Students blog

College is no doubt a stressful environment. You've got a new schedule, new friends, and overall, a new life to get adjusted to. It's natural to feel overwhelmed and unsure from all the changes. The familiar fear I felt in my first Kindergarten class matched the anxiety I felt in my first college class. However, by implementing some fresh and fun self-care tips and tricks, the stress melted off my shoulders like sweet, scented candle wax. Here are three methods anyone can use if they need to take a break from the stress and focus on realigning their energy.

The first method to relieve college stress is to plan out all your activities in a planner! Keeping assignments, tests, and projects organized within a handy-dandy notebook or even in digital form is a great way of keeping track of things to do. These objectives can easily pile up and become overwhelming and stress inducing if left unattended. By managing your workload properly, you can mitigate your college stress!

Another way to relieve college stress is to allocate time doing an activity you enjoy. This time can be spent playing your favorite sport, binging a great show, lifting weights, or even just chilling solo. Students spend a lot of time in the company of others, and maintaining the college level of socializing can be exhausting, so spending some time doing something you love will relieve the stress and refill the energy.

Finally, mediation and breathing exercise are a great way to calm your nerves after a stress inducing experience. You can light a candle or spray room mist, and just close your eyes. When your mind is racing with a million thoughts, just sitting down and focusing on your breath is one of the best ways to center yourself and relax.

In conclusion, college can take a toll on us students, so it’s up to us to make sure that we are taking care of ourselves. And that may look different for everyone! This transformative era of our lives comes with its ups and downs, but as students we must always remember to brace ourselves and enjoy the ride.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

One of the first things that truly characterizes the college experience for incoming freshmen is the newfound freedom and independence bestowed upon the new adult. The beginning of this journey stems from the core of the university…the infamous college dorms. Knowing how to deal with difficult roommates is important as the beginning of the college experience is contingent upon those initial connections. Simply put, a rocky relationship with your roommates will ultimately lead to a rocky semester.

Introduce Yourself!

The saying, “you never get a second chance to make a first impression,” applies greatly! When you meet a new person, their initial impression of you lasts. The same applies to roommates. It’s important to not be judgmental, but ultimately these impressions can make or break a roommate relationship. That’s why it’s crucial to be your genuine self when meeting your new roommate. Being true to yourself is a lot harder than people think, but by being unapologetically you, you’re more likely to build an amazing friendship with your new roommate.

Mitigation and Preemptive Measure

To prevent any future disagreements, it’s important to set up some ground rules right off the bat. A great way to come to some agreements regarding dorm life with you and your roommates is to assign a chore list! Creating a form of agreed upon responsibilities allotted evenly amongst yourselves is a great way to set the expectation from the get-go. Arguments can often arise from lack of participation and responsibility within the dorm, so a chore list is a great way to clear up any future misunderstandings.

Tough Conversations

Sometimes, tough conversations must be had. Whether your roommate is repeatedly coming home late or just forgetting to turn the light off, there is a correct way to address these sensitive issues. When calling a roommate meeting to address these topics, keep in mind that while you may be upset by their actions, they most likely didn’t mean to intentionally hurt you. Do your best to communicate your concerns in a polite manner.

All in all, dealing with a difficult roommate situation can be an uncomfortable and nerve-racking task. Engaging with bad roommates is like dealing with wrinkles. The only solution is preemptive care! Just like applying SPF in your youth decreases the progression of bad skin in your adulthood, effective communication mitigates the risk of future arguments and therefore is the best way to handle roommates!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!