Prepmedians Blog

Tag: College Life

  • Stress: How to Deal with It

    Stress: How to Deal with It

    Stress Management

    Whether you’re a genius or you’re in your senior year and already have a job lined up, you will feel stressed at some point in your college career. Honestly speaking, you probably will feel stressed multiple times throughout your college career. But feeling stressed isn’t a bad thing. Diamonds are formed under pressure, but to be that diamond, you can’t crack under the pressure: you need to manage your stress effectively. These are some stress-management tips to help manage your stress effectively.

    #1. Don’t Study Too Much

    For all my fellow Econ majors out there, you’ll know something called diminishing marginal returns. For those that don’t know, think of these two options:

    • You can pull an all-nighter the night before the test and study for an additional 8 hours.
    • You can split those 8 additional hours into 4 two-hour time blocks that you’ll study sometime during the weekend.

    Which one would you choose? I know the second option is brutal because many students reserve their weekend for having fun and clearing their mind, but the second option is superior to the first option in terms of productivity. Think about it, do you really think that 7th hour in your study session will be all that productive? Your brain can only handle so much, and at a certain point, the quality of your studying/work will decline. This is diminishing marginal returns: at a certain point, your marginal productivity will start to decrease. When encountered with a lot of work, you should still put in the time to study and do work, but it’s important to make a good schedule that includes regular breaks.

    #2. Get Enough Sleep

    Say you do write yourself a good schedule, and you’ve already studied a lot. It’s approaching midnight, but you still want to study more because you’re not confident. Is it worth it to stay up and study? Most of the times, no, it isn’t. Trust me, I’ve had weeks where I have two consecutive days of exams, and I only sleep 5-6 hours. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body will only run on energy boosters, and it isn’t sustainable. Not to mention, you’ll reach a certain point where those energy boosters aren’t effective anymore, and you start falling asleep while you study.

    Shortening the amount you sleep can increase your stress level in addition to not being able to fully focus because you’re so sleepy. In addition, insufficient sleep can put you at risk for serious illnesses like diabetes, obesity, and depression. It’s important to have a stable sleep schedule in college, regardless of whether it is a crunch week or not.

    #3. Avoid Energy Boosters as Much as Possible

    To be honest, many college students will use energy boosters, and it’s so ingrained in college life, that it’s almost impossible to not rely on it at one point or another. The key is to ration your use. You don’t want to get to the point where you are reliant on energy boosters. I have a friend who drinks at least 5-6 cups of coffee a day, and not only does it kill his bank account, but he also relies on coffee to get any work done.

    Something that I have done is to only drink coffee, Redbull, Monster, or whatever energy booster if I’m low on energy during a crunch week. There have been times where I have gone overboard on relying on energy boosters as mentioned previously, and I felt really jittery, stressed, and ended up rushing through all my work/studying. 1 or 2 drinks every now and then won’t kill you but relying on it excessively will only increase stress.

    #4. Don’t Skip Meals and Eat Well

    The most popular form in college of skipping meals is skipping breakfast. Skipping breakfast comes in all shapes and sizes. You want that extra studying time in the morning so you skip breakfast. You want more sleep since you were studying late last night so you skip breakfast. You think that apple that you have in your room is good enough so you skip breakfast. Skipping meals is a popular strategy employed by college students, but it only leads to you being de-energized, leading to a lower threshold for stress.

    Note: A Dominoes delivery or whatever snack you can find in the vending machine isn’t going to be an effective meal. Unfortunately, even in college, you have to eat your vegetables. You should follow a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

    #5. Take Time to Enjoy Yourself

    Don’t give up your passions. Exercise. Relax with friends. You get through crunch weeks through those times of enjoyment and relaxation. Going out to eat, going for a walk, or watching a movie during a crunch week with some friends may seem silly, but it’s important to relieve your stress. I like to deal with crunch weeks by having something to look forward to at the end. At the end of this study session, I’ll go get some ice cream, or at the end of this crunch week, I’ll have a barbecue. It doesn’t matter what you do or when you have these pastimes: taking these pastimes will relieve stress and make crunch weeks much more bearable.

    Note: Many college students relieve stress through partying or drinking. This seems like a good way to relieve stress but drinking actually increases feelings of stress and anxiety. That’s not to say that you should ignore going out and having fun but make sure you aren’t drinking excessively and relying on drinking as a way to relieve stress.

    Next Steps

    Crunch week and stress can get the better of many students, but it’s important to realize that just because a crunch week is approaching, you don’t have to make sacrifices in your life and daily routine. Applying the right strategies will help you reduce stress and make those four years fly by!

    Are you in high school and feeling stressed about the college application process? One reason for that stress is the SATs or ACTs. Check out Prepmedians. We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so even in such a stressful time like the college application process, you’ll be able to laugh. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule test prep time.

