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How to Manage Stress as a College Student

August 4, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Living independently with no parent rules,  party options at all hours of the day, unlimited dining card….sounds like a dream to a student leaving for his/her first year of college on campus.  However, after just a few weeks on campus some reality might kick in.  Many college freshmen living on campus will suffer from missing the comforts of home, lack of sleep, lonliness if their social life has not taken off on campus, finances quickly running low, payday cash advance racking up, and the biggest factor causing stress being the difficulty of their college level classes.

While feeling anxiety and stress is fairly common during the first year of college, there are many technigues to help decrease your level of stress.  First and most importantly is learning time management.  Be sure to map out your time wisely leaving plenty of time for each course assignment as well as some “down” time for yourself.  You will want to create a daily agenda to help you stick with your time management goal.  Make sure your agenda is realistic while productive.  Map out a week at a time, if not an entire month, taking into consideration project due dates, tests, a work schedule, social time, “down” time, etc.

Another key factor in lowering stress is to take care of your body. Be sure to get plenty of sleep on a regular basis.  The average first year college student tends to push their body to the max between partying and studying and doesn’t give their body enough rest.  Your body needs at least 7 hours of sleep per night and when achieved on a regular basis you will notice a big difference in your stress level.  Also be sure to eat 3 meals a day that have some nutritional value.  We would not run a car without fuel, think of your meals as your fuel.  Your body needs them!

Some other techniques to help lower stress are to create a journal, find a mentor you can confide in, as an elective take a Techniques of Relaxation class, excercise regularly, and always leave time for something you simply enjoy.

Filed Under: Higher Education Tagged With: , ,

Ways to Decrease College Stress

July 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Most students enrolled in college experience stress at some point during their college career due to the high pressure and difficult courses. There are a variety of ways to decrease stress associated with college.

1. Don’t Fret About Stress

The most important way to decrease college stress is to not worry about stress. Students must learn to accept the stress and come up with ways to combat the stress without making the situation worse. If you’re stressing about finances, you might want to get payday cash advance to help you out.

2. Get Adequate Sleep

Typically college students do not have a normal sleep schedule due to late night studying and early morning classes. Making sure to get enough sleep can help students focus better, improve energy, and develop a balance between schoolwork and other aspects of college life. Ways to help get enough sleep includes taking short naps, choosing nights to go to bed early, and committing to adhere to a regular sleep schedule.
3. Eat well

It is easy for college students to develop unhealthy eating habits due to college stress. An inadequate diet can contribute to physical stress such as weight gain or weight loss. Eating a healthy and balanced diet filled with whole grains, fruits and vegetables and protein will help reduce the physical effects of college stress.

4. Start an Exercise Routine

It is proven that regular exercise helps increase endorphins and help students feel better.  Exercise can involve a quick 30-minute walk while listening to music or rollerblading to class.

5. Work in Some Quiet Time

It is important for college students to set aside some quiet time without any distractions such as cell phones, roommates or large groups of people. Even just a few minutes a day can effectively reduce stress.

6. Make Time for Entertainment

Everyone needs a break from academics and it is important to set aside some time for entertainment or social experiences. If there is no time for long breaks, students can study or work together.

Filed Under: Higher Education Tagged With: , ,

Choosing the Right College: What to Look For

June 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

For hight school students it is a huge decision, one that can have an effect on the rest of their lives. What college should they go to? For some it is an easy decision, if they have a particular career in mind and there are only certain schools where they can get the education they need, the decision is made for them.

For most students though, there are hundreds of schools out there, so how do you decide which one is right for you? As students and parents start their search, here are a few things to consider.

 

Classic college campus scene 

Image by anneohirsch via Flickr

How far away from home do you want to be? Do you feel the need to be close to your family and want to go home on weekends? In this case you should target your search for schools with a fairly short ride. If you are looking to get away and make a fresh start for yourself, you can look anywhere in the country. Also take into consideration the location of the school. Do you want to be in the city or are you looking for a big rural campus?

Colleges come in all shapes and sizes. This is important to think about when searching. If you don’t want to be sitting in a class with hundreds of other students, you should narrow your search to smaller schools.

Cost is also a big factor for many students. You may be limited by schools that are less expensive or offer better financial assistance.

As you take all these things into consideration make a list of schools that fit. Then go visit and ask lots of questions to find out more.

 

 

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Simple Ways for College Students to Save Money

March 24, 2011 by Leave a Comment

College students are often faced with limited funding and there are simple ways to reduce unnecessary expenses and still living comfortably.

