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Hey @AcidMonster55 

It's been a while since you made this post and I just wanted to see if the stress has lessened as the semester continues?

I had my first assignment due tonight and I was able to upload it last night, which was a bit stressful for myself.

The others who replied gave some good suggestions with coping with stress and about managing uni life, in general.

I hope you're absolutely nailing this semester. Let's get that degree 💪🎉

Hi @AcidMonster55 

Aw - stress is such an awful thing. So sorry to hear how stressed you're feeling! 😔

How are you feeling currently?

If you're interested, here is a brilliant article on coping with stress!

Everyone has already made such amazing contributions, so I'll only add what hasn't been said, or is more personal:

• Loving what @Green_Ghost and @Rara mentioned about calendars - a great idea is putting all of your classes as different colours on an online or physical calendar. This means that every week, you know when you have your breaks. You can choose to spend this break doing nothing, hanging out with friends, studying, or relaxing!
• Sometimes the first few weeks of school or university are super hectic, as you have to adjust to studying new content all at once. It may help to 'pull away' from the setting - so physically leaving school, uni, work etc - and doing some other task that isn't work related. In this way, you can learn to associate only certain locations with studying, and others with fun or social events. This can help to maintain great work-life boundaries. 
• Have a wonderful self-care routine! Now is a great time to plan that!
• Stay connected to your friends and teachers! They are all there to help you!

All the best for your modules! 😁

Hey @AcidMonster55 

A lot of really good suggestions were posted here. Myself, I use a calender to put assessment dates in and I keep a schedule so that I can try and get some time to myself during the days. For instance "I'll do a few hours of this unit in the morning" "I'll keep a few hours to myself in the evening" "I'll reserve two hours for volunteering per week." It's also more fun if you colour code your schedule. For instance, each unit or activity I have to do during the week is a different colour and I block them into the schedule according to how I feel it'll work best. Colour makes everything more fun! Calendars are also so useful because you can count how many days until something is due, perfect for being prepared and planning in advance! Although different methods work for different people.

Really important to make sure you have that time for yourself, especially if you're feeling stressed and overwhelmed as university begins. It can be difficult going from no workload to a big workload for university. It's important to engage in self-care and be patient and compassionate with yourself as you transition into a university schedule. What does self care look like to you?

Also don't be afraid to reach out to others if the stress becomes too overwhelming, such as a counsellor, friend, or services such as Lifeline.

Hope this helps and goodluck!

Hi @AcidMonster55 

I find the first week of uni always stressful, you are trying to get yourself back into the swing of things and wrap yourself around the core content. 

I always found that writing out the assessment dates and putting them in my calendar made it less overwhelming. I also find that if you need further information about the course contacting the lecturer or topic coordinator the first week is always a good opportunity. 

One thing I would recommend is finding a balance between study and life. I generally give myself the morning to study and then the afternoon to relax obviously at times I can't always do this and will have to spend the entire day studying to make up for the loss of time. I also try to leave one day a week for errands and chores around the house, normally Monday for me. This way I have somewhat of a plan and flexible one around uni. 

I would also recommend making time as well for self-care especially during uni even if it is right before bedtime to help keep yourself not getting too overwhelmed. 

Hey @AcidMonster55 

First week is always the most busy as the lecturers and professors are bombarding with information. 

What I can suggest in this situation is to first take a few deep breathes and to calm down. Then try to look over the schedule for the semester, the lecture times, the assignment due date, exam due date etc.

Afterwards, you can start to plan out how will you manage your time. If you are full time studying, then it should be easier to visualise your time management. But if you have other commitments such as work or volunteering, then also add those time into your visualisation of your potential time management.

Also a tip, have a few chats with your fellow classmates. So that you can all chat and connect with each other and to feel more relaxed.

Hope it works!

Hey @AcidMonster55 ,

I am so sorry to hear that you are already starting to feel stressed about the online modules for your university. It is totally normally to be overwhelmed and apprehensive about how to navigate and keep up with the content of the course. Keeping a diary or planner of assignments, lecture times, exams and outside commitments is a really useful way to sort and visualise what you have going on. This can help give some clarity on how you will approach each module and where you will allocate your time. If it has been a while since you last studied it might also be a good idea to refresh some of your study habits and make sure they are still relevant and effective to achieve your goals. Among all of this, make sure you prioritise self care activities to balance out the things you enjoy with the workload your course requires. Remember there is a solution to everything, just breathe, take the time to work out what's going on and never be afraid to reach out to those around you if you need a little extra support! You got this 💚

Hey@Red_Flamingo how you doing? Wanna chat?