The first week of classes is easy. We usually just go over syllabuses and our professors' expectations of us before getting into the material. Some of us just blow this part off.
Week two is cool. We may get our first reading and homework assignments, maybe a heads-up on the first project.
The third week picks up a bit. You may be 100 pages behind on reading already.
By week four, the first projects might be due and professors might give the first quizzes or exams. It seems like we went from zero to 60 in a four-week blink of an eye.
Whether you're new to the college experience or your course load is more intense than before, the battle with stress can be tough. It can eat away at your mental health and keep you from getting anything right when it comes to schoolwork.
Your task is to find a way to let it out in healthy intervals. Otherwise it could build up and explode like a volcano of screams, profanity and tears, among other things.
Of course, realizing that (most of) you are only 20-something and that everybody fails sometimes helps. You have plenty of time. Perspective is always a good weapon against stress - that and booze, but stress drinking usually compounds your woes.
If freaking out is a hobby of yours, try some of that meditation you read about on the front page or some relaxation drinks, which you can read about on our Web site.
If meditation isn't your scene or you prefer coffee, try going on a run or squeezing in some other sort of exercise instead. Every physical education teacher you've ever had can't be wrong. Or how about playing an instrument or just listening to music for a while to get rid of some of the stress? There are countless ways to unwind, you can find at least one.
If none of that works, go back to that perspective thingy. It works pretty well. Things can always get worse. Your house could burn down or your landlord could sue you for money you already paid him.
If nothing else, you can find consolation in the fact that after this week, we'll be about a quarter of the way through the semester already. You can just hold on a few more weeks or figure out a way to put aside the worry and stress. Make the best of your time here in whatever way works best.
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