Special Stress Feature:

Campus Stress: How Students Can Overcome
the Pressure Cooker of College

by G. Gaynor McTigue

Studies show that college students learn less, and retain less, when
they're under stress. With ever-mounting pressure on today's collegians
to perform well academically, while signing on to a full slate of activities
socially, stress has become a raging campus epidemic. The resulting
anxiety can cause students to develop learning deficiencies, miss
assignments, cut classes, underachieve, or drop out altogether.

And it hurts everyone: students, parents, faculty members, and
universities. To help stressed out campus dwellers get their lives back
under control, here are several student-centric stress-reducing
strategies, excerpted from my new book 400 Ways to Stop Stress
Now...and Forever!

Work before play.

Leisure is better enjoyed when it follows a period of good hard work.
But putting off work to have your fun first is another story. Rather
than relieving stress, it can be a source of it. Because now you made
a conscious decision to fall behind. And the prospect of neglected
work to make up can erode your fun. Don't let others lure you away
from your appointed tasks, either. (Dereliction loves company.)
Students are especially vulnerable to this. In the work/play cycle
the effort should always come first, before the reward. Why make
yourself crazy?

Study in shorter, more frequent intervals.

Whether it's schoolwork or a career training program...overnight
cramming and marathon study sessions are less productive and the
material more easily forgotten. Never let it get to that point. Study
as you go along-in shorter, more frequent intervals. It will keep the
information fresh in your mind so you won't waste time relearning it.
Review sessions will be faster and less tedious-thus, less likely to be
put off. And you'll be assured of understanding the material long after
the final exam. Which is entirely the point, isn't it? Study as you go.
You'll study less...and retain more. Why make yourself crazy?

Don't let others waste your time.

Some people have no stress empathy. They see that you're totally
crazed (or do they?), yet needlessly interrupt you, get in your way,
engage you in small talk, and otherwise make a nuisance of themselves.
These are often people you room with, or are close to, and don't want
to offend. Be polite, be diplomatic, but firmly convey the message you're
way too busy to schmooze. Seek commiseration: "You won't believe how
swamped I am." Or look at your watch and exclaim: "Yikes! You'll have to
excuse me..." If these don't work, simply ask them to help you with your
work. That's right. Ask for help. It will usually get rid of them, or even
better, they just might pitch in. In any case, use your ingenuity and
always have a good evasive tactic at the ready. Why make yourself crazy?

Don't be driven to Internet distraction.

The Web can soak up precious time so insidiously you're often not even
aware of it. How easily a simple online task can end up taking an hour or
more! Be smart. Devise your plan of attack before going on. And stick
with it. Don't be lured away by enticing links or allow yourself to drift
about aimlessly. Log on, get what you want and get off. Make the
Internet the efficient, timesaving tool it was meant to be, and save your
surfing for your leisure hours. Why make yourself crazy?

Do what needs to be done first...first.

This should be automatic, but for many reasons, we'll put off more
important and pressing things to take care of lesser priorities first. Not o
nly does it leave that bigger thing hanging over us, it often deprives us of
the time and energy we'll need to accomplish the important task. Every
day, take a few moments to consider what project would make most sense
to get out of the way first. Then meet it head on, without becoming
sidetracked, without trying to squeeze something else in between. Then go
on to the next most critical...and watch the stress ease away. Why make
yourself crazy?

..
..Expert Endorsed
.
..400 Ways to Stop Stress Now...
..and Forever!

..By G. Gaynor McTigue

..* Acclaimed by readers
..* Eliminates the causes of stress
..* Breakthrough, lasting techniques
..* With Fast-FindStress Relief Guide
..* 276-pg. quality trade paperback
..* Affordably priced

..Find out more

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