Going back to college after a summer away can be stressful. You'll have to get used to the routine of classes, homework, and extracurriculars all over again, and even if you worked over the summer, your schedule will likely change dramatically. Although you'll be reconnecting with school friends and meeting new people, you'll probably miss your hometown friends you reconnected with over break. And, of course, you'll probably have to readjust to residence hall living and dining hall food.
All of these changes can be stressful, even if you survived your freshman transition period and summers before this. However, there are some easy ways to ease the anxiety and feel prepared to take on the upcoming semester.
1. Make a "New Semester Resolution."
No, you don't have to wait until New Year's Eve to come up with a resolution. The beginning of the semester means that you can, in a sense, start over and fix the mistakes of your previous semesters. Keep your goals reasonable, but work on whatever you've been itching to change. Write it down if you have to, but stick to your resolution, even when it gets hard.
2. Don't stretch yourself too thin.
I know you've heard this before from countless people during your freshman year, but it bears repeating. Yes, it's important to add things to your resume, and being busy is a good thing for some people, but recognize your limits and don't overschedule yourself. Join a new club if you have time, but you'll end up stressed out of your mind if you take on too much. If you have a job in addition to academics, make sure you're working a reasonable number of hours per week and that you still have time for coursework. Remember, you're in college for the academics -- the rest is extra if you have time.
3. Talk things over with your roommate(s)--before there's an issue.
You likely had at least one roommate last year, and you've probably dealt with conflicts with them before. You know from experience how important it is to address issues as soon as they come up. That being said, there's an easier way to manage conflict: establish rules before an issue arises. Sure, there will still be arguments, most likely, but if there are clear guidelines that all parties agree to, things will be much calmer and happier. Figure out what needs to be done around your living space and who's comfortable doing what and when things need to be done. Create a schedule or chore chart if necessary, but make sure everyone knows their responsibility before it becomes a problem.
4. Figure out what stress relieving tricks work for you.
You probably already know what to do when you get stressed out, but if not, try different techniques to steady yourself. Deep breathing, meditation, venting to a friend--whatever works for you, as long as it doesn't harm others, of course. Figuring out a go-to technique will help ease any fears about being too stressed to even attempt to relax.
You've done this whole "college" thing before, and you can definitely rock it again this semester. Go on and be amazing!
