Strategies for Managing Academic Stress
College can be stressful, but managing academic stress is possible and you can do it!
Sometimes we can talk ourselves out of getting help. It can be scary to join a new study group or go to office hours, but doing so is a healthy risk worth taking.
Do you get caught up worrying about final tests and papers? Do you feel overwhelmed with test anxiety? Do you hold such high expectations for yourself that your brain freezes up? Do you procrastinate so much that you end up cramming all your studying in the night before? Well, you are not alone.
Here's some quick tips on managing academic stress:
Stay in the now! Heading link
The past is gone, and the future is not yet here. The moment over which you have full control is the present moment. When you notice that your attention has drifted to the future or to the past, gently refocus yourself to the present moment.
Develop new skills through practice! Heading link
We are human and we make mistakes. Every mistake you make provides you with an opportunity to learn about yourself.
The way you learn a new skill is by practicing. If you want to improve your singing, learn to play an instrument, become a gourmet chef, or sharpen your sports performance, you have to practice. The more you practice healthy thinking patterns and behavioral choices, the better you will feel. The more you practice good study skills and time management, the more prepared you will be for the test or for writing the paper.
Positive self talk helps...use it! Heading link
How you talk to yourself influences how you feel about yourself. If you “beat yourself up” and “belittle yourself,” you might start believing the voice of that internal critic. If you learn instead to “cut yourself some slack” or be a “support for yourself,” then you will feel more hopeful, have more energy to achieve results, and be more likely to realize your full potential.
Throughout the day, notice your thoughts. Are they anxious? Negative? Self-critical? If so, then you can choose to disregard them, gently letting them float away. You can practice replacing negative thoughts with thoughts that are helpful and inspiring. You can learn to be kind to yourself.
Take responsibility for your mistakes! Heading link
When you make a mistake, take responsibility for it. If you are late when turning in a paper or lab, acknowledge your mistake, and then take action. You can apologize to a professor or lab partner and then be more prepared next time.
Be gracious with yourself - forgive yourself! Heading link
We are taught to apologize to others when we have been unkind to them or when we have made a mistake that affects them. But we sometimes don’t forgive ourselves for mistakes.
It is important to forgive yourself when you stumble. If you do poorly on a test, forgive yourself. If you make an unhealthy choice, forgive yourself. Compassion is something that we can give not only to others but to ourselves as well.
Focus on what you can control, not what you can't! Heading link
It can be hard to focus on what’s within our control versus focusing on what we might not be able to change, but one of the keys to positive thinking and managing stress is to recognize what we might be able to control with our behaviors and recognize that we can’t often control others, but we can take those steps one at a time that are within our control to maintain our own agency in situations. This includes the choices we make – focusing on time management and setting a schedule for studying – you might not be able to control when that quiz or exam is, but you can control the preparation and giving yourself ample time.
Stay balanced and practice good self care! Heading link
Be sure you are taking enough time to get enough sleep (often 7 hours or more is recommended), to eat well with nutrients to help your brain and body, be active and get in some exercise (it can a quick brisk walk or a basketball game with friends), maintain friendships and relationships to give yourself community and support, and pick one activity just for you that you enjoy!
Use campus resources - don't hesitate to engage! Heading link
There are a wide range of resources to help you in relation to academics – you might have those resources listed on your class syllabus or already have a favorite place to go, but if not the UIC Tutoring web page can help, and we have a number of success units whose mission is to support you in your success!
UIC has a wide range of resources available to you including online resources for you to explore. A good quick guide is UIC Today’s Current Student Resources.