Office Stress Video

By Valerie Mellema

Going to college is not only a complete change of lifestyle for many young adults, but it is also a new source of stress. There are so many things that students want to do in college, that they can often find it difficult to keep studying stress free.

The first thing that many students need to do is learn how to reduce test anxiety. Too much anxiety over a test can cause students to have poor concentration as well as memory resources on a test. Although a certain amount of stress is a good motivator, too much stress can be very debilitating for students.

Fortunately, there are several stress management techniques that students can employ. There are also several study tips that students can utilize as well to ensure they do the best job they can at learning the material and regurgitating it on an exam.

The second thing that students need to do is safeguard their sleep. Most students have extra activities that they participate in and test taking usually adds an extra level of stress to their daily lives. Busy schedules also affect the quality and quantity of sleep and many students try to combat their busy schedules by cutting down on their sleep time. Students need to avoid coffee binges late at night while studying; they should also avoid all-nighters at all costs. If you don't know the information by now, you're likely to not learn much by trying to cram. Always try to schedule eight hours worth of sleep into your day.

Eating healthy is very important when in college. We've all heard of the "freshmen 15" and stress is one of the leading causes of weight gain in college. It's easy to grab a burger or pizza on the go rather than look for something healthier. Be sure to eat a healthy mix of everything from the food pyramid and try to avoid excess sugar and caffeine.

Organization is the key in making it through college as stress free as possible. Organization is a natural skill for some, but it is a skill that people have to really develop. Being organized can make the difference in easily finding the information you need as well as integrating that information into a situation as well. It's also important to know where you can find those notes! Organization in your note taking and in your living space can help you to alleviate a large amount of college stress. An organized study area is also important. Use the same place to study every time and you will be less likely to lose anything.

Finally, when it comes to tests and studying, always start early. This allows you to learn and soak in the information you need to know at a more relaxed pace. When you're relaxed, you have the ability to really learn that information and you won't need to cram when it comes time for mid terms or finals.