Training for College: Overcoming Stress

In college everything is bigger! The teams, the parties, the student body, and most importantly, the stress. Stress is always present in college; there's demanding course work, pressure of living alone, applications for internships, and countless activities, not to mention the struggle for a decent night's rest. Encountering stress in college isn't a matter of "if" but a matter of "when." Follow these tips if you want to get a grip on stress:

• Get a head start. This goes for everything: papers, tests, projects, homework, applications, etc. In college, procrastination is NOT your friend and it should be avoided at all costs. Start studying for a test a week or so before, start your papers as early as you can. If a professor gives you two weeks to do an assignment, chances are it's going to take a good chunk of time to do. I always felt the pressure of a huge project lift off if I started it sooner rather than later. That way I can get a feeling of how demanding the project will be.
• Plan it out. If you get a huge project in a class, break it into chunks. Plan out times during the day in which you will work on it. If you work steadily on a project over a period of time, it will be way easier and cause way less stress.

If you start to feel stressed out, here's some suggestions on how to cope with it:

• Exercise. One of the best ways to counteract stress is by sweating it out.
• Separate yourself from whatever is stressing you out. Getting away from what ever is causing you stress will allow your body to relax.
• Read a book for fun. What better way to relieve stress than a good book and maybe some Starbucks!
• Go on a walk. (Especially if you go to Michigan State! The campus is beautiful!)

If you still feel stressed and don't know how to cope with it, talk to someone. A college campus is full of resources that will be able to help you:

• RA's. RA stands for Resident Assistant. There's an RA on every floor of a residence hall. They have been in your shoes and will be able to give you some helpful advice on how to help out with your stress.
• Friends. If they are close to you, they can probably tell when you're feeling stressed or pressured, so you will end up having to tell them anyways. Sometimes having someone listen to what you're going through will be enough to get over it.
• Counselors. These people are specifically trained and employed by the university to help you with your problems, whether you're dealing with anxiety, homesickness, or stress. Take advantage of them!

Stress is unavoidable, but there are numerous ways of coping with it. Also, if you do end up getting stressed out, there are tons of resources to help you get back on track.

Thanks for reading!

~Anthony