Student

Stressed By Stress

Why is it that almost every incoming freshman thinks that college isn’t going to be all that different from high school? Every year a brand spanking new batch of 18 year olds heads off to college. Some make it and some fall victim to the enormous amount of stress generated by college. While every student is different, there are some common causes of college stress that should be addressed.

A leading cause of college stress is the amount of change student’s face. Everything about their lives changes from where they lay their head at night to what they eat for breakfast. Unfortunately, a lot of people have a hard time with change – it can be a leading cause of stress.

While the financial pressures of college do not affect all students, many of them are. Students who are paying their own way or helping out with their tuition often find trying to balance work and school difficult and stressful. Unfortunately a student has to work they must find a way to balance these two activities.

College is also, to a large degree, self-paced. Vast amounts of reading material, large reports and exams are, for the most part, the responsibility of the student. Many have difficulty with the fact that their professors are not reminding them constantly of assignments and dates. Unless a student finds a way to manage their studies, they can end up very stressed out.

Finally, many students find themselves stressed out by their performance. Students who aren’t pulling the grades they are accustomed to find themselves feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. Until such students find a way to address their grades or except lower standards, they are likely to remain stressed.

Almost all college students are stressed out about one thing or another – the trick is learning to manage the stress before it gets out of hand.

Filed Under: Education, Higher Education Tagged With: High school, Stress, Student

Freedom at Last – Hello Stress

Image via Wikipedia

Admit it, when you finally arrived for your first day at college, excitement filled you. Likely, it was your first time away from home for more than a few nights. Freedom at last. That night, you met some of your neighbors, walked around campus, and went home to settle into your new, and probably uncomfortable, dorm bed. Whether the stress hit you then or later, at some point you felt it. That sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. College is different from high school. Now, it is all on you to succeed or fail. Learning how to handle the stress of college can help make sure that at the end of the semester you have passing grades.

It starts with planning. One of the biggest mistakes a college freshmen can make is falling into the belief that there is time for everything – later. Once you have gone to all of your classes, take a few hours to check the work load and develop a schedule that will allow you to get all of your reading and assignments done. Plan extra time for tests and papers.

Next, remember that part of the college experience is having fun. It is all right to go out with your friends and enjoy the nightlife of a college campus. Don’t have so much fun that it impacts your studies. Going out every night of the week will cause you to wake up one morning late for an exam you didn’t study – automatic stress.

Finally, eat and sleep right. These two factors alone can help you deal with stress. Get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Eat breakfast lunch and dinner. When you have time, go for a walk or a jog. Keeping yourself physically healthy will make a big difference.

Filed Under: Education, Requirements Tagged With: Campus, Health, Student

Ways to Relieve College Stress

Image via Wikipedia

There can be a great amount of stress for individuals involved in higher education when taking college courses. There are those taking multiple majors and minors and still having to work full time and raise a family. The following are some tips to help students taking college courses reduce the amount of stress they may have.

Taking online courses can be a great way to eliminate much of the college stress associated with many traditional forms of eduation such as driving back and forth to classes, but there probably will be some level of stress involved. When having to research, write papers and study for exams, stress may very well be a factor but you can reduce the amount of stress you have by getting enough sleep. When you are sleep deprived, you are not able to function properly and at least 7 hours of sleep is enough to get you refocused and recharged to tackle whatever comes before you.

In order to relieve some of the stress associated with college life it is also important to eat right and exercise. Eating write with provide you with clarity of thought and if you do not think you have time to exercise, think again, just 30 minutes of low impact daily exercise is enough to relax and rebalance you.

Sometimes a college student who is away from home and handling things on their own will experience a lot of stress. Asking for help is a great way for students to relieve stress. For the shy student, taking online courses is a great opportunity to ask for help when it is needed.

Filed Under: Online Education Tagged With: Physical exercise, Stress, Student

Considering a Double Major

Many students find a double major to be appealing because it enables them to graduate with two degrees and gain a greater knowledge foundation that just concentrating on one area. However, many students find it extremely difficult to complete a double major in an adequate amount of time. Students must consider certain factors when deciding to pursue two fields of study.

Identify the Pros

It is important for students to understand the reasons of why they want to pursue two majors such as for a career, an equal passion for two areas, or have a competitive edge after graduation. Students should compose a list of reasons to pursue a double major.

Identify the Cons

Students must also consider the negative aspects of pursuing two majors such as the challenges, cost, changes, worries, and sacrifices. They should create a list of reasons not to double major.

