How to Stop Stressing About College Admissions? – 2024 Guide
Technological advancement has made communication convenient and quick. Although it was introduced to reduce the barrier to let people communicate better, such is not the case today. Mental health issues have become common among students nowadays, and most of the blame goes to social media platforms that provide them easy access to other people’s lives and vice versa.
Stress is a significant health issue faced by people, especially students and their parents. But its gravity increases twofold during university applications. It is so because they have pressure to make the right decision, gather necessary documents, work on their application, and make a stellar personal statement after graduating high school.
Fortunately, it is possible to mitigate stress and anxiety by performing some self-care. In this blog, we’ll discuss a few tips and tricks to help students better deal with stress levels as they work on their educational future.
Narrow Down Your Options
The more tasks you have in hand, the more stressful you tend to become. You must have heard that people who struggle between various tasks ace at none. So, while applying for universities, please narrow your choices to a few. You might want to keep your options open by applying to 20 colleges, but it is a costly affair and will only increase anxiety levels.
You may begin with an extensive list of colleges and then prioritize them based on various factors, such as available courses, commuting time from your home, transport availability, tuition fee, faculty, admission criteria, ranking, and other amenities. It is suggested to spread the data in a tabular format to help you weigh the best options.
Organize The Collected Data
When you’re applying for colleges, remember each of them has a unique set of requirements that you’re expected to fulfill. So, if you don’t want to lose track of the information and your seat, organize the collected data on a spreadsheet. Since you must have narrowed the options to a few, it will be easier to research the college.
Also, create a separate folder for each college dealing with multiple documents to organize all the required materials.
But your job doesn’t end here. The tabulated information should also include the last date of application, various other prerequisites, and point of contact, so you don’t lose track of the process if you apply for a scholarship.
Focus On Personal Statement
College applications are incomplete without a personal statement as they let the admission committee learn more about you and your suitability for the university environment. It might seem horrifying to write a statement that everyone will read, but it is not such a difficult task.
If you begin in time, you can surely draft an engaging and staggering essay that everyone will love. You must set aside ample time from your daily routine to brainstorm ideas, conduct thorough research on the topic, and give it an outline. Managing your time is a valuable way to reduce anxiety levels to a great extent.
Don’t make the mistake of writing the same statement for all universities. Instead, adopt a tailor-made approach for all colleges if you want to stand out.
Talk It Out With A Counsellor
Taking tension is not good at any phase of life as it affects your efficiency and output quality. A task completed in the most relaxed and calm state possesses the best quality. Being a little stressful is alright, but if you’re experiencing frequent restlessness and sleepless nights, fearing your future, please talk it out with a counselor.
A college admissions consultant providing services at clarkcollegeconsulting.com is no less than a superhero of college planning as they calm the frayed nerves of high school students and parents by helping them manage better. If you’re stressing about admissions, please don’t think it’s familiar and talk with a professional.
The experts will not only calm down your nerves, but you can also discuss everything about the admissions, such as the process, testing, grading, deadlines, extra-curricular activities, and financial aid. Sharing your fears and venting it all out might not be the perfect solution, but it relieves the anxiety level, and that’s all you need to make better decisions.
Take Some Time To Breathe
Another effective way to reduce stress is breathing and relaxing time. You can do so by not making college admissions a constant topic of discussion during your senior year, at the dinner table, and whenever you go out with your friends.
Even though the time is limited, make some time for things you enjoy doing. It could be playing, cooking, painting, running, exercising, or listening to music. Taking frequent breaks washes away the pressure and gives you a sense of refreshment.
It is also helpful to break down the process into smaller, doable tasks, so you don’t burn out.
Adopt A Positive Outlook
Our mind is the one thing in our body that needs the most control. Whether you’re having a bad day or a good one, it all depends on how you perceive it. So, if you think tackling your anxiety levels is not easy, please think twice.
Your state of mind is everything. If you adopt a positive outlook towards life and believe that only good things will happen to you, you will be able to manage stress and perform better in your statement. It will also help you not take rejection personally, and you will quit worrying about factors outside your control.
Parting Thoughts
Parents must understand it is not easy for a high-school graduate to take the load of filling out college applications. As much as your hopes are high, so is the stress you put on your child. Life is not easy for anyone, but you can make it a little less stressful for them by managing their stress levels during college applications.
Hopefully, this blog will help you understand the various ways of managing stress, so you and your child don’t feel overwhelmed during the process. It will also help you make conscious decisions to improve your mental health.
