If you’re watching the weather, you know that many parts of the United States are awaiting the arrival of an epic snow storm, but this storming is nothing in comparison to the storming the spring semester stress can cause on a college campus.
It’s that time of year again! The Fall semester is over but the spring semester, at the college campuses, is just starting up. This of course means that everyone who is a part of the college campus environment is being thrown into the same frenzy!
You may even hear a returning student, start to scream, “School, and work, and activities … Oh My!!!”
Okay, so maybe the people on your campus are not that dramatic, but how can campus leaders help other campus leaders to manage their stress? This is an especially important question because a lot of times these same students who are helping others to manage their stress, are also worrying about their own school work, work, and student leadership activities.
In order to prevent the “School, and work, and activities… Oh My!!!” mentality, it is important to remember the following bits of advice:
1) Remember that everyone on your college campus is starting back at your institution together, at the same time. So, college students and professional staff are all going through the new semester stress together.
2) Utilize the resources provided to you on your campus. The most important resources that are most often overlooked are other people (professional staff and college students).
3)Remember that you can also be a resource for others in your community.
- You could be a referral source for an individual on your campus for their academics , mental, or physical needs.
- You could also be the resource to whom others are referred.
4) Do not be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.
- Seek help from professional staff and college students when you are struggling in a particular area. (athletics, academics, mental health, financially, etc…)
- Assist someone (a professional staff member or a college student) when you know they are struggling in one of the above areas
5) Remember to keep others’ perspectives in mind.
- Even if you are having a rough day and are stressed to the max, it is important to remember that others’ can feel the exact way you are feeling as well.
- Try to utilize the other individual’s feelings for the better, and maybe you both could come of out of a hard situation helping each other
So, “School, and work, and activities …Oh My”??? It’s not that bad after you apply some of the basic core values from Swift Kick to your institution, is it? So together start back to your potentially stressful environment utilizing the resources, that could be you, while also understanding others perspectives by stepping out of your comfort zone. Repeat and remember that line and I promise your stressful situation will change for the better.
