Being a college student is great. I mean, you get a lot of free and discounted things, you meet people from literally all over the world, and you have the opportunity to learn so much about yourself, this world, and anything else that interests you. But, like every great thing, there are downfalls: constantly being broke (no, this is not a myth), lacking sleep, the Freshmen 15 (seriously, guys, this is real; there are ways to combat it, though!), and stress. 
I am nearing the end of my first semester as a college student. This week is fall break, and I am beyond ready for this break. These last two weeks have been extremely stressful; it seemed like the tests would never end, post-election made me extremely sad and sick, and simply wanting to go home made the weeks drag by. But because of how trying these couple of weeks were, I learned very quickly how to manage my stress. So this post is for all of you college (and non-college) students! 

1. Take time for yourself every day.

Yes, I said it! Every. Single. Day. Your health - mentally, physically, and emotionally - comes before anything else that you have to deal with. College presents a lot of stress inducers, such as papers, romantic and platonic relationships, and club and organization obligations. One day can be full of a ton of stressors. To combat them, take at minimum 30-minutes of you-time daily. This can simply be you watching your favorite Netflix show, reading a book, going to the gym, or taking a nap.

2. Organize in advance.

It is very easy to get stressed out when you are unorganized. In college, you will have so many assignments, exams, projects, and quizzes for multiple classes, potentially all in the same week. Being organized is the first step to limiting stress. If you do not know when anything is due, what you have to do, or where you can find information, it is super easy to get overwhelmed. Give yourself an advantage and organize however you feel best doing. For me, I use my calendar on my phone (SolCalendar) and input all due dates and to-dos. 

3. Start early.

Try not to wait until the last minute to do your assignments or prepare for tests. The earlier can you can start and finish something, the better. It leaves you with time to relax and you are not stressing out because of a deadline. Sometimes last minute tasks are inevitable; however, 9 times out of 10, everything you will have to do for a class is in your syllabus. Maybe not all of the details of an assignment, paper, or a project will be in it, but you will have an idea of what you'll have to do. 

4. Get in touch with your creative side.

I learned that zoning out and getting connected with my creativity is important for me staying stress-free. Going out an taking photos, painting, writing, sketching - do whatever it is that can help you stay sane. You do not have to do it for a long time; I simply recommend doing it long enough so that you can clear your mind.