Academic Advising

Effective Strategies for Coping with Stress

College students experience a significant amount of stress, not all of which comes from academic demands. While much of the stress associated with college life is positive, sometimes stress can be excessive and can negatively impact thinking, emotions and behaviors. As a student, final exams can be one of the most stressful periods of the semester. It is important to develop and practice effective coping skills that will help you to minimize the negative impact of stress.

For most students, stress is temporary and has no serious or lasting negative effects. However, in some cases, students may experience stress at such high levels that it exhausts their current coping skills. At such times students may become depressed or entertain self-harming impulses. If you are concerned about your ability to function or have had thoughts about harming yourself or if you are concerned about another student, please seek professional guidance by speaking to a member of the university's staff or a professional in the community.

• The CSU Counseling Center (216-687-2277). Information about the Counseling Center's Services as well as information about identifying and referring students in distress can be found on the Counseling Center website at http://www.csuohio.edu/offices/counselingcenter/
• CSU Health and Wellness Services (216-687-3649)
• CSU Student Life (216-687-2048)
• CSU Residence Life (216-687-5196)
• For emergency assistance, you may also contact CSU Campus Police at 216-687-2020 or Cuyahoga County's Mobile Crisis Unit at 216-623-6888.
• The National Suicide Prevention Center can be contacted at 1-800-273-TALK

Some sources of the stress associated with final exams and the end of the semester are:

• Intense periods of study and multiple evaluations in a relatively short period of time.
• Unfinished projects from earlier in the semester that must also be completed at this time. If your
• Fear that expectations for the semester may not be realized, depending on performance on final exams, can be perceived as a threat to personal goals and to self-esteem and can contribute to stress.
• The change in the season from summer to fall brings with it a decrease in sun light/natural light, due to shorter days.
• The fact that the days tend to be colder and drearier and the temperature tends to be colder also can significantly affect our moods and our energy.
• Long nights of studying and less sleep can also reduce your energy, impair your ability to fight off the flu and other illnesses, and result in decreased ability to function effectively. You may feel drained at the very time when you need the most energy. If you are not eating well and do not engage in regular exercise, these factors can also contribute to stress.

Here are some things to know about detecting and coping with stress:

Warning Signs of Stress:

Cognitive Symptoms

• Difficulty remembering
• Poor judgment
• Excessive negativity
• Excessive worrying
• Poor concentration

Emotional Symptoms

• Increased moodines
• Increased irritability
• Feelin overwhelmed
• Feeling lonely and isolated
• Depressed mood/feeling hopeless

Behavioral Symptoms

• Eating more/less than usual
• Sleeping too much/too little
• Isolating self from others
• Increased proneness to illness
• Procrastinating or avoiding work
• Using alcohol or dugs to relax

Physical Symptoms

• Muscle aches and pains
• Stomach upset
• Chest pain/increased heart beat
• Increased proneness to illness
• Constipation

Effective Strategies for Coping with Stress

Cognitive Coping Strategies

• Positive Self-Talk - talk to yourself in a positive and nurturing way. Instruct yourself on what to do versus criticizing what you have not done.
• Prioritize - take some time to put things in perspective; focus on what needs to be done, what is most important, and what can be put off for another time
• Organize - organize yourself, the tasks you have to do and your environment
• Be reasonable in your expectations - set reasonable goals of what can and what cannot be done
• Catch and refute irrational beliefs - challenge negative beliefs that you find yourself thinking that are perfectionistic, unrealistic, or create negative emotions
• Use Reframing - reframing is changing the way you look at things in order to feel better about them

Emotional Coping Strategies

• Pay attention to your feelings - try to notice how you are feeling and to react less strongly to feelings you are experiencing
• Take a break- take time to relax as you study; listening to music or to a humorous recording can help you to feel better
• Get support from others - talk time to talk to friends and others who are supportive; talk about your feelings and what is causing you feel stressed or down
• Refrain from isolating yourself - although you will sometimes need to study alone, take some time to engage with others

Physical Coping Strategies

• Engage in some exercise - some form of aerobic activity will help to break up muscle tension and stress
• Eat - eating healthy and moderately will provide the strength your body needs to carry out your work and to fight off illness
• Rest - getting enough rest and taking breaks to relax are effective ways of combating stress
• Relaxation techniques - deep breathing and progressive relaxation are two of the most effective ways to deal with stress. Visit these websites to download some free breathing and relaxation exercises:
  http://caps.ucdavis.edu/stress/resources.htm
  http://www.healthed.uconn.edu/stressfree_zone.html#smad
  http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/stu_counseling/relaxation.html
  http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22

Behavioral Coping Strategies

• Practice time management - develop a written plan for using your time
• Reward yourself - set up rewards for partial and full completion of your goals
• Restrict use of caffeine and alcohol - use coffee in moderation and do not rely on alcohol and other drugs to cope with stress
• Manage stressors that are under your control - organize your environment and set limits with people in your life
• Seek help when appropriate - if you find that you are unable to solve a problem that is causing you stress, seek help from friends or from professionals. Professional counseling is available to CSU students at the CSU Counseling Center at 216-687-2277. Most counseling is available by appointment, but those students who have an urgent need to speak with a counselor can be seen right away. Clergy members are also sometimes able to provide counseling.
• Celebrate - celebrate after completing finals!

Resources on-campus:

The Cleveland State University
Counseling & Testing Center
1235 Rhodes Tower

216-687-2277

Tutoring and Academic Success Center
Cleveland State University

Main Classroom
233
216-687-2012

Suicide prevention links:

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
http://www.afsp.org

The Jed Foundation Preventing suicide and reducing emotional distress
http://www.jedfoundation.org

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24-7 crisis line 1-800-273-TALK (8255) http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

Suicide Prevention Resource Center for College Students
http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/customized/college_student.asp

Self-help resources on various mental health topics:
http://www.dr-bob.org/vpc/virtulets.html
http://www.helpguide.org

Info on holiday stress:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/MH00030

Need help studying for finals?
Try these tips to study at your best for final exams

1. Prepare a written schedule with your exams and times you plan to study. Also include exercise and relaxation time.
2. Create a Study Log to track the actual time you spend studying for a week. Most students do not study as much as they think. This will tell you what subjects need more attention.
3. If a professor does not offer a study guide, create one yourself.
4. Form a study group or if you prefer to study alone find a quiet place on campus.
5. Find out the type of exam it will be. You study differently for an essay exam verses a multiple choice exam.
6. Plan success actions for each course. Look at your current grade and the grade you would like at the end of the semester. Plan and complete one or two action steps that will help you reach this goal.
7. Study for a set amount of time and take a short break. Be sure to come back and continue studying.
8. Create questions you think will be on the test and test someone else.
9. Teach someone else something from the course. If you can teach it to someone else, you know the information.
10. Write down information in your own words or express it verbally. If you cannot write or express a definition or formula in detail, you are not prepared for the test.
11. Visit the TASC (Tutoring and Academic Success Center) website

Review the 7 habits of Highly Engaged Learners

Edgar Dale's Cone of Learning

WE REMEMBER

10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we see and hear
70% of what we discuss with others
80% of what we personally experience
95% or what we teach others

Good luck with finals!