Stress
One of the most valuable strategies that I have implemented for the management of stress is the utilization of a support network. My network consists of classmates, other students, and close family and friends. It is good to have people to talk to when schoolwork becomes too stressful. Conferring with other classmates is particularly useful when there is a difficult assignment or a concept that I do not understand well. Friends and family help me to keep my schoolwork and the other parts of my life in perspective, so that I am able to maintain some sort of balance. Lastly, it is good to talk to other students because that also helps me to realize that what I am going through, almost all other students are going through simultaneously.
Time management strategies are the crux of what helps me get going as a student. Time management allows me to finish my schoolwork in a timely fashion, and to budget the right amount of time to partake in other activities as well. I actually plan for when I am going to study, when I am going to work, and when I am going to do other activities that have a degree of importance in my life. I found that doing so helps to keep me organized and helps to keep me less stressed than I would otherwise be.
In terms of stress management, one of the most valuable mechanisms I have for reducing stress...
Specifically, exercising helps me to keep my schoolwork in perspective and to decrease the amount of stress I feel. When I have an assignment that is upsetting me because it is difficult, or when there are logistical issues with my equipment that are preventing me from achieving maximum efficacy, I simply slip on my tennis shoes and go running, or perhaps kick a soccer ball, or maybe make a trip to the gym. Doing so is a way to temporarily forget about or displace the preeminence of schoolwork and the stress that can accompany it.
Another fairly healthy way to relive stress that I find works is to listen to music. I actually listen to an obscene amount of music -- in most instances, if I am not studying or working, I find some way to listen to music. I listen to music to the exclusion of watching television or movies. The effect that music has on stress is two fold. On the one hand, I listen to music that is inspirational. Therefore, when I have a difficult assignment or a particularly heavy workload, I can listen to music that helps prepare me for it. There are certain songs that motivate me and after listening to them, make me feel as though I can do virtually anything. There are also songs that are less preparatory and more curative. These are songs that I can play when I am feeling stressed about…
