When you become an upperclassman, there many new stresses start to appear in your life. The main one is that you are beginning to think about your future after college. If you are planning to go to graduate school, this pressure to figure out your future starts your junior year.
Below is some advice on how to manage this pressure and continue to be a great student this semester.Â
If you are very involved in extracurricular activities as an upperclassman, this is a good point in your life to set some boundaries. Many upperclassmen seek leadership positions in their clubs and activities. These leadership positions come with the chance to get more involved in an organization that they enjoy.
It also comes with more responsibility, which is a way for a student to step up and contribute to improving the club. This responsibility is a great opportunity for students to grow, but it can also be overwhelming.
When combining this responsibility with other ones such as studying for a graduate school exam (like the LSAT, MCAT or GRE), it can be difficult to manage them both effectively.
One thing you can do with your leadership positions is to set boundaries. For example, I serve on the executive board of the Panhellenic Council at Penn State, which oversees all our sorority chapters here on campus. I am required to hold four hours of office hours every week but can hold more if I would like.
This requirement helps me set boundaries for myself. These office hours are when I do my work for my leadership position. If I need more time, I add more office hours to my schedule. Outside of office hours, I do not do any substantial work for my position (emails are an exception).
This ensures that I have set a boundary between my position time and my academic time. Look into whether your position has dedicated hours to work like mine does. If not, create it. It will allow you to separate your leadership responsibilities from your academic responsibilities, ensuring that you devote the needed focus and attention to both. Â Â
On another note, friends are very important to your social wellbeing as a student. They help you build connections with others in your major or extracurriculars. They also are a wonderful outlet for when you need to take a break.
However, as the semester progresses you might be saying yes to too many things. Learning how to say no is critical to managing your new responsibilities as an upperclassman. Studying for a graduate exam is rigorous and time consuming. Unfortunately, this means that you may need to adjust your schedule.
Luckily, you can do this without sacrificing valuable break time with your friends. You can say no to some events, you do not need to go to everything that your friends invite you to.
This balance between spending time with your friends and your work is beneficial to your wellbeing as a student. You will be able to get things done while rewarding yourself for making progress towards achieving your goals—like studying for a difficult test or completing a complicated assignment—by hanging out with your friends.Â
Following this advice will help you thrive as an upperclassman as you prepare for your future. Balance is important to help lower feelings of anxiety or stress during the semester.
Please reach out to student services on your campus if you feel overwhelmed, they can support you and point you in the direction of resources that can help you succeed as an upper-level student!