1. Purchase Used Books

Previously used books cost significantly less than new books and most of them are barely used and show minimal wear and tear. As long as students find current editions, used books are suitable for most courses. Some books that are just one edition behind are suitable because many new editions just feature new covers and minimal edits with the same educational content.

2. Recycle Unused Materials

If a student has unused paper in a notebook once a course is over, they can recycle it for use in a new course the following term. When needing new clothes, students can participate in clothing swaps with other students to eliminate costs of buying new items. Students can also keep electronics that still work instead of buying newer and more advanced versions.

3. Decrease Meal Plan Options

Students can decrease their meal plan options even if they use all of the allotted funding. Lower plans that cut out small things like cereal, milk, and snacks that students can purchase on their own and keep in their rooms can significantly reduce meal expenses.

4. Eliminate Unneeded Snacks and Beverages

Many students splurge on daily unnecessary snacks and beverages such as coffee and treats out of vending machines. Cutting out purchasing these items on a daily basis can save a great deal of money. If students often need a snack throughout the day, they can make their own items and pack them before leaving for classes.

5. Enroll in Online Courses

Online courses can decrease or eliminate a variety of expenses such as gas used to commute to courses, course materials (paper, pens, notebooks, highlighters), and meals bought in dining facilities.

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Multiple Majors

March 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Multiple majors are degree programs where students are going to be obtaining a degree for more than one thing simultaneously. This can be a very difficult task, but many are finding that for the time and money, is the most efficient way to handling their educational goals. One such example of this is with education students. If a student want to be certified for more than one subject, or in more than one area, say mainstream education and special education, then a dual major is the proper way to go. This does increase the unit weight from around 124 credits to about 152 credits, but as you can see there is only a 28 credit difference, and a student will receive two degrees. The way this is made possible is the fact that all the general education is only completed once, yet is sufficing for both degrees. The other factor with this is that because both topics are in line with the same type of field, many of the core, or capstone, classes are also completed once, but count for both. If a student were to do these degrees separately, they would have to complete a 124 unit degree program, then turn around and do it again.

For many fields today, there are dual requirements, and unless people have the time and money to spend eight years in school, dual majors are the best and most efficient way to go. Another field that has these same type of requirements also includes law. For many lawyers, they dual major, or even triple major, in history, law, and Latin. This will help provide them a well-rounded basis for completing their BAR exam, and to help them with becoming familiar with past events that could later help them in the court room. While this is becoming more of a trend, there is no requirement that dual or multiple majors have to be completed, however, more and more colleges are now accommodating this approach.

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Time Management Strategies for College Students

March 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

One of the hardest aspects of college is learning to successfully manage time to find a suitable balance for all obligations. There are a variety of ways that can help students effectively manage their time:

  1. Find and Use a Calendar

Calendars are effective tools that can help students keep track of important dates such as due dates for assignments, tests, and important social events.

There is a wide range of calendar types such as paper calendars, electronic calendars, and cell phones with alerts for calendar events.

  1. Jot Down Everything

It is important to select one place to write down all important things and create a schedule. Students should plan out everything that needs to be done such as schoolwork, laundry, phone calls, and even sleep.

It is important to just have one space with everything written down, because multiple calendars or notes just adds to stress and creates more work for students.

  1. Trial and Error

The first organization method may not always work, so it is important to go through trial and error of systems until one effectively works. For example, if a phone calendar is not big enough, switch to a paper one. If things written down seem to be running together, try color-coding different aspects.

  1. Fit in Relax Time

It is essential for students to fit relax time into their schedules to just take a few minute break to relax and breathe. This will help reduce stress and enable students to better manage their time.

5. Be Flexible

No matter how hard a student tries to plan everything out and allow time for certain things, things always come up at a short notice. It is important to leave a little room in the schedule to be able to move things around and attend to last minute obligations or changes in schedules.

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Tips for Choosing a College Major

March 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Many college students struggle with choosing the best suitable major that will capture their interest and lead to a variety of meaningful career choices. There are some useful tips to consider when choosing a college major.

1. Identifying High Interests

The most important aspect of selecting a college major is identifying what a student is passionate about and understanding the areas that promote active engagement. For example, if a student is considering becoming a teacher, but is anticipating the end of their English class to get to biology, then teaching may not be the right choice.

Students should select a major that really captures their interest and promotes excitement in a variety of contexts.

