September 15, 2023
by Carla Karizza Delos Reyes
As college students, we are expected to juggle school and life. With a lot of things going on, we find ourselves having a lot on our plate—academic responsibilities, social challenges, independent living, and finances. Most often, stress and pressure can get in between the juggling acts. Not knowing how to deal with them can make it harder for us to focus. This can potentially cause us to fall behind. However, stress and pressure do not have to get in the way of our success.
As a 4th year AMT student, I also feel the pressure of needing to figure everything out all at once, but I am always reminded to slow things down and not let myself be consumed by its weight. Here are 5 tips I can vouch for to thrive under school pressure:
Manage your time. With deadlines to beat and expectations to fulfill, college leaves you feeling a little overwhelmed. Time management is a skill that you should master to achieve all the goals you set your mind to. This includes planning, prioritizing, delegation of tasks, setting boundaries, and establishing realistic deadlines for tasks. As the real world after college awaits, it’s essential to focus on productivity over mere busyness. Use your time wisely!
Create organizational strategies. College can be demanding, considering all the responsibilities that students are expected to carry inside and outside of school. However, there are ways that could help you manage your workload while staying on top of deadlines. These are the organizational strategies that have worked best for me: (1) make a study schedule; (2) start with simpler and more manageable tasks; (3) set priorities for your work; (4) reach out for help when needed; (5) take breaks in between schedules and reward yourself with little treats to avoid burnout. Organization is a process, and what works for others might not necessarily work for you, but you just have to be patient in experimenting with finding out what techniques are effective for you.
Focus on what you can control. By focusing on the things that you can control and letting go of the things you can’t, you reduce all the internal pressure that you feel. As students, it is important to focus on what you can control, such as your response, managing your actions and emotions, and most importantly, improving your academic habits. By doing so, you empower yourself to take responsibility for your life and create a happier and healthier learning environment for you to thrive in. You just need to have more patience with yourself.
Find your tribe. In college, it is important to find your people. Those who bring out the best in you. Those with whom you can build friendships and connections. They are the ones who challenge you to grow and become a better college student, but they also make you laugh and enjoy college life by letting loose and living in the moment. You just have to put yourself out there and be open to new experiences. College is hard; at least be with people who make it bearable.
Rest. Fifth, and most importantly, take time to rest. With their packed schedules, college students are known to overlook rest, thus increasing stress. Unfortunately, operating in a distressed state puts you in a disadvantageous situation—productivity is lessened, knowledge retention becomes difficult, and physical health is compromised.
College has held rest as a luxury, but it is never wrong to indulge in luxury every once in a while. Rest and get enough sleep at night; 8 hours of sleep is recommended. Take power naps when needed during the day. This may be unrealistic every night for the rest of the week but seek to achieve this goal more often than not. Give yourself time to breathe and pause to recharge from all the draining situations that school life has put you through.