The words student and stress might as well be synonyms, considering how often they go hand in hand. After all, who can truly breeze through every class without breaking a sweat?
Pretty sure that person doesn’t exist. And if they do, I’d love to meet them, because that sounds like something straight out of a fairytale.
Research backs this up. Around 60% of students report feeling stressed every day, and 1 in 5 say they feel that way most of the time.
What’s more, managing college life seems to have only gotten tougher. Stress levels among students have risen by 30% over the past three decades, and even high schoolers in the U.S. now report higher stress than adults.
While stress may feel like a rite of passage, there are ways to make student life a little easier, and no, it’s not just scrolling through memes (though that definitely helps, and Bored Panda has plenty of those, wink wink). Here’s what experts in education suggest.
University of Twente recommends rethinking stress altogether. While too much of it can be harmful, a healthy level isn’t necessarily bad. In fact, it’s your body’s way of motivating you to solve problems.
Without it, you might not feel the drive to study for that big exam or finish an important project. Stress often signals that something matters to you, so instead of trying to eliminate it, the goal is to learn how to manage it.
To keep stress from becoming overwhelming, preparation can make a bigger difference than you think. And while actually sticking to it is easier said than done, it doesn’t have to be complicated.
At the start of the semester, take a moment to look over your schedule, mark important deadlines and exam dates, and set a few reminders. Planning ahead won’t solve everything, but it will spare you from last-minute panic later on.
Of course, procrastination will still try to sneak in, but it doesn’t have to win. Creating a study plan and sticking to it can really help. Even having a loose structure is better than playing everything by ear; it gives you direction and a clearer sense of control.
To get started, try prioritizing your tasks. Begin with the smaller or quicker ones—crossing them off your list gives you a small boost and the motivation to move on to the more demanding ones.
Beyond academics, Purdue Global reminds students that it’s just as important to take care of themselves. An unhealthy diet can make it harder to manage stress, even though most students practically run on caffeine and fast food.
Eating balanced meals can really help, and when possible (as obvious as it sounds), try to squeeze in a bit of exercise too.
