For many people, college is a time of life filled with “firsts.” Your first time living away from your family, getting your first real job and your first time figuring out how to manage your own responsibilities.

Unlike high school, college forces you to be in charge of remembering deadlines and tasks, which can lead to increased stress. According to The American Institute of Stress (AIS), 45% of American college students report experiencing “more than average” levels of stress. But the question remains: how can college students manage their time and lower their stress levels?

First, it starts with taking care of yourself. Sleep plays a massive role in stress and stress management – when you’re stressed, you can’t sleep, but lack of sleep can also make you more stressed. The AIS also reports that 40% of America’s college students feel inadequately rested most days, and 25% of students also admitted that a lack of sleep makes them worse students, causing them to miss deadlines and get lower grades. So, managing your time and stress starts with getting good sleep.

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The National Sleep Foundation recommends that for young adults 18- to 25-years-old, you should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep. Since fixing your sleeping habits doesn’t get rid of the ever growing pile of assignments and deadlines, what’s next? Using an organizational system, like Google Calendar or a physical planner can help you remember and keep up with deadlines and assignments. However, these systems aren’t one size fits all; it’s important to find the system that works best for you as an individual.

Next, going to class ensures you’re caught up on what’s going on and not scrambling to do Week 2 work when it’s Week 7. Additionally, making a study group with your fellow classmates can help ensure everyone is understanding the material and feels confident in their work. If you’re on top of your deadlines but still feeling like you’re falling behind or not fully getting it, you’ve got some resources.

Office hours with your professor can provide a great avenue for you to voice your concerns or questions to your professor in a one on one setting without fear of speaking up in class. In addition, ETSU’s Center for Academic Achievement (CFAA), located on the first floor of Sherrod Library, provides individual tutoring, academic coaching, and supplemental instruction for many classes offered here on campus, all for free. Similarly, the TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) program provides tutoring in over a dozen classes for those that qualify for the program.

No matter if you’re on the Dean’s List all four years, or a believer of the “C’s get degrees” philosophy, every college student experiences stress. And asking for help is a totally normal, not weird thing to do. The ETSU Counseling Center located in the Culp Center, provides many ways to talk to someone who can help.

Additionally, BucsPress2 acts as ETSU’s 24/7 mental health crisis line, which you can reach by calling (423) 439-4841, and pressing 2. Stress is something you can’t handle alone, no matter how hard you try. So remember these tips the next time you’re feeling stressed.

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