Columnist shares tips for stress

Is it just me or does it seem that the entire world has fallen on your shoulders in one of these past weeks?

Last week was for me what we all consider a "hell" week. I had four tests, a four-page paper and a speech, not to mention some extracurricular activities that I am in. It was just nuts.

But the point of this column isn’t to whine about how professors need to make sure that they separate important events. They are only concerned with their own classes, which I can understand. Three weeks before finals is the perfect time to test those who are hoping that the year will finally come to an end.

But yet, this is also the time that students are becoming the most stressed. For example, this week will probably mark the final week of tests for most classes. Then most classes will either have speeches or projects due in the next two weeks, then finals.

So what should you do in these next two weeks to ensure that you don’t get stressed out and lose your minds?

Last fall, I was in many hard classes (hard for management majors — I know a lot of engineers think all the classes are easy, but they aren’t) and I was stressing out. I had five classes which all had finals and I also had my daily responsibilities here at the newspaper. With the combination of work and finals that counted for 50 percent of my grade in some cases, I didn’t notice the signs of what stress really meant. Until my hand starting shaking.

If you had asked me what being stressed meant, I would have told you that a person becomes frustrated and just needs a nap to feel better. Of course, I was stupid. What I experienced and many of you experience is beyond the meaning of the word "frustrated."

So I would like to give my tips on how to get past the stress that many of you will feel. I found these tips out through plain experience and they seemed to have worked.

• Start studying now. Even though finals are still two weeks away and you might have some projects due soon, it isn’t too early to start. I, like many of you, will be going home this weekend for Easter. Go to your hometown library on Saturday instead of sleeping on the couch. It will get you motivated and keep away the friends who want to catch up on old times. You can do that at night.

• Even though you have a lot of studying to do, there is enough time to take a power nap. Just make sure that alarm is set. In my internships, I would frequently take a nap during my lunch hour instead of going out. It will improve your concentration and make you feel a hundred times better. Trust me, 20 minutes can do wonders.

• Food. For some of us, eating food is not a problem during stressful times, but there are a lot of people who just plumb forget to eat. Don’t. Make sure that you are eating enough food so that you don’t become sick. When you eat, don’t wolf down the food. Make sure that you actually take some time to relax. It’s only 30 minutes. Just that amount can make you relax some.

• Concentrate! Television and video games will be there later. I remember this being a large problem while I lived in the dorms. A lot of guys I knew would come back to class and say "I will only play for a couple games, then study." Never happened. Those games will be there after finals and so will television. Let them be.

• Finally, remember that whatever you do, it isn’t the end of the world. It might seem like it is at times, but it isn’t. I have a friend who is at the University of Illinois and every time finals come around, she nearly kills herself worrying and studying for finals. You might fail a class or get a bad grade, but you can always retake a class.

Just remember that while it might seem like nothing can get better or you are at the end of your rope, it’s not. You are in college and by getting through college, you ensure that you are going to be prepared for your future. It could be worse. I worked in a factory once and I can tell you, I am glad I am here. I don’t ever want to go back.

As finals come and go, students will become stressed out over many things. Out of these things, just let the little things go. People can become stressed out over the most trivial things and they just aren’t worth it.

Develop your goals for what you want to accomplish, say how you are going to achieve these goals and do it. Don’t let anyone or anything distract you from these goals. It might sound like crap, but it works. Just let it work for you.

Nathan Dean is a junior in the School of Management.

Columnist shares tips for stress

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