How to limit school stress

Stressed this academic school year? Follow these tips! Pexels | Lariat

Midterm season is approaching at Saddleback College and students are preparing to ace their tests and stay on track. While many of us are focused on studying, we also have to focus on assignments that might be due. Keeping track of everything else besides studying can make school stressful. Stress is what is least needed when trying to do good on a test or keep up with school work. Stress can also reduce the chances of performing poorly at school, often unmotivating students. I asked multiple Saddleback College students what they do to reduce school-related stress and how they make school more enjoyable and tolerable. Here are some of the most common suggestions students made on how to limit school stress. 

Use a planner

Using a planner was one of the most common suggestions students made to help other students have a less stressful academic school year. Writing out what is due under each date helps multiple students stay on track and plan ahead when it comes to completing assignments. Whether it is a physical planner, a calendar, or a website online, writing out everything that needs to be completed helps students avoid having late work or forgetting test dates. This makes it less stressful for students since they avoid freaking out and stressing because they forgot a deadline

Manage your time! 

Never leave assignments until the last minute. Always plan ahead and try to complete the assignment on the day you planned it for. For instance, if a quiz is due next Friday, plan out your week and pick a day to do it before Friday comes so that you are not stressed. That way, you are not doing it last- minute Thursday night before it hits midnight. This also allows you to perform better on your test compared to doing it last-minute while rushing and feeling pressured or stressed to finish it on time. The same thing goes for assignments. Do not just wait for an assignment to be due for you to complete it. Plan ahead so that you do not rush and manage your time. Estimate how long it should take you to complete each assignment, when you will complete it, and limit distractions. 

Do not procrastinate

Similar to managing your time, do not procrastinate while completing assignments. Once you are sitting at a desk and completing an assignment, do not sit there and immediately go on your phone. Do not watch TV while staring at your assignment and thinking, “this can wait for later”. Letting it sit there for longer will make you dread completing it a lot more and sometimes we won’t even get to completing it since we pushed it aside multiple times. This can make completing an assignment more stressful; therefore, stop procrastinating and do your assignment the moment you set it in front of yourself.

Stay organized

Staying organized will help you thrive more at school. For instance, keeping a “to-do” list is one of the easiest ways to stay organized. Multiple students rely on Notion, a useful app that allows you to create “to-do” lists, agendas, calendars, and more. In this case, keeping a “to-do” list for school organization will help you stay on track instead of forgetting or trying to do everything at once. A “to-do” list will reduce stress since it allows you to complete each task at once, checking off, and then going on to the next. Other things you can do to stay organized are making sure you have everything ready for class, completing your work neatly, and using tools such as online apps that help you stay organized and on track with school. 

Take a break!

Sometimes school can be stressful, especially since many students work and do school at the same time. If you plan accordingly and complete all assignments on time, you might just have enough time to take a break. Go on a walk, go out with friends, or stay in and watch a movie. Having time for yourself prevents you from stressing yourself too much and instead helps reduce stress. Taking breaks helps students keep a healthy mental health and helps them enjoy school more rather than hating it. Do not work yourself too hard and do something that brings you peace and joy.

Always ask for help

If you are struggling, do not be scared to ask for help. Find a peer or talk to a professor if you are lost in class. This helps reduce stress as you will know you have people you can turn to for questions and overall makes the learning and study process a lot easier. Not asking for help makes you feel more worried and stressed when sometimes the answer is easily available, we just need to ask.

Take care of yourself

Similar to taking breaks, taking care of yourself is great to stay motivated in school and prevent stress. Do not overwhelm yourself and stay up doing homework, especially if it is not due that night. Get good sleep, work out, and build healthy habits. Also, do not pressure yourself to be perfect at all times. Of course, always try your best in school, but do not overwork yourself to the point where you feel sick and tired. Do things that help you feel stress-free!

Create good study habits

Sometimes students get stressed because they aren’t studying enough or haven’t developed good studying habits. Developing study skills is crucial to thriving in school and making it a less stressful process. Reserving a study room at Saddleback College was something many students suggested. This allows a silent space to study with others and get ready for a test. Using methods like the “pomodoro” method or the “Feynman learning technique” are very useful since they help memorize key terms and are less stressful ways to study. Instead of staring at a deck of flashcards or multiple handouts and being unable to grab on to the concept, try using study methods instead. It makes studying more organized and more effective. 

This list contains the most common answers received from students when asked “what they do to limit school stress”. All of the answers suggest staying organized, planning ahead, completing homework on time, and balancing out school life and personal life. If you are currently stressed because of school, some of these suggestions might be able to help.

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