How to Deal With Stress as a College Student

As we all know there are a lot of responsibilities we endure while being in college. Whether it be school work, jobs, time management or even figuring out how to buy groceries for yourself. For me, these all can bring on stress because most of us are on a time budget and can’t find enough time throughout the day to get things done. Let’s talk about some ways to deal with the stress of college that I hope you’ll find helpful.

Everyone experiences different levels of stress as well as different things that bring on stress.  But the first thing you need to do is try to figure out what is causing you to feel this way. I know for the seniors here it is trying to figure out plans for after graduation. How can we even think about sketching out the rest of our lives in our early 20’s?  Other reasons can be along the lines of being away from home, test anxiety, school work overload, or not enough sleep..there are a countless amount of reasons.  

I know how annoying it can be hearing your parents say over and over again that you need to get enough sleep, but this is true!  Especially the night before a test or presentation we can be up all night studying which is the main cause of having anxiety when the time comes. Not only does sleep reduce stress but it also helps you retain memories. Additionally, it is extremely important that you are managing your time in the places most necessary. So instead of saving all of your studying for the night before, look at sections of your notes a week in advance. For some people it works best to have a tutor and others are capable of doing it on their own. When in the process of studying you should try to mimic the test setting to help familiarize yourself with the test conditions. I bet you’ve all heard this so many times from professors and parents but it is key in learning to manage stress and time.  

Our bodies need to be well taken care of in order to be our best self. If you are on a steady diet of pizza and soda then you’re missing all of the nutrients needed to function and energy levels will be low. This goes hand in hand with exercise, it might be the last thing you want to do when feeling stressed. But moving around for as little as 20 minutes a day can reduce stress and anxiety.  It can be as simple as going on a walk around campus or doing yoga to calm yourself down.  

I hope these tips will help you while getting through the stress of school and life.  Stay calm, eat good and get your exercise in!

• college student
• stress
• wellness