  • Sleep Deprivation in College

    Sleep Deprivation in College

    Causes of Sleep Deprivation

    Roommates

    Your college roommate can either become your best friend for life or your worst nightmare, and one determinant is your sleeping schedule compatibility with your college roommate. Some people are early birds, and others are night owls. You might find that your roommate snores too loudly, plays loud music, keeps the lights on, or invites friends over late at night. Even if you think you can handle your college roommate’s sleeping habits because y’all are friends, living with others is often not conducive to sleeping.

    Busy Schedules

    Some college students deal with 6 a.m. lifts/practices and meetings throughout the day. Others deal with part-time jobs. And even those that don’t do either, the normal college course load is plenty enough to keep college students busy. It’s common knowledge that many college students pull off all-nighters or late night study sessions to catch up on their work, and this is one determinant in sleep deprivation.

    Social Life

    Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) is real. Maybe you hear there’s a party going on. Or maybe your friends are hanging out and watching a movie in another friend’s room. Or maybe something happens as small as you overhear a conversation going on in the hallway. You don’t want to be the one to miss out on something fun and only see what happened the next morning on someone’s Snapchat or Instagram story. College is a place to learn, but it’s also a place to make lasting friendships. Unfortunately, too much socializing can get in the way of someone’s sleep.

    Alcohol

    Many people think alcohol is good for sleep. Even though alcohol does help you fall asleep more quickly, the resulting sleep will be restless and less effective than the sleep you would have gotten.

    No Curfew or Bedtime

    For students who are living on their own for the first time, the freedom of college often leads to staying up just because you can. Even if you don’t have anything pressing to do, you might end up staying up just to browse your social media, or you might start your 3rd rerun of your favorite sitcom. Although you might have thought you could live on our own when you were with your parents, poor self-care and daily schedules of college students often result in sleep deprivation.

    Consequences of Sleep Deprivation

    ### Sleep Deprivation Affects your Grades
    That one all-nighter before your midterm won’t largely impact your grades, but if sleep deprivation is a consistent thing in your college life, your grades will be affected. If you’re tired every day, you’re not going to retain information as effectively or write notes as well. You also might get to the point where you start falling asleep in classes or skipping classes to sleep.

    Sleep Deprivation Affects You Physically

    Sleep deprivation could negatively impact your immune system, resulting in making you more susceptible to common colds or the flu. And in turn, this results in you becoming even more sleep deprived since you will have a harder time falling asleep.

    Additionally, if you are a student-athlete, sleep deprivation can affect your athletic performance. There’s a children’s animated movie called Meet the Robinsons where (spoiler alert) the whole conflict is a result of an orphan’s roommate keeping him up late at night, so during the following day when he has a baseball game, he is unable to make the game-winning catch because he falls asleep from his sleep deprivation.

    Sleep Deprivation Affects Your Mood

    Not getting enough sleep will increase stress. A sleepless night can result in a greater risk at developing mental disorders like depression or anxiety. One may also feel irritable after a sleepless night. Just think of the annoyance you feel when your alarm rings in the morning but extend that annoyance through the day. Sleep deprivation can negatively impact your mood.

    Suggestions to Improve Sleep in College

    ### Free Up More Time for Yourself
    I know FOMO is real, and you want to do everything readily available in college, but if your social interactions start interrupting your sleeping schedule, it’s time to start considering prioritizing things. You don’t have to hang out in your friend’s room every night. Something that I do is no matter what, if I have class the next day, I go to my room by 11 p.m. and go to sleep by midnight.

    In addition, it’s important to realize how much free time you have on weekends and whether it’s worth allocating some time to study during the weekends.

    Compromise with Your Roommates

    Some of us are blessed to have compatible roommates, while others have to deal with that roommate who has 10 alarms in the morning. Perhaps you could set an alarm and wake your roommate up (not the most enticing compromise) or perhaps your roommate can start sleeping earlier so they won’t need 10 alarms in the morning. You won’t find the perfect solution immediately, but generally college roommates are willing to work together to make the living situation as comfortable for both parties as possible.

    Deal with Your Neighbors

    There are multiple ways to deal with your dorm. Perhaps listening to white noise while you sleep or wearing an eye mask may help you deal with your loud neighbors. You could also talk with your resident adviser or landlord, if living in an apartment, about how to best deal with the situation.

    The best way to deal with your neighbors is to talk to them directly. If it’s during quiet hours or late at night, if you politely ask your neighbors to “turn it down,” chances are that they’ll be understanding and compliant. You don’t want to contact security, authority, or any person in a position of power without first talking with your neighbors.

    Fix Your Sleeping Habits

    If you leave plenty of time to sleep during the night but can’t fall asleep, it might be time to look at your sleeping habits. Do you work or watch TV shows/movies in your bed? Do you consume caffeine, sugar, or spicy food at night? Are you distracted by your phone while attempting to sleep?

