Freshman year of college can be stressful. You have a bunch of new classes that have higher expectations than they did in high school (or maybe you don’t). Either way, it can be very overwhelming, especially if you aren’t used to being on your own. Sometimes it can feel like you don’t even know how to begin to tackle that mountain of homework. So, here are 10 tips to help you deal with it.
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Take a break. This may sound super simple, but if you’ve been studying for a long time, your mind will need time to rejuvenate. You don’t have to take a long break, ten to fifteen minutes should do the trick. Listen to music, watch some YouTube videos, take a nap, just do something to take your mind off of that exam.
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Remember to breathe. If you’re super anxious about a test or a project, take a few deep breaths before starting or finishing your work.
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Drink a lot of water. The recommended amount of water you should drink per day varies based on your own body, so make sure you feel like you’re getting enough. It’s good to stay hydrated during the day, especially when you’re stressed.
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Write out all of the homework you want to do that night. You can even color code each class if that helps you and check off the list as you go along! Make sure you keep the list in a place that’s visible to you at all times while you’re working, because that way, it’ll be easily accessible both for seeing what you still have to do and what you’ve already done.
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Listen to a study playlist. It doesn’t have to be something super complicated, but it helps to have something else to focus on if you can’t figure out a fairly tricky problem. You don’t even have to have lyrics in your playlist, you can also even use melodies you’re familiar with – whatever works best for you!
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Study with a friend. If you don’t quite understand the concept you’re going over in class, having someone who does can really help! It has been said that the best way to make sure you know something is whether or not you can explain it to someone else. But if your friend doesn’t understand the same topic, you can try to work through it together. Also, it’s nice to have someone to check with to make sure you’re doing homework right!
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Get enough sleep. This can be hard if you’re trying to study for a test at the last minute, but it makes all the difference in terms of stress. If you don’t get a good night’s sleep the night before a big test, you’ll probably be very tired the next day and that won’t do you any good on that test you spent all night studying for.
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Don’t study the minute before the test. If you don’t know it a half an hour before, chances are that you won’t know it by the time the test rolls around. It may come to you during the test, but don’t assume that’s going to happen.
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Remember to eat. It can be easy to forget to eat meals when you are studying for a big test or spending the night on homework, but make it a priority. Make sure that you eat full meals (yes, fruit and vegetables included) because you will feel so much better. Set reminders on your phone or write them out if that will help remind you.
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Take care of yourself. Don’t overwork yourself and don’t pull all-nighters all the time. It’s okay to do that once in a while, but make sure you know when to stop. If you’ve been studying for five straight hours and find that you’re spacing out – it may be time to take a break!