Finals. The week we all have been anxiously waiting for. But since they are right around the corner I cannot help but feel the sudden sense of urgency from my fellow peers. The TECH Center constantly being crowded. Breakout rooms booked for the next three weeks. The scattered emails from students in your huge lectures frantically asking if anyone would consider putting together study groups. This type of behavior comes directly from stress. This word is generally used when we feel extremely overwhelmed or we have put too much on our plate to get through at once. As college students we want the best for ourselves, but constantly breaking down because we have too much work to do does not get us very far. Here are a few tips on how to handle stress and finish the semester strong.
- Keep yourself Moving
If there is one thing that I know about handling my stress, it’s that I need to constantly be doing something. If you sit around in your dorm or in your bedroom, the thoughts of what you should be doing eat away at you. It is best to not sit alone and sulk about what you have to accomplish. Simply pick yourself up and be active. Physical activity plays a huge role in preventing and reducing stress. Go for a run or to the gym. Exercising releases endorphins, which changes your mood and makes you feel good. This normally works for me, especially when I have four or five things I know I have to get done within a specific time frame. It will distract you for a little while which can be very helpful.
- Stay Healthy
This time of year, when the seasons change and the sicknesses go around, it is very important that you keep yourself healthy. If you get sick and have to miss a day or two of class, it can honestly make you go crazy. Make sure you are getting enough sleep during the week because you can become run down very easily. Sleep deprivation will keep your body from getting the energy it needs to get through the day. Even if you lose sleep, try to reduce the amount of caffeine that you drink. Drink plenty of water, and make sure you are always hydrated. Eat right and make sure you have breakfast—your body needs fuel to get the day started and keep it going for hours on end. Always keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your backpack because you never know when you will need it. There are thousands of people every day touching the same door handle or faucet as you and the last thing you need during finals is to be sick.
- Stay Organized
This is probably the hardest for students who are pressed for time with certain assignments or feel the need to push things off until the day before it is due. DO NOT DO THAT! Keep a planner with you at all times. Write down what you have to get done that day and make it your goal. Your professors give you a syllabus during the first week of classes, use it to your advantage by following along with them. Lastly, do not spread yourself too thin. Yes, we all know that we want to be apart of our club’s bake sale or can shake or even just to stick around after a meeting to chat. Remember your priorities before you decide to help out your organization or a friend. You have to put yourself first sometimes, and stressing yourself out helps no one.
Often we get worked up over the amount of homework we have or the length of an essay, only to find out that once we calm down, sit down and do the assignment, it was not so bad after all. Sometimes you just need that extra push. Most of the time students will question why they were even stressed in the first place. I guarantee that if you take into consideration the three tips above, the rest of the semester, including finals week, will be a breeze for you.
This guest blog post was written by PRowl account associate Cassandra Bialoblocki.
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