Consider Financial Factors

Financing a double major is a major factor students must consider. Increased course-loads, additional courses, completion of courses during summer and other off-terms all cause raises in tuition costs.

Consider Personal Factors

Students must consider the personal factors of a double major. They must identify the difficulty of the combination of majors and assess if they will have time to relax and enjoy other college aspects or if it will result in an overall negative college experience.

Meet with an Advisor

It is important for students to consult with faculty advisors to discuss aspects of double majoring and get a professionals opinion and a different outlook on the pros and cons that the student may not have considered.

Talk to Other Students Pursuing Double Major

Talking with students who are currently pursuing a double major can help students gain an insight of what to expect and what the experience is like. Students can get an idea of workload and if the decision is manageable and worthwhile.

Filed Under: Education, Majors Tagged With: Academic major, Education, Student

Tips for College Success

There are a variety of forms of academic success in college. For majority of students it involves an excellent transcript that gives a competitive edge when applying for jobs or advanced education programs. Other students view academic success as aspects of what happens in and out of the classroom.

Tips for Succeeding in College:

Enable Exploration

Some students begin college knowing exactly what career they want to pursue and others do not have a clue. No matter the situation, it is important for students to explore all the things a higher education institution has to offer including unique courses, extracurricular activities, and events.

Make Good Decisions and Reap the Consequences

Throughout college there will be a vast amount of individuals offering advice of what students should be doing during and after their academic career. It is important for students to make their own decisions such as choosing a major and career that best suits them not anyone else. When making all types of decisions, confidence and happiness are very important.

Maintain Balance

College is often overwhelming and it is necessary for students to maintain a suitable balance between academics, social experiences, healthy living habits, and maintaining relationships.

Encourage Strong Performance

Once the important decisions of exploring majors and deciding on a field of study and even a career choice, students need to set themselves up for success. It is essential to make the most out of the college experience by selecting courses from good professors, accepting criticism and using it to improve, and putting genuine effort into tasks.

Learn Outside the Classroom

Facilitating learning experiences aside from courses is a vital part of the college experience. Students should join organizations or clubs and participate in activities that spark their passion and interests.

Filed Under: Education, Majors Tagged With: College, Education, Student

Importance of College Minors

Many educational professionals stress the importance of students selecting a minor in college and there are important academic, professional, and personal benefits of college minors.

Academic Importance

A minor may be significantly important for students who plan on applying to graduate school or other advanced academic activities. Minors can demonstrate that a student possesses additional interests and abilities in interrelated or completely separate areas.

Minors can also demonstrate who a student is as a person and related interests and academic goals. A minor will not guarantee or deny admission to advanced academic programs, but it can help students stand out among large amounts of applicants to competitive programs.

Professional Importance

From a professional standpoint, minors can provide assistance to students who need additional education for a certain career path such as supporting knowledge in a subfield. Students can also augment their resume by complete courses and gaining training in an area that potential employers will consistently have an interest in.

Students often choose minor to complement one area of academic training with another that will enable students to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge. For example, students pursuing a teaching degree choosing a minor in a specific subject to increase career prospects and demonstrate a solid understanding of the particular area.

Personal Importance

College minors may have important personal aspects to students if they choose to minor in an area that they are very interested in and have a passion for such as an aspiring medical student that has a deep love for playing the piano that chooses to minor in music.

Students may also decide to acquire training and skills in a specific field, but not be committed to pursuing the subject at an extensive major level.

Filed Under: Education, Minors Tagged With: College, Education, Student

Typical Factors That Cause Stress Among College Students

Numerous students enrolled in college deal with many factors that contribute to stress. Increased stress in college can be a contributing factor to weight gain, anxiety, depression, and dropping out.

Common Stress Factors:

Academics: many new college students do not understand the magnitude of the amount of work college courses involve, which is significantly more difficult than the average workload in high school. College students also have less support from teachers and parents. Rigorous college courses may involve difficult tests, scheduling problems and various other academics barriers. College students often have to endure long and hard hours of studying which leads to lack of sleep and free time.
Social Experiences: college brings an array of social challenges including leaving a student’s complete support system and developing a new network of social contacts. Other social stressors include being away from home, decreased parental support, sharing living space with a roommate, and trying to balance social experiences and part-time jobs with schoolwork.
Miscellaneous Stressors: There are various other stressors that accompany college life including living independently, staying up late and getting up early, missing home, and deciding how to choose the right major of study. Most students have a hard time of who they want to become sometime during college.

