Surviving the College Pressure Cooker: Strategies for Dealing with Stress

I’ve had a long week. And I’m sure I’m not alone.

As we start to get into the season of exams, recruitment for business organizations, and career fair, I’m sure all of us here at Farmer are incredibly overwhelmed. Whether you are a freshman who is going through college for the first time, or a junior struggling with the internship process, there are highs and lows for everyone throughout college. In all honesty, I have faced plenty of lows this week, but the challenges that I have faced remind me how important it is to take a breath.

What has helped me the most this week is identifying why I’m stressed and then brainstorming ways to take the pressure off. The largest cause of stress for me was some struggles I was having in one of my courses. Recently, the biggest life stressor that I’ve been experiencing is with one of my courses. Luckily, I was able to talk with the professor during office hours where he reviewed my work and gave me a plan so that I could improve. Moral of the story - try not to make things harder than they need to be.

It's also important to understand the plethora of resources you have around you while at Miami University. There are all kinds of professionals who are looking to support you in whatever you are stressing over. If you are having issues with schoolwork, your professors want to help you! There are many friendly tutors at the Rinella Center you can also reach out to. If you want to speak to a mental health professional, there are plenty of resources on campus. If you can, lean on your support system. Whether it be a family member or friends, if there is someone within your life who you can talk to, take advantage of that support. Everyone understands what it’s like to be stressed… the first battle is simply asking for help.

This is kind of cliche, but I always want to make sure that I have time set aside for myself. ESPECIALLY when I’m stressed. Whatever works best for you to clear your head should be a priority for you. Just because life isn’t busy or stressful, doesn’t mean that you can’t take a bit of time to do something you enjoy. In fact, it could even be useful - giving yourself a break will lower your stress and lead to better results in whatever you may be doing.

The most important part of stress though, is understanding that in the grand scheme of things, this too shall pass. Whenever I am incredibly stressed out, I think to myself “will I be upset about this in a month?” Typically, the answer is no. Let alone if you move the timeframe out further. While it is important to put stake into what you’re doing, don’t forget the bigger picture. At the end of the day, if you put yourself into the best position you can, things will work out for you.

At the end of the day, we are all students. We all struggle. Recognizing that it's ok and taking the steps to improve, makes a world of difference.

PSE MiamiSeptember 25, 2023