Managing the stressors of the college life

College life has many great and wonderful aspects, but as exciting as it is at times, it also has numerous stress-inducing aspects. There are not only the academic hurdles to jump over, but also the stresses of balancing school, work, homework and social relationships as well as the huge lingering stress of trying to figure out what we are meant to do with our life. Although those listed above, are almost unavoidable stressors, there are some stressors that we, as college kids create for ourselves; those are the ones that we can manage and try to lessen as much as possible.

Do not procrastinate

Due dates for all projects, assignments and papers are typically written in the syllabus that you receive for each class at the beginning of the semester. Time pressure is a major cause of stress in college. So have all of your assignments organized by due date and have all of your syllabi handy so you can ensure that you have enough time for each project and paper assigned throughout the semester.

Ask for help

I have said this many times before, but I will continue to reiterate it. Every professor I have had here at sbcc has been more than willing to help me, either in office hours or in an appointment that we set up to work around my busy class schedule. I really do mean it when I say that the professors here at sbcc want you to succeed. So if you feel lost or are having trouble on a specific lesson, contact your teacher right away to clear things up!

Don’t expect yourself to be perfect

This was something I struggled with at the beginning of college. I am definitely somewhat of a perfectionist and when I would get papers returned with a lesser grade than I had expected, I would beat myself up. Something to keep in mind: this is college, grading is definitely harder than in college and so is the information that you are expected to retain. Don’t get me wrong, you should definitely try your very hardest, because school is important, and ultimately the reason you are here… but getting a paper back with a C even though you are generally an A student isn’t the end of the world! You will be just fine.

Don’t over commit

There are a plethora of ‘extra’ activities on which to spend time on in college. Social events, internships, jobs, sports, or even just hanging out with friends. One thing you should drill into your brain right now is that you cannot do everything. If this is your first year attending college, limit your extra curricular activates first semester to see how much time your study allows, then add on if you aren’t too overwhelmed.

Learn to laugh it off

You have to search for the humor and happiness in life. Even stressful situations have a brought side; look for this and make yourself laugh or even smile. Laughter relaxes tense muscles and soothes the brain. Laughter lets you know that it is okay and life will go on after this 10-page paper, you will get through it and you will survive! If you really cant find anything to laugh about in your situation, turn to something else to brighten your day, watch your favorite comedy or turn to friend and loved ones who you know can put a smile on your face!