Stress and College Life - Essay Example

Stress is not as harmful as most people think, without it, most of the daily tasks will be boring and there is no “push” that will drive the person to achieve the goals being set. Usually, the harm comes when the stress can no longer be handled or the person seems to have been “eaten up” by the stress and loses control, consequently affecting their physical, social and emotional wellness (“Managing Stress”, uga.edu).

Dealing with Stress
There are different ways with how I deal with stress. They say, “Laughter is the best medicine”, and I believe that as well. Different kinds of stress come my way every day, but laughter is not always the solution. There are times when I can laugh it out of my system, and there are situations that I know have to be dealt with squarely. I mean, I cannot laugh during an exam, right?

Sometimes, I hang out with my friends after a long day in school, for about an hour just to check on how their day went and share some good laughs with them. Talking about anything except the pressures in school makes me relax a bit and when there are times that I need advice, I tell them what bothers me, like tough classes or projects and most of the time they make suggestions which somehow enlightens me and I would feel less stressed.

Most counseling programs emphasize that stress management can be achieved through maintaining a balanced lifestyle, meaning the balance of work and play (“Stress and College Students”, ufl.edu), which for a college student would be a balance in the study and play. As much as possible, I find time to be quiet for a while and gather my thoughts, then assess whether some of the things that bother me are worth stressing about.

The Consequences of Stress
Stress in college life keeps me motivated, and after conquering the challenges I gain confidence and self-fulfillment. I continuously learn that each situation has to be approached differently, or should the same kind of stress come up, at least I know what to do or find a better solution. The most important positive consequence of stress to me is I get to be more mature in how I deal with my life.

However, the negative consequence of stress is that it affects my health when mishandled because of the overwhelming thoughts that run through my head, forcing me to have difficulty sleeping, or losing appetite. Lack of sleep makes me grumpy, and this affects my relationship with my classmates because I get easily irritated, or I get upset when my surrounding is too noisy and I become anti-social for a while.

Conclusion
Stress gives college life challenges and opportunities for a student to know their limitations and what they are still capable of doing. It is through different stressful situations that college students gain maturity and wisdom. Stress management and an organized day-to-day activity help prevent the negative effects of stress while continuing to maximize its benefits in achieving the goals in college life. Clearly, college life and all the stress that comes with it prepares an individual for the real world that has even more challenges, and far more stressful conditions. Read More