How to handle the stress when you are in the first year of university

Gaining admission into university is a major turning point for most people when it comes to taking responsibility for themselves. One moment ago, graduate was safely within reach of parents; all of a sudden, it’s a totally different ball game. For the coming 4-7 years, you find yourself responsible for feeding, transporting and clothing yourself. You also should get study materials and materials for various projects, depending on your course.

The whole transition gets more complicated when a youngster have to travel out of his/her home country to get to your university. Or you are the one sponsoring yourself, and have to find a way of sourcing finances that are sufficient enough to last you for a specific period. Either way, everyone is going to go through a more intense level of stress than ever has had in high school.

For some students, the first year can be frightening, intimidating experience. This is because they find themselves in new environment with new principles, subjects with a much higher mental load and a large number of people they don’t know. First few days might be a bit frustrating.

 Also read: 13 Best Ways To Cope With Stress

What makes a student stressed in his 1st year? Great variety of factors does. Finding yourself in a new environment is one of such factors. Having to share living space with folks you don’t know, or having to study with people who are not on the same reasoning wavelength with you can also be stressful.

Another thing is the weather conditions. If you are from a tropical country and you have never experienced the ‘four seasons’ it might be a bit hard to fully adjust to the freezing temperatures at first. You might occasionally oversleep by chance and run late for a class, or run out of food supplies and a blizzard just begun on the streets. Or worse still, your essay is due in 6 hours, and you are desperately searching for an appropriate assignment service – au.edubirdie to avoid failing the class. These and many more factors affect first-year students all around the world and make them really stressed.

But good news is that even in a 1st year, you can pick up certain titbits that would help you handle the stress like a pro. Some of these tips will become habits that will stick with you for the rest of your study period, and most likely, for life.

Here are a few of them:

Plan your time

This is where many students tend to miss it. Trip to the museum, walk in the park are all necessary and helpful if done at the proper time. Don’t jump on coaster ride when you have a main class the next day.

Water and fruits

Coffee or soda drinks should never take the place of water for you. Water is essential as it keeps you hydrated for the rest of the day. An apple or banana can give momentary boosts of glucose during your daily shuttle from class to class. Sounds simple, but this is one of the most effective stress management tips.

Sleep

Get your sleep! Your body needs time to recover from the stress it’s been taken through. If you don’t seem falling asleep on time or have a hard time getting enough rest, take a bath before lying down. It’s one of the nicest ways to relieve stress. You will feel more refreshed when you wake up.

Cut your coat by your size

Getting a part-time job is a wonderful way of learning to support yourself, but do not overdo it. Do not take on stressful shifts before exams; you might end up using money for re-taking the exam. Do not move out of your way to do jobs that will stress you physically to the point you cannot study.

Find the open-air market

Managing your finances is one of the crucial stress management techniques. We all feel at ease when our pockets contain enough to sustain us for a period. Find an open-air market and make all your purchases there – clothes, warm jackets, and footwear. Foodstuff purchases can be once or twice a month, instead of buying take-outs and boxes of pizza. Fast foods should be occasional. Stock your drawer with ingredients and foodstuff that you can easily cook and get nourished from. Proper nourishment is also crucial for handling stress; a sick person has no stamina to handle stress.

Quit worrying

Life’s going to throw challenges at you either way – some teachers won’t like you, some course mates won’t like you. Some days you will get a good mark, other days you will barely pass. Just see them as stepping-stones to building thick skin you need to deal with higher levels of stress. Don’t ever feel intimidated or discouraged. Keep pushing! Take a break when you need to, and continue pushing. And when you finally look back at the 1st year in your third year, you will be glad you did.