College = Stress

College can be stressful, and many of us share the same stressors. Personally, my biggest stressor is time management. With so many assignments, a job, how classes are spaced out, and so on, it can be difficult to accomplish everything on time. Along with the abundance of homework, a lot of it is due on the same day. For example, I have part of an essay, this blog entry, and lecture prep all due tomorrow. On top of that, I have work.  While it can be a lot it also depends on how you deal with it. I have found adding due dates to my calendar is helpful as well as setting certain times aside for schoolwork and others for just chilling out and doing something besides school. Something like hanging out with friends or reading a book from my “to be read” pile.

Another academic stressor is figuring out what I want to do for my major. I was a Music Education major but have dropped it because of the feelings most college students face, the what-ifs, and a slight feeling of dread for the future. The question of, “What do you see yourself doing in X number of years” scares me, because I am unsure. I have friends, family, and coworkers who tell me, “I can see you as a teacher” or “I always thought you should do something with animals, you know so much about them”, unfortunately,

Ferrum College

these comments don’t help too much. The declaring and changing of majors is a common issue for college students, and some figure it out sooner than others and that’s alright. Part of college is just “figuring it out” and finding the path that fits the best for us.

Goooooooal!

 

It’s good to set goals for yourself, whether for fitness, academics, or to learn a new skill. Personally, I have two main goals for myself for this semester. One is to work on my time management skills. I have always struggled with staying on top of tasks and making sure everything gets done on time. To help with this I set a goal for this semester to keep track of my assignments and improve my time management. I add assignments to my calendar, make lists, and set timers to help complete tasks. I also find it better to work by myself in my dorm to keep myself on track, but this doesn’t work for everyone.

Another goal I set is to take better care of myself and my space (my dorm). I tend to overwork and worry a lot, whether it’s life, work, or academics. So, taking breaks and reminding myself to breathe and to take care of myself is important. I also struggle with remembering to do simple tasks sometimes, on days I feel overwhelmed I can’t do the simple task of “taking out the trash” or “making yourself dinner.” Taking breaks and clearing your mind is important. Even if that takes the form of you forcing yourself to take a break and do the mundane tasks. As for taking care of my space, a clean space is a happy space, having a clean space can help you feel more productive. For me, it’s sprucing up my desk and keeping my dorm room clean. Hopefully, hearing about my goals can help others set their own.

Source: Raina Swiggum 03/01/24