8 Ways to Tell You’re Officially a Stressed-Out College Student
After what seemed like forever at the same old boring high school, you’ve finally reached your college years. You’re an adult, and it feels awesome! You’re living on your own, surrounded by sexy people, and your classes are actually interesting for the first time (some of them at least).
Suddenly you are busy as heck and having tons of fun, but you’re realizing you’re only getting a few hours of sleep a night.
What’s more, your grades are starting to slip.
You’ve got to pick up the slack, and fast, but what do you have to sacrifice to make it through the year?
Here are 8 ways to tell you’re officially a stressed-out college student, plus some tips to keep you going through the stress.
You find yourself giving other people tips on pulling all-nighters.
A few short months ago, all-nighters were an annual phenomenon; now it seems like you’re doing it once a week, and while it’s not always fun, it’s sometimes necessary. Furthermore, you’re finding yourself an expert, sharing tips with your friends whenever you get a chance…
Keep the room temperature at 50 degrees F!
Drink tea not coffee!
Take a 45-minute nap at 7pm!
If you’re sleep-deprived, you won’t actually produce quality work. So consider shutting everything off and actually going to bed at 8 or 9, even if it’s just once a week! Your brain and body will thank you.
Spending time with your parents has never felt so good.
Never in your life have you wanted to visit your parents so badly…well, to an extent.
You’re finding yourself relishing every moment there, even to the point of finding new ways of tolerating some conflict and fighting: there’s nothing in the world better than homemade food and clean laundry.
Whether you live close to your parents or not, take advantage of this time, and appreciate your folks, even when it seems difficult.
You’ve made regular napping an art form.
On the bus, on your desk, during class, you’ve managed to get away with napping at all times of day, no matter where you are.
Yup, it’s official: You can nap your way through anything.
(Except that sick party that’s happening on Friday.)
Your new favorite four-letter F-word is a lot more tame than the last one.
These days, you get tingly just thinking about the upcoming clothing swap, or the textbooks you managed to trade with a friend that took the same history class last term.
And that extra chocolate bar that popped out of the vending machine was the highlight of your month.
Your regular wardrobe is basically pajamas.
Remember how amazing you felt during the first week of college? The air was crisp, your clothes were fresh, and you were positive you were turning heads.
Now it’s all you can do to change your sweatpants once a week and find a decent hat to cover your hair you keep forgetting to wash.
Why not try looking on Groupon for a spa special, beauty treatment or massage to help relax and refresh you?
You know how to write a decent term paper in a matter of 24-hours.
You’ve somehow learned how to write a term paper in the space of 24 hours flat and on only 3-hours sleep. It may not be the best paper, but you know it will pass. And you’re so exhausted that that’s all that matters.
To help you write and edit faster, try an app like Edit Minion to help you edit your paper when you’re done the first draft.
The term “organization” takes on a whole new meaning.
You’re constantly looking for new ways to manage all of the information that’s being thrown at you while staying productive. Plus you still need to make sure you carve out time for exercise, studying and friends. Prepping for exams, keeping track of notes, organizing class schedules…how is one person supposed to keep track of all of this and still stay sane?
Mendeley is an excellent organizational tool when it comes to organizing your research and notes. Try Wunderlist for managing tasks, or try the Tomato Timer to help you prepare and study for exams
The Dollar Store and the Library are suddenly two of your favorite places to hang out.
So suddenly you’re busy as heck, yet you’re finding yourself poorer than you’ve ever thought possible.
You’re too broke to shop at regular stationary and supply stores, and most of campus is too noisy to get any work done. Plus the local coffee shop is usually full.
If you’re constantly searching for change in the couch and cutting out coupons, and you don’t mind living on canned food for a while, the local Dollar Store is a great go-to option for staying on-budget.
And as for the library, who can say no to free napping…errr, working space and endless free printing?
Well, there you have it.
If you’re finding yourself dreaming about a full night’s sleep, frantically searching for apps on how to write faster, constantly seeking apps to help you study…you’re probably a stressed-out college student. But don’t worry, it won’t last forever! Just remember to breathe.
