We all understand how draining starting a new school year can be. We made it through elementary school with flying colors, experienced our first tastes of pointless drama between friends and dirty looks from rude teachers in middle school, and just barely survived the four most exhausting yet exciting years of our lives in high school. Now, it's around that time that we return for another stressful year of college in hopes of one day graduating as polished, educated young men and women.
While college is everything it's made out to be, complete with tiny dorms, careless professors and countless new faces and experiences, it's only inevitable that it all becomes too much sometimes. As a student, your only option is to continue moving forward and making the best out of every situation, using all of the social and academic skills you've picked up over the years. However, there are several methods you can use to make coping with the stress of being a college student much easier.
Don't forget why you're there.
When you're struggling to write three essays at once, study for two different tests and get your homework for all six classes in on time, remember that it's all happening for a reason. Your professors may come off as harsh and inconsiderate at times, but they only push you because they believe you can handle it. And when a teacher takes two weeks to finally respond to your email, consider the fact that they have hundreds of other students to accommodate. Everyone at your school (including the staff) is striving for the same accomplishments and working towards the same goals. It's bound to get overwhelming at times, but in the end you'll realize it was all worth it.
Always put in 100% of your effort.
School is difficult, there's no doubt about that. Everyone gets tired of the copious amounts of homework, tedious math assignments and reading five chapters in a night (every night.) But even at your weakest moments, try your absolute hardest not to slack off. Half-assing assignments will come back to bite you and you'll end up working twice as hard to make up for the work you didn't do. Study hard for your grades and I promise, you'll earn a very rewarding outcome.
Practice managing your time wisely.
When you're paying thousands of dollars to attend your dream school, your education almost always comes first -- but work, friends and family also play a huge role at this time in our lives. Figure out a schedule that is best for you, and focus on perfecting it. Some people take mostly online classes so they have more time to work and more money to save, while others spend the majority of their time studying so they can achieve stellar successes in school. If you have to do homework during your 15-minute breaks so that you have time to see a movie with a friend after work, then do it. Having all of your work done and out of the way will be a huge relief, and you'll have social time before school the next day. Everyone is different, and your schedule should be comfortable and doable.
Remember to take care of yourself.
No matter what school you go to, what major you're earning or what year your graduate, your physical, mental and emotional health come before everything -- including school. Without those three key elements, you have no foundation for progress and no way to prosper. If you're feeling ill, it's okay to miss class to see a doctor. If you haven't slept well in days, take that nap you've been waiting for instead of going out. And if you're under too much emotional pressure, take some time to mentally restore yourself. You are only one person, with one mind and one body. Take care of yourself in every sense of the phrase, and everything else will come effortlessly.
