety can
combine to make college a miserable experience.
The tips and strategies to manage stress for college students
are arranged in three distinct parts: Part 1 deals with
taking care of yourself physically. Part 2 presents information
about managing academic and school-related demands. Part
3 gives ideas for taking care of your psychological and
emotional needs, particularly when you’re feeling
overwhelmed.
Part 1: Taking Care of Yourself
A key part of managing or reducing stress is taking good
care of oneself physically. This includes engaging in regular
exercise, strenuous enough to work up a sweat and to discharge
tension that builds up as you go through the day. Pick something
you enjoy doing that you will stick with over time. Sports,
jogging, and resistance training all can help you stay fit
as well as reduce tension in your body. A second part of
taking care of oneself physically is to eat healthy, nutritious
foods, avoiding junk food as much as possible. Many college
students, away from home for the first time, make unwise
choices and deprive their bodies of needed nutrients. Poor
nutrition results in lowered stress resistance, which saps
energy reserves and can result in fatigue and illness. The
third part of taking care of oneself is getting enough rest
and sleep. Many students try to get by on little sleep,
cramming for exams and trying to catch up on school by pulling
an “all-nighter”. This may work in the short
run, but sleep deprivation can lead to impaired thinking,
poor decision-making, illness, and a generalized inability
to accomplish everyday tasks. Getting enough sleep is a
key way to replenish your energy reserves, so that stress
doesn’t take its toll on you.
Part 2: Managing Academic Demands
Managing the academic demands of college requires a commitment
to organizing one’s time, schedule, and priorities.
Many students, overwhelmed at the opportunities available
for social interaction and new friendships, over schedule
themselves for activities and commitments. Often, the academic
side of college life suffers, as the structure of academics
in college puts the responsibility for success on the student.
Typically, attendance is the student’s job; most professors
do not seek students out to find out why they didn’t
attend a lecture. Cutting a class may be easy; no detention
is assigned if you fail to come to class on time. Students
need to make it a priority to attend every class every time,
and to be on time. Get to know your professors. Seek appropriate
advising to plan your course load and schedule; ask for
help if you need it. Take advantage of learning centers,
tutorial help, and other supports such as learning labs
or taped lectures (sometimes available in the library).
Find out the hours for the computer center, library, learning
center and other resources on campus before you need to
use them. Most importantly, don’t procrastinate on
projects or papers that will require significant effort.
It is generally a helpful idea to use a monthly planner
to schedule the parts of large projects across the semester,
so you build in time to do each part thoroughly and well.
Putting assignments off until the last minute is a guaranteed
stress producer and usually results in poor quality work.
Many professors won’t accept work that is late, or
if they do, significant penalties may be incurred. Thinking
through what you want to accomplish each semester and identifying
your academic goals early will help you manage the demands
the academic side of college presents.
Part 3: Managing Psychological and Emotional Needs
After the first excitement of new living arrangements, new
friends, and a new sense of independence wears off, many
college students experience feelings of loneliness, anxiety,
and inadequacy. College life presents demands that tax the
emotional and psychological reserves of students as they
try to figure out who they are, how to “fit in”
in the new environment, and how to be successful in their
academic endeavors. Some students feel homesick for familiar
people and places; the effort required to adjust and adapt
to college can be overwhelming. It is important to identify
early the available resources for when you need someone
to talk to, confide in, or ask questions. Most colleges
have services available through the counseling center, the
student affairs office, or the student health service. Dormitories
may have a Resident Advisor, who may be able to assist you
or direct you to the appropriate source for help. Find out
what services are available and how to access them early;
it’s easier to get help quickly if you know where
to go and how to seek it out. For many students, it is helpful
to be reassured that their feelings of loneliness or anxiety
are normal and expected as part of the college experience.
Don’t be afraid to seek counseling assistance if you
are experiencing these feelings; they are part of the adjustment
process and are normal. Getting help for dealing with feelings
is a productive way to manage emotional or psychological
stress and can assist you to feel more in control.
Starting college can be an exciting experience, filled with
new people, opportunities, and challenges. Learning to manage
stress well can help you enjoy yourself while gaining the
benefits an advanced education can offer.
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