CALLING ALL STRESSED OUT COLLEGE STUDENTS!! This one is for you!
You’ve gobbled until you wobbled, but now you are back to school and facing the upward climb towards the end of the fall semester. 🎢 At Capital Counseling, we are intimately familiar with what it's like to be a college student. We understand the intensity and the pressure that most experience. We also know just how anxiety-provoking the last push toward the end of the semester can be! We’ve got you covered. ☺️
Here are 8 strategies (and one BONUS⭐) for tackling
your end-of-the-semester anxiety.
✨Make time for getting organized. Set aside time to gather your class materials like notes, study guides, and PowerPoint— anything that you will need to study for finals. That's right, pull out that dusty planner you've been avoiding using and make a schedule for the next few weeks through the end of the semester. Schedule time in the next few days (maybe even this weekend) to get yourself organized for studying. Yes, write it down & set reminders with notifications on your devices to help hold you accountable. Don’t forget to organize your study space and make a list of supplies you will need to study.
✨Create a study plan for each class & schedule it. Go through each class syllabus and familiarize yourself with the format and structure of all remaining assignments. For each one, write down each and every step that you need to do to study adequately. Break these steps down into the smallest possible parts. Estimate how much time each step will take. Then, schedule each step working backward from the due date. Be sure to include "buffer" time to catch up if things don’t go according to plan…because they probably won’t.
✨Avoid cramming. This is related to #2. Include enough time for breaks and reviewing along the way. Don’t wait until the last minute. Really, do not do it. Truly, it boils down to making a commitment to yourself and sticking to the plan. I promise you can do this!
✨Prioritize saying NO. We could do an entire post just about this! Maybe we will…But here’s the thing- during times of high stress, it is important to protect your time and energy. Remember that you only have so much time and energy to give. It's a limited resource! There is power in saying no, unapologetically. Is saying no hard for you? We get it. Ask yourself, “By saying NO to _______, what am I saying yes to?” or “By saying yes to _______, what am I saying no to?” This helps SO much with determining what you need to say no to.
✨Lean Into the Study Strategies that work for YOU. Use tried & true strategies that you know help YOU to learn best. This is not the time to do what you think you should do. This is not the time to try some new, innovative strategy or some new app that will help you study. This also is not the time to compare yourself to others. What works for someone else may not work for you at all! We all learn differently. Remember, you have been a student for most of your life. YOU are the expert on how you learn best! Trust yourself with this.
✨Take breaks. No, really. Do it. Did you know that taking breaks actually improves your ability to learn, memorize, AND focus? Yep, it's true! Try taking a 10-15 minute break every hour.
✨Connect with family & friends. In times of high stress, it is important to make time for those we love most. Remember that we need connection just like we need food and sleep. We are hardwired for it & require connection no matter what we have on our plates!
✨Focus on self-care. Prioritize sleep. Nourish your body. Stay hydrated. Take your meds. Avoid mood-altering substances. Check in with yourself to routinely to determine what you need. Move your body. Have some fun, too.
**BONUS**
**YOU are doing the BEST you can.
You are not your performance on these end-of-semester assignments or exams. You are not your grades. Even when they don't go the way you want, you ARE good enough and you are doing THE BEST that you can.
BEST OF LUCK ON FINALS!! YOU CAN DO IT!