2008 Woodie Awards
College 101: I'm About to Collapse, What do I Do?
Daniel Mannarino
Issue date: 3/2/05 Section: Features
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It's 3:30 in the afternoon. As you collect your books, shove them into your bag, and power walk out of your last class your mind floods with 'to dos.' You have a paper due tomorrow, two tests, an appointment with your advisor, an interview for an on campus job, an overwhelming amount of reading to do, and on top of all this your roommate decided to invite a few loud friends to watch the game tonight. College life definitely has its days. At times there is nothing better than living on your own, socializing, and finally studying subjects that hold your interest, but most days its one stress on top of the other. Its toilsome to find a release when you are living amongst your peers and sharing a room with someone you could very well have just met for the first time. What do you do? As you sit on the edge of your bed, chair, or toilet, you may be wondering; how in the hell is this kid going to provide substantial advice? Is he a professional doctor, psychiatrist or psychologist? Well obviously I am not folks, but take the time to read this. Who knows, maybe by the end you'll have one less thing to worry about. So sit back, and listen to College Advice 101.
If you find yourself battling fatigue, skin breakouts, fitful sleep, even hair loss, you are not alone. Balancing heavy work loads as well as clubs, sports, internships, and an illusion of a social life is practically inconceivable to accomplish stress-free. Last year, Kansas University conducted a study that found more and more college students are being diagnosed with disorders connected to excessive stress and even anxiety. As professors pile on the work and demands increase both inside the classroom and out, there has to be a way to manage it all. The first and foremost step is to acknowledge the stress. Once the stress is known, the student can work on disarming it. One big issue amongst college students involved the topic of studying. Many of us don't know how to do it, don't want to do it, and yes, love to procrastinate (hence the procrastination nation on Facebook). Where does one study? Upon interviewing students, it became apparent that the dorm room is the most popular study area, although many admitted they lacked efficiency in that particular setting. Although studying in your dorm room is extremely convenient, it is filled with a plethora of distractions including instant messenger, Facebook, and of course your bed... you lie down to read and you wake up the next morning confused and in a panic. According to Dartmouth's Academic Skill Center, you should go to a place where you can strictly work on academics such as the library, classrooms or offices.
If you find yourself battling fatigue, skin breakouts, fitful sleep, even hair loss, you are not alone. Balancing heavy work loads as well as clubs, sports, internships, and an illusion of a social life is practically inconceivable to accomplish stress-free. Last year, Kansas University conducted a study that found more and more college students are being diagnosed with disorders connected to excessive stress and even anxiety. As professors pile on the work and demands increase both inside the classroom and out, there has to be a way to manage it all. The first and foremost step is to acknowledge the stress. Once the stress is known, the student can work on disarming it. One big issue amongst college students involved the topic of studying. Many of us don't know how to do it, don't want to do it, and yes, love to procrastinate (hence the procrastination nation on Facebook). Where does one study? Upon interviewing students, it became apparent that the dorm room is the most popular study area, although many admitted they lacked efficiency in that particular setting. Although studying in your dorm room is extremely convenient, it is filled with a plethora of distractions including instant messenger, Facebook, and of course your bed... you lie down to read and you wake up the next morning confused and in a panic. According to Dartmouth's Academic Skill Center, you should go to a place where you can strictly work on academics such as the library, classrooms or offices.