I worked as a banker in college. It was only my second job, and I went from a grocery store customer service rep to a bank teller and thought I was hot stuff. Really moving up in the world.
I remember sitting in a forensic psychology class, telling my friend next to me how I had to quit my first “professional” job. Tears welled up in my eyes as I told her because it felt like I was a failure.
I had to quit because the stress of college was simply too much for me to work. I only wish that someone had grabbed me by the shoulders to tell me about these stress relieving study tips for college students.
Below, you’ll feel relieved to learn about stress management tips for a college setting which will allow you to confidently conquer this season of life.
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Where Does College Stress Come From?
If you’re in college, soon to be, or just graduated, you know all the changes that come with this big milestone.
New routine, living arrangements, and expectations.
Your stress is likely coming from two places:
- Goodbye to one chapter, and hello to a totally new world with heavy decisions like career choices:
You’ve had to close the high school chapter and take a huge step into the unknown of your future. You have had the weight of deciding what you’ll do for the rest of your life on your shoulders. And, you’ve had to move forward with lots of unanswered questions.| Related Reading: 34 Best Books on Finding Your Passion so You Can Live Out Your Purpose in Life
- The actual stress of classes, homework, and the logistics of college life:
I’m no stranger to the stress of taking multiple heavy classes at once, spending hours in the library studying, writing papers, and reading chapter after chapter of a hand-me-down textbook. It’s a lot to get used to and learn to manage.
People handle stress differently and one, neither, or both of the two stressors above may be affecting you.
Stress can come from uncertainty, limited resources, sickness, family problems, relationships, finances, and so much more. And you may be more or less susceptible to certain stressors during your college experience based on your previous experience.
Regardless, let’s talk about why you shouldn’t get down on yourself if you do stress, especially in college.
It’s Okay That You’re Stressed, Here’s Why
As a college student, have you ever wondered why you’re so stressed and get down on yourself because you think you should be able to handle it?
Yeah, I’ve been there too.
So let’s just acknowledge that this can easily be a super overwhelming, scary time! I think the world minimizes it just a bit. But you are validated in your fears and worries. But let’s move toward a place where you have the strategies to get to a healthier headspace.
Your stress is coming from life-altering circumstances, and it’s totally normal.
| Related Reading: 19 Easy Ways to be More Patient with Yourself
What isn’t normal is when stress completely takes over your life and impacts how you live, day to day. When it interferes with your daily tasks and responsibilities.
Your body was made to adjust and adapt to new things. That’s how your mind was built! The executive command center of the brain, the prefrontal cortex, is responsible for adapting to new situations.
So don’t stress about being stressed, because I’m going to give you some stress relieving study tips for college students.
Don’t expect yourself to handle it all, because the burden of life is too heavy! Relying on an outside source can help. What can also help is having strategies to lean on when you feel stress creeping in.
When you adopt stress management strategies, they become second nature, and before you know it, you’re a stress relief machine, never allowing yourself to get to the brink, like me when I had to quit my job.
Now, let’s get to the tips!
Stress Relieving Study Tips for College Students
I’ve broken them down into two categories, study tips for stress management and college life tips to reduce stress.
Study Tips
Plan ahead and schedule time to study:
Block out your calendar so you are breaking big assignments and tasks into smaller chunks.
When something is assigned Monday, plan to work on it right away, that night, and every night necessary until it’s done. If it’s due on Friday, divide the work equally in your planner for Monday night through Wednesday night. Aim to have it completed at least one day early.
Plan to complete assignments a day before they’re due:
This one is simple. This allows you a buffer for emergencies or external factors. Like when your boyfriend springs a night out on you, or your roommate NEEDS shopping help Thursday night for her interview on Friday.
Allowing yourself a day buffer will always relieve stress, I promise! You will have peace of mind knowing that if something comes up, or the assignment requires more work than you thought, you have the time to accommodate that, and that will in turn reduce your stress.
This was my best-kept secret for surviving college and keeping stress to a minimum!
Make a priority list:
Urgent and Important comes first. First, work on the big stuff (studying for exams, writing term papers) that are due soonest.
Not urgent but still important comes next. Second, work on assignments/study tasks that carry a heavy weight but maybe aren’t due for another week or so.
Not important but urgent comes third. After you’ve completed assignments that were in the first two categories, spend time working on assignments that are due soon, but carry less weight, such as a homework assignment (not something like a term paper that counts toward a higher percentage of your final grade).
Not important and not urgent comes last. These tasks don’t carry much weight and are not time-sensitive, such as filling out a class/professor survey or review of their performance at the end of the semester, or printing out next semester’s syllabus.
Tip: Don’t let the not-important and non-urgent tasks clutter your brain or to-do list. They should always be done after all the other stuff is done.
You may be tempted to get these “easy” tasks and assignments out of the way first because they’re painless, but that takes away precious time for the things that are actually important and contribute to your grades. Prioritizing is my best tip for stress relieving study tips for college students.
Color code things:
Your planner and study items will serve you better if like things are all the same color. Grab a few highlighters and go crazy!
Backup everything:
Having everything saved in your Google Drive or even on a spare flash drive takes stress out of possibly forgetting to print a document to hand in or losing all your hard work.
Organize all documents using this system:
Folders within folders within folders are your friend! Sounds like a lot, but have a saving system so nothing gets lost and your assignments are easy to find. Organization is key!
| Related Reading: 14 Tips for Getting Organized When You’re Busy
In your documents on your computer, create a college folder.
Within the college folder, create four folders: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior.
Within each of those, create folders for each semester.
In each semester folder, such as Fall, Spring, and Summer, create folders for each class you take.
Then, in each class folder, create labeled folders for Assignments, Papers, Study Material, and so on to fit your specific needs.
Example: to find a term paper you need to turn in tomorrow, you know you should click the following folders: college, Junior, Winter 2021, Forensic Psych, Papers, “The Criminal Brain” term paper.
College Life Tips
Allow time to wind down at the end of the night:
I WISH I took this advice and used this strategy. There were so many nights I went from my desk right to bed. Please allow yourself time before bed each night to get out of the gear-turning, study-heavy headspace.
Unwind by journaling, doing a skincare routine, chatting on the phone, stretching, or whatever gets you away from thinking about anything school related. Space like this is so crucial for your mind and will reduce stress by improving your sleep.
If you need ideas for some self-care ideas, grab this:
Here’s my favorite hammock that I wish I had in college to wind down at the end of a long day! I lay in this after work and the day literally melts away, who knew hammocks were magical?!
| Related Reading: 14 Super Simple Tips for Renewed Energy- Stop Wondering How to Care for Your Body
Have a few things you keep consistent from your old life or schedule for consistency and comfort’s sake:
If you always have a cup of hazelnut coffee or chai tea before starting your day (like I did in high school), carry that over to your college mornings. Familiarity is comforting and will keep your stress levels low.
| Related Reading: My Top Strategy for Finding Comfort
Don’t lose your connection to home, family, and old friends:
Maintain relationships as you go off to college. Connection to home is another super comforting thing. When you feel comforted, you’ll likely feel more at peace, and maybe even more content!
Feeling content will lower your stress level because you’ll feel more grateful for where you’re at in your life journey. When I think about stress relieving study tips for college students and general life tips, we often overlook this area.
Get involved in at least 1 club:
Whether you’re commuting to college or staying on campus, joining a club that piques your interest will surround you with like-minded people, who will become friends and a support system.
Support systems are key for times of change, like a college transition. You can lean on these people if you are beginning to question things, worry, or stress. You’ll be happy you set up this community beforehand!
| Related Reading: You Are Who You Surround Yourself With: Who the Right People Are and How to Find Them
Nourish your body well:
If you consistently read this blog, you know the value of treating your body well! Yes, stress is a brain thing, but:
- It can manifest in the body and weaken your immune system.
- When you have the nutrients your body needs, your body just works better!
When you nourish your body well, you feel better. And when you feel better, you’ll set yourself up well to avoid or manage oncoming stress.
| Related Reading: How to Eat Healthy Without Going on a Diet: The Ultimate Guide
A helpful way to lean into a nourishing lifestyle where you’re giving your mind and body what it needs is to work on creating routines you love that support your growth and health.
Don’t overwork yourself:
Kind of a general tip, but it rings true. The fastest way to run yourself into a stressful state is to overwork yourself physically or mentally. Remember to take study breaks, get some fresh air, and position yourself in a way that promotes your wellbeing.
| Related Reading: How to Prevent Burnout: 5 Proven Action Steps No One Talks About
Take a stretching break, or give yourself study time blocks, and rest when they’re over so your body and mind can recharge and refuel.
Not overworking yourself is about finding the balance in life between work and play.
Did you know that your brain is a huge calorie consumer?! Believe it or not, that brain fog you feel at the end of the day is real. Your brain has consumed so many calories as you’ve written papers and contributed to class discussions, that your energy is all spent.
Your brain needs rest and fuel to operate well, so don’t gyp yourself of that. Allow space in your life for moments of quiet and stillness so you can recharge and function at optimum performance.
Your college experience is important, but it’s not the end all be all:
Don’t stress if you’re not making friends, not getting the grades you wanted, if you’re struggling to adapt to this new chapter of life. I say this because, yes, your college experience is a pivotal point in life, but it doesn’t define the rest of your life.
If you’re uptight because you didn’t make the team, missed class, don’t have motivation, got lazy, or anything else, ask yourself: “Will this thing I’m stressed about matter in one month?” If yes, then extend that timeline and ask yourself again.
Odds are, whatever it is won’t matter in a year. So do your best to lighten up and take college life day by day, enjoying what you can, because after all, it’s a crazy fun season of life before true adulting starts (not to scare you, because the season of being a young adult out of college is my favorite one yet!)
Let’s Bring it Home
So we’ve covered the two likely causes of your college stress, why it’s totally normal to feel that way, and both study and life tips to reduce and relieve your stress. I hope you feel relieved with some tips in your back pocket to conquer this next season of your life.
When stress creeps it’s way in, whip out one of the tips above that resonate with you. Try a few out and see what works!
Related Reading:
The 30 Ways to Relieve Stress that Actually Work
Should I go to College? 9 Questions to Ask Yourself to Move Forward with Confidence
Exactly What to do When You’re Feeling Behind in Life
The Path to Professional Freedom is About Self-Care
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