Study pressure sucks. Be it daunting deadlines or strict professors, at some point you’re going to find yourself overwhelmed. And as much as you can rely on energy drinks and procrastination to deal with it, those are merely temporary solutions that delay the inevitable. How does one combat study pressure? How does one deal with the less-talked-about stresses of university life? Let’s find out.
1. Teamwork
No matter how hard we want to be superheroes or lone wolves who get things done by ourselves all the time, that is simply not how our world is designed to work. You can count on your fingers the people who’ve achieved great success working completely alone. And while it’s technically possible, why should you? Contrary to popular belief, people actually LIKE to help other people. When was the last time someone asked you for a small favor? Chances are, you were happy to oblige. It’s nice to be helpful, which means we should never be afraid to communicate our troubles, to provide AND receive assistance. The math is simple: the more people work on something, the faster and easier it is to get it done. Go ahead and call your friend for a mutual study session. Mixing fun and education is a crucial part of keeping good morale. Speaking of fun…
2. Treat Yourself
Lately, I’ve seen more and more people engaging in so-called ‘robot-mode’ or ‘monk-mode’, attempting to focus 100% of their efforts on work and productivity while eliminating every possible distraction. Well, newsflash, unless you’re a terminator, such a lifestyle is not sustainable in the slightest. It may work out for a day or a couple, but ultimately all you’ll do is burn yourself out and feel unhappy as a result. The key to dealing with stress in your studies is a good balance of fun and work. Did you get an assignment done? Go eat that chocolate bar you’ve been eyeing all day, because you’ve earned it. By motivating yourself through small rewards, you’ll start ticking off tasks one by one — like Greece’s population (just kidding…).
3. Tackle It One Step At a Time
When climbing a mountain, you don’t think about the totality of steps you’re going to take or the number of rocks you’re going to climb. You take the first step, then the next, then another, until eventually you find yourself having conquered the peak. The same principle applies to any task in life. If you have many deadlines ahead of you, the worst thing you can do is keep thinking about how many there are and how quickly you need to get them done. That’s a one-way ticket to getting stressed and overwhelmed to the core. Take the closest deadline, FORGET about everything else, and complete your task. Rinse and repeat until your piled-up assignments are all done. That is, of course, easier said than done. Just remember, thinking about the volume of your work is never going to result in any productivity. Don’t think about it, ACT on it.
4. Work Smarter, Not Harder
Here’s a revelation: most professors actually WANT you to succeed. As long as you cooperate with them and explain potential issues, they’ll be on your side. This is something for the shy folks out there: talk to your professors. Ask them to extend your deadline, ask them to help you with a part of your assignment, and clarify with them if you’re doing something correctly. Not only will it give off the impression that you’re trying hard, but it’ll also save you a ton of time if you did get something wrong. The golden lesson is this: Most problems in life are solved with simple human communication. And since we humans have been blessed with having a brain and a tongue, we should use them to the best of our abilities.
All the tips mentioned above are probably things you’ve heard countless times by now. But they’re worth repeating because they really matter. Get those tips, drill them in your head, and you’ll be the better person for it. Keep in mind that there’s nothing you can’t do in life, as long as you apply a proper strategy. Just don’t commit war crimes or something.
Hleb Hryts
Photo: Peggy_Mario / Pixabay royaltee free pictures