    I like to completely finish my studying for the day before I go back to my room at night. In addition, I like to put my phone under my pillow so I’m unable to see, feel, or hear the vibrations whenever I get a notification. Small lifestyle changes like these can make a huge impact on your sleep quality.

    Next Steps

    Ultimately, no matter what your schedule is, it is important and possible to sleep well in college. It may take some time and dedication, but you can achieve good sleep in college without sacrificing your grades or social life. You have to take charge and keep yourself accountable of your daily life and sleep schedule.

    Are you in high school and not getting enough sleep during the college application process? Check out Prepmedians. We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so even in such a busy and stressful time like the college application process, you’ll be able to laugh. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule test prep time.

  • 6 Ways to Improve Studying

    6 Ways to Improve Studying

    1. Create a Schedule

    Imagine going into a football game, and your coach tells you to score and not let the other team score. You’d probably quizzically look at your coach and ask how to score and not let the other team score. In sports and other parts of our lives, we always have a gameplan or a blueprint to success, yet when we study, we often don’t take a step back to plan our studying out, and instead, just dive right into studying.

    Before studying, you should schedule your study time. It doesn’t have to be that detailed, but something like studying the math section on the ACT/SAT for 1 hour and the reading and writing section for another hour can go a long way. In fact, I’ve found that keeping a flexible schedule is optimal since you might overestimate how much time you need to study for a subject so you can portion that extra time into another subject. Through taking a step back and creating a schedule, you’re ensuring that you don’t linger on one subject for too long.

    2. Choose an Appropriate Time to Study

    Everyone has different preferences on when they like to study. Some people prefer waking up early in the morning and studying. Others like studying in between classes. And most would say they like studying at night when they have finished all their extracurricular activities and other requirements for the day. It’s important to figure out when is your optimal time to study so you can plan classes, extracurricular activities, or other requriements around that time.

    3. Find the Right Study Environment

    Finding the right study spot is essential to studying. Everyone has their own preferences but generally, quiet is best for focus and productivity. However, I’ve found that too quiet is not good for me. I choose to stray away from the quiet section in my school’s library because I need a little life and noise to keep me energized, and I feel that it’s so cutthroat there that a small noise like tapping your pencil on your desk would result in death stares from across the room.

    I prefer to study in study rooms with a few friends because it allows the best of both worlds – peace and quiet while offering a little noise to keep the atmosphere animated. It’s important to find multiple spots to study because come crunch week, your favorite study spot might get taken. Unless you’re willing to wake up as early as when buildings open, you aren’t guaranteed any study spot.

    4. Take Breaks

    Taking breaks is important to studying. Your brain can only process so much before it starts to overfry. In our stress blog, we talk about how studying for long durations without breaks leads to ineffective studying. When planning your study sessions, you should account for breaks. Breaks can be as small as a 5 minute break to look at your phone or as large as an hour to go out to eat with friends. Breaks keep our brains from overheating and help optimize our studying time. However, you have to keep yourself accountable from taking too many breaks.

    5. Have a Study Partner

    Having a study partner is important because you’re able to bounce questions, ideas, and answers off of each other. It doesn’t matter if you’re more proficient in the material than your study partner because the best way to see if you know the material is to see if you can teach it to someone else. I’ve also found that having a study partner motivates you to study, even if your study partner is studying a different subject. Their presence and energy next to you inclines you to study and vice-versa. Not to mention, it’s easier and more enjoyable to coordinate breaks when you have company.

    6. Use Office Hours, TA Hours, and Any Other Available Resource

    Imagine this: it’s winter in Maine. You have a review session soon, but it’s currently snowing heavily, it’s a 10 minute walk, and the temperature is in the single digits Fahrenheit. Do you go to the review session?

    I’ll be the first to say that it would depend on my mood. I’ve skipped review sessions, TA hours, or other resources for something as small as a 10 minute walk, and many others have as well. But not going just leaves a resource on the table. Skipping the review session is like going to college with only one pair of clothes: you’re forcing yourself to wear that same pair everyday.

    I’ve done a single practice test as preparation for a test, and eventually, instead of fully learning the material, you’re going to remember the answers and the steps to the answers for that practice test. Using every available resource challenges you and results in the most effective studying.

    Next Steps

    There are many factors that result in effective studying so don’t be discouraged from unsatisfactory results. Take a step back and instead of diving right into studying, focus on how to optimize your study sessions. By doing this, I’m sure you’ll be able to achieve any goal you set for yourself!

    Having a hard time studying for the SAT/ACT? Use Prepmedians! We teach SAT/ACT test prep through sketch comedy and music so you’ll be fully engaged when preparing for the SAT/ACT. We also divide our lessons into 15-20 minute blocks so it’s easier to schedule prep time.