Stress Results

Stress related to college life includes a variety of effects:

Feeling overwhelmed: this is one of the most common results of stress in college and many students struggle with trying to find a good balance of school work and social experiences.
Gaining or losing weight: many students unintentionally gain or lose weight during their first few years of college as they attempt to deal with stress and other practical and social problems.
Dropout: stress of college life contributes significantly to the high dropout rate among college students. According to the 2008 U.S. Census, approximately 50% of American college students who begin college do not graduate.

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: High school, Student, United States

Online Majors

Online majors are no different than traditional brick and mortar majors. The difference is that many of these schools offer pamphlets and brochures outlining the specific requirements for each of their programs. This is a necessary tool as many schools are only offered on a visual basis. These schools are focusing on a customer service type of presentation, and for students, this is a great benefit. In declaring majors for online schools, this is something that is done from the very beginning. It is vital that a prospective student truly understand and comprehend what it is that they want to do, otherwise there could be a lot of time and money that is wasted on changing majors as the requirements for many of the degree programs are different for each. This is the one drawback of many online schools as they make their programs very concise and specific, so there is little room for error and little margin for changing minds.

There are many majors to choose from, and the difference with online schools to that of brick and mortar schools is that they will not allow you to dual major. This is because the course work is provided in a different format, and there is a fear that many students will not be able to handle the load. This is a legitimate concern, and many schools pride themselves on their high rates of success and completion. If a dual major was considered, many students would not be able to handle the load and would therefore have to drop part of their program. This would reflect poorly on the school and then in turn tarnish their success and completion statistics. Be sure to investigate the options before choosing a degree program, and once decided you need to make sure you complete the program as prescribed.

Filed Under: Majors, Online Education Tagged With: Academic degree, Associate's degree, Brick and mortar business, Colleges and Universities, Student

College Minors

College Minors are an aspect of a degree that can be very helpful for students, without tasking too much like a dual major. This mean that a student can choose specific classes that are already part of their Bachelors program, without adding more classes, and be able to obtain a minor in a specific subject. The purpose of a minor is to simply add to the validity of the major, and this lends credibility to your abilities as a degree holder. This also help you to obtain a more diverse employment field as you can claim that you are not only well versed in your major, but that you have a minor in another area as well. For teaching this can equal a dual credential for teaching. For instance, if a student attends college for elementary education, and during the course of his or her education chooses to take history classes as a way of sufficing for liberal arts classes. That student would graduate with a degree in Elementary Education, and a minor in History or Social Science. If the unit amount for the minor is enough, in most states it is 30 units, then that student would qualify for a secondary license in history to teach.

This is a very cost effective and time considerate approach if a student does not have the energy or resources to accomplish a dual major. The main goal of obtaining a minor is that it does not add any units to the degree as it stands, and will allow a student to claim a more rounded eligibility for work. Because there are no more units being added to the degree, there are not additional costs. Like the example above, students are allowed to choose some of their classes, and in doing so they have the possibility of claiming a minor with no additional time added. An academic counselor can assist with the process as well.

Filed Under: Higher Education, Minors Tagged With: Colleges and Universities, Connecticut, Education, Liberal arts, Student, United States

You Just Might Learn Something

One of the most interesting part of a student’s college career are the electives they can choose to take. Many people believe that college electives are little more that a waste of time and money. For students who opt to carefully choose their electives, a few hours and class each week literally change their lives. Electives are no longer about bowling and home economics. Instead, students have access to a wide range of classes that can change them by providing them with useful information and skills.

Unfortunately, these same ‘good’ electives can mean spending a bit more time than most students believe the standard elective class should take. Still, there are some electives that are worth a little bit of extra time and effort.

Public Speaking: very few people are born with a natural ability to speak in public. Like anything it is a skill that must be learned. This class is the perfect place to start.
Business writing: You would be surprised just how much writing goes into running a business. This elective will prepare you to write everything from your first resume to the business plan that will get your new business off the ground.
English Grammar: It is actually stunning how many college students have bad grammar skills. I might not be the most exciting class you can take, but it certainly one that will provide you with much needed skills.
Art: It is a shame how many students think art is a waste of time. The truth is, art class can help a student better understand everything from history to literature.
Foreign Language: The world isn’t’ getting any bigger – it’s getting smaller and a foreign language is one skill that everyone can use.

You see? Electives can be very useful

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Education, Foreign language, Higher education, Student