Managing College Stress |
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Gwendolyn D. Rosser is an Accredited Get Tough With Stress Presenter. Gwen prepared the following article in response to a question from a College Student on how to handle stress at College |
Yes, I do have experience and ideas for college students and stress. After years of going to school (nursing, college and graduate school that took 10 years) as well as teaching Nursing for 16 years, and also going back to school stress was the name of the game for my self and all the students I encountered in the past and present. These are something I have learned and try to pass on to others. I personally experience a lot of stress in college/grad. school and working full time until I finally figured out that the first thing people must do is decide on what their goals and priorities are, then make a time line and develop a plan to slice it up into small edible portions (like we slice bread or meat). I often ended up with car accidents, broken bones, pneumonia, etc. and trying to recuperate when I was off at holidays. This is not a healthy way to live. I did a lot more and better when I learned to budget my time and energy and didn't procrastinate projects. Also I had to decide that I couldn't do everything and prioritize my goals. Temporary inconvenience for permanent improvement. Some stress is good and helps with success. The major struggle is with self management, which is always a constant issue in this fast pace world we live in. Often College students wait until Nov. to start writing papers for 5 courses that are due in December, then they do all nighters, struggling to get the papers done as well as cramming for exams. Needless to say they end up with Mono/colds/flu/ accidents, etc and are unable to enjoy the holidays/ their families or friends. Most college students can't be out every night running around. College is a time to study and plan you life for the future. this doesn't mean you can't have fun. My best year in college I had all A's, worked 40 hours a week as a nurse, was president of the student body, had a boy friend, my favorite aunt and grandfather died, my first niece was born and through it all did had a great time and made some life time friends. My 2 brothers, their wives, their 4 kids and their 4 spouses have all been through college and now have great lives. They can confirm that vision and hard work now will pay off later. Some of my nieces and nephews are in the process of completing their graduate work now and have followed the advice of their parents, grandparents and of course their favorite aunt to get through the college years with less stress. The first 2 generations have had the goals of helping the next generations reach their goals. We will be almost done with the 3rd generation adn it will be time to help their kids who are now all the age of 7. The keys to stress management: How to Manage and Reduce Stress while still enjoying college Decide on your goals / major/ classes Make sure you know what path you want to go down and what your talents are, so you take the right majors. ( It was easy for me, I always wanted to be a nurse or a teacher, but never dreamed I'd be an Organizational Development Consultant after 35 years working in the same organization.) If you have academic problems get a tutor. Plan, organize and budget time Doing the A's (critical) not the C's ( nice to do) while paying attention to the B's ( important, however if not handled in a timely manner become critical. Organization and management are important. For example: if a report is do, it's a lot easier to do some project management techniques, planning the steps involved and creating a time line for segments of the work then trying to do it all a one time. With computers it's a lot easier to do today. (Just think in the 1960's and 70's we typed things and retyped: no computers, copiers or even whiteout.) The only time to do something all at one time is if the project is small and if you are working ahead and alone. Some people prefer to work and finish each assignment then move on to the next. An individual needs to be very disciplined and ahead of their plan to do this. Team or group based assignments need additional time allocated to complete the process. Then responsibility charting is essential for role clarification. Responsibility charting includes all tasks to be completed and who is Accountable, Responsible, Consulted or just Informed about each decision or task. Just make a simple grid and list the items vertically, and the names across the top then fill in the blocks: A_R_C_I. It prevents duplication and helps with accountability. If clarity of responsibility is absent it can create numerous stressors. (see attached for explanation.) Work/study environmental space and privacy can create stress problems for those who prefer quiet or to work alone. A clean desk or table and having everything you need to work is important. Clutter can be very distracting. Organize what you need and discard or give away things you don't need. Interruptions can create stressors and get you off track, find a place to work that is not in the area of loud music and major activity can help. A simple sign on a door and communicating to others may be needed. (SIGN:When the door is shut, don't bother me, unless there is a fire!) Eat Healthy and Get Enough Sleep and Exercise Healthy eating, getting enough sleep, exercise and fresh air are valuable tools to prevent stress. There are only 86,400 seconds everyday, what we don't use we can never capture again. Amount of time for sleep is different for everyone, each person need to know their requirements. (I had one brother who needed at least 8-9 hours sleep a night and another who did fine on 6 hours . When I was completely exhausted in Nursing school I once slept 20 hours to catch up after a very stressful week. Everyone is different. "Know thyself".) People need to know their own body and how they react under stress: headaches; muscle tension; accident prone; nausea, vomiting and diarrhea or the opposite constipation; change of attitude and behavior; depression; anxiety; heart palpitations; over-eating; etc. or anything other symptom your body can develop. (When my mother is under stress she gets the hives, headaches and muscle tension cause me problems). Fast food a favorite of college students isn't a great substitute for balance meals. Fast foods have a high fat content. Eat healthy. Many students gain weight in college and have problems the rest of their life trying to lose the added pounds. Food, sleep and exercise need a heathy balance. Partying is a problem for many students. Alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs will only cause harm to self and others. It can ruin a person's life. I have seen many a bright and capable student flunk out of school when they engage in too many evenings out and not studying enough. Managing Financial Stresses Finances can create a great deal of stress for College students and their parents
Accountability partner and develop positive relationships are helpful Find someone you can trust to help in areas of stress and to encourage you to reach your goals. (It can be a parent, sibling, aunt or uncle, professor, or fellow student. In college I had a professor who was a great mentor, she transferred her skill to me that I have used to help others.) If someone is having trouble getting organized and finishing assignments or has increased accident/illness they may need help to get back on the track to be successful. The friends you choose may make or break you. Choose wisely! A friend can be a joy for a lifetime. Prevention is better than the cure for most areas of life Good work habits and discipline make life at college much better. Avoid other students/individuals who may keep you from being successful. Keep things in perspective and develop a good sense of Humor :) Gwendolyn D. Rosser, RN, MA, MS |