Your college years are a fun and exciting time of your life when you finally make the transition to adulthood and begin to learn how to live more independently away from your parental home. However, studying for a college degree is certainly not easy, and no matter which subject you’ve chosen to study, you’re probably going to be met with stressful circumstances at some point. At college, stress can actually be good for you – a mild amount of stress is often necessary to push you to make assignment deadlines, research and revise, and prepare for your exams. However, too much stress can have the opposite effect, leaving you feeling burned out and defeated. So, what can you do to avoid too much stress at college? We’ve listed some of our top tips.
Tip #1. Prepare Early
Whether you’re studying on-campus for your first undergraduate degree or are returning to school to take your BSN to DNP online, it’s important to prepare for your work as early as you can. Rushing around at the last minute to try and get your assignments completed on time and cramming weeks’ worth of information just a couple of days before an exam can quickly become very stressful. Instead, having a plan that you can stick to and a study schedule that works for you is the best way to make sure that you can manage the work without becoming overwhelmed.
Tip #2. Get Enough Sleep
Going to college may be stereotypically filled with sleepless nights and lots of coffee, but not getting enough sleep during your studies is only going to contribute to your stress levels. If you have a lot of work to complete, it’s always a better option to get an early night so that you can work in the morning, rather than working into the late hours, which will result in your sleeping pattern getting knocked out of sync. Getting into a good sleep routine is important for college students since your body and mind will find it much more difficult to cope with stress after just a couple of hours sleep.
Tip #3. Speak to Somebody
If you feel that your stress levels are beginning to take over your life, then you could be experiencing anxiety. Many college students find it difficult to cope with the demands of higher education, especially if they are working at the same time as studying or dealing with other commitments. Your college’s counseling service will be able to help with this; most good colleges have on-site therapists or will at least be able to refer you to somebody that can help. Remember that seeing a counselor doesn’t always mean that something’s wrong; speaking to somebody and getting your worries off your chest can help you to put things into perspective and gain valuable advice for coping that you can put to use whilst studying for your undergraduate program, master’s degree, or nurse practitioner doctorate degree.
Dealing with stress is a normal part of college, but you don’t have to let it take over!