2. Recognizing Strengths

When choosing a major, students should understand what their strengths are such as helping others or receiving praise on artwork. Selecting a major that students have a natural preference for can augment skills and interests and lead to advanced study opportunities such as graduate school, fellowships, and study abroad experiences.

3. Make a Career Choice

Before selecting a major, students must think hard about what career choices the want to pursue. It is important to have an open mind of the wide variety of career options that many majors can lead to. Students should create long-term professional objectives and explore their interests to ensure they choose the right career path. It is an necessary to complete the necessary coursework to become competitive in a specific field.

4. Identify Desirable Skills

It is important for students to identify what skills they want to learn. For example if a student wants to be an accountant he or she not only needs to learn business principles, but also needs to acquire adequate communication skills to interact with clients.  Students should choose a major that not only adheres to their interests, but also provides practical skills that can be applied to potential careers.

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Educational Philosophy

February 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Believe it or not, there is a philosophical principle behind online education. The idea is that students should be self-driven, motivated individuals that can handle independent learning. This is the idea behind online learning, and forcing students to exercise those skills. This is a basic principle that many brick and mortar schools expect students have as an approach to their education. This is a necessary skill in order for students to be successful in any academic setting, especially that of the online environment. Bloom’s Taxonomy states that students will be able to exhibit mastery of a learned material by exampling self learning and by using critical thinking and application. Online school simply is forcing learners, through their own choice, to be a top rung Bloom’s Taxonomy learner. This is the idea behind many of the online schools that promote their programs as competency based programs.

Such programs exist, and as a matter of fact, they have higher accreditation than many of the competitors. Online schooling is not for everyone. If a person is not an independent learner, this could be a hard way of learning material. Brick and mortar colleges provide physical support with tangible syllabi and professors that can take questions at the end of every class. If a student needs this type of support, online learning may not be an option, as there are opposing philosophical views. However, for those that can learn independently this is the optimal situation as many find that they are able to research and complete assignments. This process is furthering the educational philosophy that the success rate and completion rate is remaining high. This is a valuable aspect for many schools as they highly regard these completion rates.

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Stress In College

February 3, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Before a student begins college there is the excitement and expectation of what college life will be like. Students are ready to begin the next educational phase of their life, and they are embracing the new challenges that lay ahead. Then final roll around and students begin to realize that the pressures of college can be quite daunting. This stems from deadlines, the demand to be independent, and the realization that all of the consequences and rewards are solely the responsibility of the student. This can present a tough and scary situation for many young college students. The other aspect to college stress is the pressure to have certain things accomplished in order to move on to the next level. In High School, students can move things around to accommodate a schedule, with college students must be proactive and hard working in order to maintain the status necessary to be accepted into the next stage of their academic program.

Another type of stress that many college students have is regarding the type of career path that they have chosen. For many, they are concerned that a bad job market or economy could prevent them from getting work after they are done with their coursework. If the job market is poor many will consider continuing on to the graduate work, but some may investigate other options for their degrees. This is a tough choice to make, and may times can lead to the last minute decision of having a double major, a minor, or switching majors. The stress that these decision involve can make life for a college student very hard, and sometimes students find they need to take a break in order to gain perspective of their goals. This is not always a bad decision because it does help students to recalibrate their priorities, and help them make healthy decision regarding the past that they want for their life.

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Top Benefits of Online Learning

January 18, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Online learning is one way to avoid spending all of your days in class. Some classes are not enriched by having to physically sit through them. Classes that have hands on trainings through the use of lab time is different. These courses often are higher level courses towards the end of the degree program.

Many students commute several hours a day to school. Larger cities like Dallas or New York has thousands of students who drive or ride public transportation to attend classes. It is common for it to take up to an hour going to and from school. Picking a schedule that works on decreasing the number of days a commute is necessary is important. Having at least one day where it is not required to physically go to school can add more study time to your week.

Online learning can take place any time day or night when your schedule is open. Many online classes have downloadable lectures and audio books that are related to the class. These audios can be listened to on an iPod or uploaded  your cell phone and listened to while commuting.

Learning collaboration is easier in many online learning situations. The class message boards are a great way to connect with students that want to get clarity on something or put together a study group.

Stress often happens when there are surprises about the coursework. Online classes often give a more detailed syllabus and expectation list. It is also possible with many online interfaces to complete the work and turn it in early. This option is not always available with traditional style classes.

Double majors may find that taking more than one online class each semester is helpful. Online classes often provide a little bit of extra free time for studying. Take time to explore online classes to complete your higher education courses.

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