There was once this girl, who thought she had everything going right for her in this world. She was surrounded by encouraging friends, professors who cared, and a supportive family. While grades didn't necessarily come easy to her, she strived for As with the occasional B. Every day there was a fine-tuned schedule. From the outside world, she carried herself with high esteem and self respect. While others procrastinated, this girl strategically planned out her day to accomplish all of the tasks on her to-do-list. However, internally, this girl was battling the timeless foe of stress.
I am sure numerous college students feel the same way, for you are not alone. With almost two weeks until the end of my first year of college, I can see the finish line over the horizon; however, it is muffled by the scathing amount of final tests and preparation for dreaded finals. All of your hard work comes down to how well you finish off the year. If you're like me, you'll start out strong and become so exasperated by the end that it's hard to muster the strength to keep on going. But, the urge to fight the temptation of quitting kicks in. If there is any advice that I could give to a stressed college student, it is to realize that this overwhelming time of school is temporary. I find it helpful to keep in perspective all of the summer adventures you will experience following your finals; however, don't celebrate the end of the year too early.
Breathe.
Perhaps the best advice I've received when I am stressed is from a college running teammate. She told me to wake up each morning and do something that I enjoy for roughly 30 minutes, whether that includes reading your favorite book, meditating, writing, or simply just laying in bed listening to music. Knowing that you have respectfully given yourself alone time can help alleviate the stressors of feeling bombarded by ongoing tasks throughout the day.
Celebrate.
As you scan your notes or final research paper in preparation for your finals, don't forget to "pat" yourself on the back for productively accomplishing your study goals. Reward yourself with break times or give yourself incentives for finishing a certain amount of work by a deadline. This competitive drive will help you use your time more wisely but with a purpose. One way that I reward myself is by going to a local coffee shop with friends on a study break to socialize and break free from the monotony of staring at a laptop screen for hours.
Rejuvenate.
This can include sleeping, meditating, taking a hot shower, or spending time recovering your brain from a hard day's work of studying. My favorite form of rejuvenation is drinking tea at night while I Facetime my sister. Seeing her and listening to her advice helps calm me down, especially since she is on the other end of the spectrum of graduating college.
Although these three components to help reduce stress are simplistic on there own, they have helped me keep a peace of mind in the toughest academic times of the year.
