I'll be the first to admit, I get extremely stressed when school starts. Don't get me wrong. I love everything about school. Well, everything except one detail. Anxiety. The first couple weeks are hard. Figuring out your life and planning your schedule to make sure you have ample time to do your homework, go to class, have fun, and sleep can be difficult. On many occasions, it seems like there is no hope. Here are some things to remember.
1. You are not your G.P.A.
While your grades do matter, they are not always the most important aspect of college. When you get sick, you stay home. You need to be able to take care of yourself just as much as you need to do your homework. If you get stressed out, take a break. Chances are, after twenty minutes you could be calm enough to go back to work.
2. It's okay to drop classes.
There seems to be this theory going around that dropping classes is the worst possible idea in the world. In reality, dropping classes happens to people. Sometimes it's better to drop a class than suffer through the torture of taking too many hours or having too much anxiety. Having said this, you should always discuss this with your family and academic adviser before dropping.
3. Sometimes you need a day off.
Now I'm not telling you to skip all your classes for a week, but once a semester is okay. Not everyone is equipped to handle that much stress in one semester. Even the best of us take a break every once in a while. The only downfall to this is if you have a one meeting per week class. If your participation counts, do not miss your class. While your G.P.A. is not everything, it certainly helps.
4. Call your parents every once in a while.
Your parents are one of the best sources of information and help while you are in college. Do not let them go to waste. I'm not saying to call them ten times a day because you miss them, but once a week is great. Your parents can help you with the solutions to problems you have. It's even great stress relief if you need it.
College is hard, and I will be one of the first people to tell you that. The stress and anxiety of college classes alone is enough stress added to the living and social lives. Taking time out of your day to just relax is something every college student needs to learn. So, take a moment, and think about everything great that can happen this year.
"God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that You will make all things right, if I surrender to Your will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen." - The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr
