Anyone else dying over the new college semester? This is my first time at a college and it’s already so stressful. Plus I’m taking everything online, so that’s a headache.
Any tips to help manage stress?
——
Feel free to post below about your own college grievances.
Anyone else dying over the new college semester? This is my first time at a college and it’s already so stressful. Plus I’m taking everything online, so that’s a headache.
Any tips to help manage stress?
——
Feel free to post below about your own college grievances.
It depends on the causes of the stress in particular.
If the stress is due to difficulty with the work load it might be a good idea to go to your student support staff. Perhaps there is a wellbeing support department of your university?
And if you are neurodivergent (or even if you are not) you may be aware of body doubling as a concept where people sit together to complete tasks and through the act of being with other people you can find encouragement or solace. If you cannot do this in person in a library or a cafe which I find to be enjoyable, there is also the possibility of online studying communities such as discord servers for this.
These servers often do "pomodoros" together which is the 25 min work, 5 minute break study method using apps such as the
forest app or the
study bunny app.
It's also very important to take time to rest (here are some
self care resources) when studying and it can be hard I often struggled with feelings of guilt when I was taking breaks but they are very important.
And if you struggle with deadlines it's worth looking into what your university's policies are on deadline extensions and re-taking exams. I found this very helpful during my degree :)
It depends on the causes of the stress in particular.
If the stress is due to difficulty with the work load it might be a good idea to go to your student support staff. Perhaps there is a wellbeing support department of your university?
And if you are neurodivergent (or even if you are not) you may be aware of body doubling as a concept where people sit together to complete tasks and through the act of being with other people you can find encouragement or solace. If you cannot do this in person in a library or a cafe which I find to be enjoyable, there is also the possibility of online studying communities such as discord servers for this.
These servers often do "pomodoros" together which is the 25 min work, 5 minute break study method using apps such as the
forest app or the
study bunny app.
It's also very important to take time to rest (here are some
self care resources) when studying and it can be hard I often struggled with feelings of guilt when I was taking breaks but they are very important.
And if you struggle with deadlines it's worth looking into what your university's policies are on deadline extensions and re-taking exams. I found this very helpful during my degree :)
@
brighteningskies
Thank you, I’ll definitely be taking your advice. And I’m going to try out those apps you mentioned!
I think I’m mainly stressed due to how everything is laid out, that and if I fail a class I will lose out on some scholarships.
@
brighteningskies
Thank you, I’ll definitely be taking your advice. And I’m going to try out those apps you mentioned!
I think I’m mainly stressed due to how everything is laid out, that and if I fail a class I will lose out on some scholarships.
I think staying organised is so important, I found I really needed to stay on top of things to not fall behind/become overwhelmed.
Break down assignments into segments and create smaller due dates for them, and plan out your study so you're strategically going over content to refresh it and cement it in your mind.
Also get a planner!!! I love my planner, I use it for everything. Write down due dates, classes, goals for the week, study dates, etc. Finding a really good planner can be a game changer. I've started looking at planner refills on Etsy because my planner is essentially a binder so you can put whatever you want in it so it suits you. I have sections for my budgeting, weekly goal planning, monthly goal planning, to-do lists, etc. University is so overwhelming that I felt like my brains had become marbles on the floor I was slipping on, I kept forgetting things and procrastinating because I didn't know where to start. Took me a while to get into the habit of a planner but it was worth it.
Good luck! It's so scary at first but I hope you're also taking time for your hobbies and yourself! You're not alone in how different and overwhelming it is.
I think staying organised is so important, I found I really needed to stay on top of things to not fall behind/become overwhelmed.
Break down assignments into segments and create smaller due dates for them, and plan out your study so you're strategically going over content to refresh it and cement it in your mind.
Also get a planner!!! I love my planner, I use it for everything. Write down due dates, classes, goals for the week, study dates, etc. Finding a really good planner can be a game changer. I've started looking at planner refills on Etsy because my planner is essentially a binder so you can put whatever you want in it so it suits you. I have sections for my budgeting, weekly goal planning, monthly goal planning, to-do lists, etc. University is so overwhelming that I felt like my brains had become marbles on the floor I was slipping on, I kept forgetting things and procrastinating because I didn't know where to start. Took me a while to get into the habit of a planner but it was worth it.
Good luck! It's so scary at first but I hope you're also taking time for your hobbies and yourself! You're not alone in how different and overwhelming it is.
I'm entering my final semester, and college is hard! HS you can kind of BS your way through, and while the content in college may or may not be hard, the time commitment can be huge. Time management is definitely an important skill.
My piece of naughty advice tho is do not put more effort into things that don't require more effort. Non-major classes you can probably get away with doing the minimum for: you should focus your energy on important projects (portfolio/client-based projects).
Also, your professors will be flexible with you! For a lot of them this is just a gig: if you have outstanding circumstances you should communicate with them. If you have specific needs, there are measures to ensure you have accommodations. My roommate doesn't have a diagnosed attention disorder, and she was still able to pretty easily get accommodations for test taking.
I'm entering my final semester, and college is hard! HS you can kind of BS your way through, and while the content in college may or may not be hard, the time commitment can be huge. Time management is definitely an important skill.
My piece of naughty advice tho is do not put more effort into things that don't require more effort. Non-major classes you can probably get away with doing the minimum for: you should focus your energy on important projects (portfolio/client-based projects).
Also, your professors will be flexible with you! For a lot of them this is just a gig: if you have outstanding circumstances you should communicate with them. If you have specific needs, there are measures to ensure you have accommodations. My roommate doesn't have a diagnosed attention disorder, and she was still able to pretty easily get accommodations for test taking.
here's some trivial-sounding but genuinely good work-life balance advice: when the clock hits like 5 or 6 pm. close your email. stop responding to emails. they can wait until the next day. i promise.
sincerely, someone earning a PhD in responding to emails at 2am (i do not follow my own advice [emoji=skull size=1])
here's some trivial-sounding but genuinely good work-life balance advice: when the clock hits like 5 or 6 pm. close your email. stop responding to emails. they can wait until the next day. i promise.
sincerely, someone earning a PhD in responding to emails at 2am (i do not follow my own advice
)
Nope, but it's not the most fun trying to decide a college [emoji=skull size=1]
I'm gonna have to decide soon (junior in high school currently) and the issue is that I can't find one I'm sold on. The main issue for me is that- the difference between all the colleges? Like I can't find big differences besides the campuses and I wish it was an easy desicion but nope it's like a huge part of your life.
Nope, but it's not the most fun trying to decide a college
I'm gonna have to decide soon (junior in high school currently) and the issue is that I can't find one I'm sold on. The main issue for me is that- the difference between all the colleges? Like I can't find big differences besides the campuses and I wish it was an easy desicion but nope it's like a huge part of your life.
oooof yeah, my first college class just dropped their syllabus for next semester so i'm in that same stressed-out boat.
online classes can be pretty nice! definitely definitely definitely set times for working and times for not-working - for my online semesters, i had a personal rule that i was free of class obligations after 4 or 5pm. since the work/life separation isnt as built in as it would be if you were physically going somewhere else for classes, it's super important to establish it yourself! otherwise it'll be 11 at night and that paper you have due in three days will be haunting you the whole time, but listen - recharging yourself is more important than whatever grade that paper can possibly earn.
and on that topic, always remember: partial credit is better than no credit! four years of college so far, that's been the most important thing i've learned. didn't study for a test? the 40% you can get from guessing and passive knowledge is salvagable; the 0 you would get for skipping out entirely, not so much. heck, last year i had a final paper assignment that was supposed to be 10 pages of original research, with tons of fancy citations and probably diagrams. i had too much else on my plate that semester, cut my losses, turned in three paragraphs of unsourced babbling, and still somehow passed the class.
college can be rough, but gets easier once you know what to expect! hang in there! you got this!! [emoji=mirror laughing size=1]
oooof yeah, my first college class just dropped their syllabus for next semester so i'm in that same stressed-out boat.
online classes can be pretty nice! definitely definitely definitely set times for working and times for not-working - for my online semesters, i had a personal rule that i was free of class obligations after 4 or 5pm. since the work/life separation isnt as built in as it would be if you were physically going somewhere else for classes, it's super important to establish it yourself! otherwise it'll be 11 at night and that paper you have due in three days will be haunting you the whole time, but listen - recharging yourself is more important than whatever grade that paper can possibly earn.
and on that topic, always remember: partial credit is better than no credit! four years of college so far, that's been the most important thing i've learned. didn't study for a test? the 40% you can get from guessing and passive knowledge is salvagable; the 0 you would get for skipping out entirely, not so much. heck, last year i had a final paper assignment that was supposed to be 10 pages of original research, with tons of fancy citations and probably diagrams. i had too much else on my plate that semester, cut my losses, turned in three paragraphs of unsourced babbling, and still somehow passed the class.
college can be rough, but gets easier once you know what to expect! hang in there! you got this!!
There's a lot of great advice in this thread already, but to build/add upon what's already been said:
[quote name="Whim" date="2023-08-16 17:09:58" ]
My piece of naughty advice tho is do not put more effort into things that don't require more effort. Non-major classes you can probably get away with doing the minimum for: you should focus your energy on important projects (portfolio/client-based projects).
Also, your professors will be flexible with you! For a lot of them this is just a gig: if you have outstanding circumstances you should communicate with them. If you have specific needs, there are measures to ensure you have accommodations. My roommate doesn't have a diagnosed attention disorder, and she was still able to pretty easily get accommodations for test taking.
[/quote]
Big yes to all of this. The first one in particular can be difficult to learn (especially if you're like me and have perfectionist tendencies), but they're so important. A dear friend of mine once said to me that college was when he realized that if he put in about 90% effort in a class, he could get an A, and about 30% effort, and he could get a B. Of course, this will no doubt vary from class to class somewhat, but try not to worry about slaving over a particular grade when you could use significantly less effort to get a grade that's still great, and that won't stress you out as much!
The other thing that kind of killed me to learn when I was in college was that, in my experience, it was simply not possible to get all of the readings done for all of my classes. Prioritize which classes are most important, and for which classes the reading is most helpful or relevant, and skim through the others. In many classes, professors will be covering the readings in lecture anyway, and explain it in a manner that's easier to follow, too.
Always remember that the professors are on your side. If you're having trouble understanding something, or are experiencing real life difficulties that are interfering with your coursework, communicate this with them sooner rather than later. They are there as a resource to you--there are no stupid questions, and they want to help you succeed. Take advantage of office hours!
My final piece of advice is, if you're on-campus, look into the clubs your university has to offer. Finding others with similar hobbies and interests is a great way to make social connections and to relieve stress so that you're not just focused on classes all of the time. :)
Just take things one day at a time, and you'll do great! Best of luck!
There's a lot of great advice in this thread already, but to build/add upon what's already been said:
Whim wrote on 2023-08-16 17:09:58:
My piece of naughty advice tho is do not put more effort into things that don't require more effort. Non-major classes you can probably get away with doing the minimum for: you should focus your energy on important projects (portfolio/client-based projects).
Also, your professors will be flexible with you! For a lot of them this is just a gig: if you have outstanding circumstances you should communicate with them. If you have specific needs, there are measures to ensure you have accommodations. My roommate doesn't have a diagnosed attention disorder, and she was still able to pretty easily get accommodations for test taking.
Big yes to all of this. The first one in particular can be difficult to learn (especially if you're like me and have perfectionist tendencies), but they're so important. A dear friend of mine once said to me that college was when he realized that if he put in about 90% effort in a class, he could get an A, and about 30% effort, and he could get a B. Of course, this will no doubt vary from class to class somewhat, but try not to worry about slaving over a particular grade when you could use significantly less effort to get a grade that's still great, and that won't stress you out as much!
The other thing that kind of killed me to learn when I was in college was that, in my experience, it was simply not possible to get all of the readings done for all of my classes. Prioritize which classes are most important, and for which classes the reading is most helpful or relevant, and skim through the others. In many classes, professors will be covering the readings in lecture anyway, and explain it in a manner that's easier to follow, too.
Always remember that the professors are on your side. If you're having trouble understanding something, or are experiencing real life difficulties that are interfering with your coursework, communicate this with them sooner rather than later. They are there as a resource to you--there are no stupid questions, and they want to help you succeed. Take advantage of office hours!
My final piece of advice is, if you're on-campus, look into the clubs your university has to offer. Finding others with similar hobbies and interests is a great way to make social connections and to relieve stress so that you're not just focused on classes all of the time. :)
Just take things one day at a time, and you'll do great! Best of luck!
My biggest piece of advice, as someone going into their final year and having failed a semester in the past which is causing me financial headaches now w scholarships, is that: reach out for advice !!!! I have ADHD but even with meds Im so bad at getting homework done. Childish problem, I know, but I worked with a professor I was close to, and a Dean, to make a good plan to do good in all of my classes. Id also recommend, if its a possibility, even if you're only taking online classes, visiting campus in person sometimes to have face-to-face meetings with professors/counselors ! And also just to do work.
My biggest piece of advice, as someone going into their final year and having failed a semester in the past which is causing me financial headaches now w scholarships, is that: reach out for advice !!!! I have ADHD but even with meds Im so bad at getting homework done. Childish problem, I know, but I worked with a professor I was close to, and a Dean, to make a good plan to do good in all of my classes. Id also recommend, if its a possibility, even if you're only taking online classes, visiting campus in person sometimes to have face-to-face meetings with professors/counselors ! And also just to do work.
