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How to not feel overwhelmed in college
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lauren’s Answer
Finding a good balance between school work and relaxation time is key! It is important to prioritize school, but you have to remember to also socialize and keep yourself in a healthy mental state. A good way to meet new people is exploring campus or signing up for clubs or student orgs. Taking much needed breaks and spending time doing things you love is the best way to feel comfortable in the new space and in your new school schedule. Organization is another great way to plan your week's ahead and stay on top of all your assignments. I personally recommend printing out your class syllabus or assignment schedule and take note of important dates. Seeing everything you need to prepare for ahead of time leaves less room to forget and prevents stress.
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Marc’s Answer
Take advantage of the first few weeks of the semester to get organized. The first week or two of each semester starts off slowly - many refer to the first week as 'syllabus week' because most of the time is spent reviewing the expectations for each class. A planner would be great to mark down all of your deadlines for the semester. This way you can see all class deadlines in one notebook so you can be prepared going into each week. I would also highly recommend staying on campus all day. You will begin to realize that you have much more free time in college than you do in high school. It is great to stay on campus in between classes (maybe go to the library) to get school work done. In my opinion, doing these things will help significantly to reduce your overall stress.
Racheal Noble, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC, NCC
Mental health, education, research, care coordinator
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Racheal’s Answer
Hello,
As a mental health counselor, the best way to reduce e felling overwhelmed is knowing the difference between stress and anxiety
Stress is the external stuff, social relationships, testing and writing academic work, participating in organizations or possibling working to make sure of have money.
Anxiety is all internal, it is how your body will response to the stress which could be sweating, fidgeting, worrying, ruminating, lack of sleep.
Realize that what may be overwhelming is not something that will last. You have the power to identify if you can control what is overwhelming you or if you cannot. If you cannot control the issue, let it be.
Recommendtions below to consider! Good luck!
First realize stress and anxiety are natural and do not go away but eith increase or decrease
Find activities that you love to do, regardless of judgement
Make a schedule with attainable, realistic goals
Keep your support system close; those individuals who are olay with you being innocent
Be open to seeking counseling if being overwhelmed is too much
As a mental health counselor, the best way to reduce e felling overwhelmed is knowing the difference between stress and anxiety
Stress is the external stuff, social relationships, testing and writing academic work, participating in organizations or possibling working to make sure of have money.
Anxiety is all internal, it is how your body will response to the stress which could be sweating, fidgeting, worrying, ruminating, lack of sleep.
Realize that what may be overwhelming is not something that will last. You have the power to identify if you can control what is overwhelming you or if you cannot. If you cannot control the issue, let it be.
Recommendtions below to consider! Good luck!
Racheal recommends the following next steps:
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Jay’s Answer
By far my biggest piece of advice would be to get a planner and when you get your syllabus for your classes, put all of the due dates into your planner. That way, you can see week by week and day by day your work load. For example, say on Sunday you get through the reading and homework for your Monday and Wednesday lectures, it may be smart to get a jump start on your Tuesday and Thursday workload as well.
Once you start getting ahead, you can build in extra time for studying, working, and of course, getting some time back for yourself. College can be very tough and overwhelming, but it will get a whole lot easier if you stay organized and stay on top of your due dates. There is nothing worse than realizing on Wednesday that a term paper is due on Friday (not like I have been there or anything... :) )
Once you start getting ahead, you can build in extra time for studying, working, and of course, getting some time back for yourself. College can be very tough and overwhelming, but it will get a whole lot easier if you stay organized and stay on top of your due dates. There is nothing worse than realizing on Wednesday that a term paper is due on Friday (not like I have been there or anything... :) )
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Abby’s Answer
What works for me personally is beginning the semester by writing down all my assignments in a planner. Take a look at all of your syllabi and write down every assignment that is due, that way, you can reference your planner for assignments rather than opening up the syllabus every time. Another thing that works for me is finishing my assignments ahead of time so that I have some extra days to relax and do other things. Normally, I like to finish all of my HW before Friday so that I have the weekend to do whatever I want. In addition, I find that studying anywhere other than my home really helps, whether its a coffee shop or the school library or anywhere else that's not in the comfort of my own home. I find that my home environment is too relaxing and I get distracted very easily, so I prefer to study anywhere on campus. Hope this advice helps! :)
Updated
Orville’s Answer
Hi Khiem,
To be honest, it is very difficult not to feel overwhelmed at some point during your college experience. In fact, the same is true for life in general! There's not necessarily anything wrong with feeling overwhelmed the key is how you deal with those feelings. I find that being well organized helps me to feel less overwhelmed. I'd suggest that you do the same. Keep a detailed planner which sets out all of your classes, assignments and due dates. This will help you to tackle the most pressing tasks first and in a methodical way. Also, be sure to take it easy on yourself. Make sure you get a lot of exercise and rest and be sure to take some time for relaxation and socializing. All of these things will contribute to reducing your levels of stress and feelings of being overwhelmed. College is such a unique and wonderful experience so please be sure to enjoy it!
To be honest, it is very difficult not to feel overwhelmed at some point during your college experience. In fact, the same is true for life in general! There's not necessarily anything wrong with feeling overwhelmed the key is how you deal with those feelings. I find that being well organized helps me to feel less overwhelmed. I'd suggest that you do the same. Keep a detailed planner which sets out all of your classes, assignments and due dates. This will help you to tackle the most pressing tasks first and in a methodical way. Also, be sure to take it easy on yourself. Make sure you get a lot of exercise and rest and be sure to take some time for relaxation and socializing. All of these things will contribute to reducing your levels of stress and feelings of being overwhelmed. College is such a unique and wonderful experience so please be sure to enjoy it!
Updated
Blake’s Answer
Hi Khiem,
I recieved great advice before college: control what you can control. With that said you can control the time you choose to dedicate to your school work. I always attacked the small tasks first as a small win generally motivates you to tackle the larger projects.
You will feel overwhelmed at times - try to control only what's in your grasps and give it your best shot. I never pulled an all nighter in college as I prioritized day time and morning studying. There is usally enough time in the day to get your work done.
Lastly, talk about your experiences with friends, family, resources, professors. You won't be the only person feeling overwhelmed.
Good luck!
I recieved great advice before college: control what you can control. With that said you can control the time you choose to dedicate to your school work. I always attacked the small tasks first as a small win generally motivates you to tackle the larger projects.
You will feel overwhelmed at times - try to control only what's in your grasps and give it your best shot. I never pulled an all nighter in college as I prioritized day time and morning studying. There is usally enough time in the day to get your work done.
Lastly, talk about your experiences with friends, family, resources, professors. You won't be the only person feeling overwhelmed.
Good luck!