Students blog

As the semester ends it means finals are slowly approaching, and there's something everyone shares from this: stress, anxiety, and the feeling of being overwhelmed. Everyone should be learning to de-stress from the finals, take a step back and breathe. It's important to remember that it's completely natural to feel stress and anxiety in ourselves but those shouldn’t stop us from obtaining peace. It can all start with taking breaks from social media, taking care of your body, taking some time to unwind and relax, and connecting with friends and family.

Like you, I also become overwhelmed with stress when finals approach; it leaves me restless and unable to properly focus. I've realized now though that taking some time to destress isn’t a bad thing. Here are three techniques I do when I'm filled with anxiety.

Meditate

First and most importantly, maintaining a clear and calm mindset can get you up and going and could help you finish strong. It could start with you in your room. Set up your space to be clean and peaceful. Ordering your surroundings can help order your mind. Adding plants to your space can help decrease stress and promote a more meditative environment. Meditation is a common practice along with yoga and prayer that can help your mind and body.

Get Moving

Another approach you can attempt is exercise, staying fit and being active can let you destress, it can also apply to taking a walk, jog or quick run. Eating well and getting enough sleep helps maintain the best health. A healthy body promotes a healthy mind too.

Unplug

Unplugging from social media could be one of the best escapes to destress, even if it's for a short period of time. You can listen to music or spend time on one of your hobbies. Try something new. One thing about social media is the novelty it brings. Our brain craves that. If we give it novelty outside of social media, we can still satisfy that while experiencing new things.

These are just suggestions; you can change it to fit your liking. But remember – stress only happens when you feel you must figure everything out at once. Just take a deep breath and move forward. For more tips on how to handle anxiety and stress, visit this blog.

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Do you ever have a challenging time studying? Do you often find yourself getting distracted and losing focus? Guess what... we have all been there. Studying can be a tedious task, especially when you are not prepared. Simple changes to your routine could tremendously help with your ability to get work done in the most efficient way. Ranging from finding the perfect spot to having the perfect materials, I am here to provide you with study tips and tricks that have motivated me to complete assignments and to properly conquer my studying requirements.

Step One: Find A Spot That Is Secluded from Noise and Distractions

I am one to get distracted very easily, but one of the best ways for me to stay focused is to set up my workspace on a quiet floor in the library or study lounge in my living complex. Another key component to feeling prepared to work is having a spacious workspace. When my area is cluttered with extra papers and junk, I feel overwhelmed. Attempting to eliminate any unnecessary clutter from your space and allowing yourself to dissociate from others during your studying time will help conquer that common overwhelmed feeling. If surrounded by friends, I will usually not complete as much as I originally hoped to because of distractive conversations. Set small goals and allow yourself to have more breaks after achieving each goal and not become overwhelmed by the total amount of assignments and studying requirements on your plate.

Step Two: Put Your Phone Away (Or At Least Silenced)

Technology is a huge cause of distraction nowadays. Although it can commonly be used as a tool in work and studying assignments, staying away from social media and other extracurriculars is such an important key to staying on task. Most are probably guilty of procrastinating an assignment and when finally getting to that assignment, only wanting to scroll through their latest feed. I know I have been there! Having your electronic device next to you with messages popping up is quite a tempting interruption. To maximize the potential of your studying and staying on task, I suggest silence your phone and put it out of sight at least for a set amount of time. Start with 20 minutes and continue to increase the time interval– no phone and no distractions. After those 20 minutes, allow yourself to have a 3-minute break. This should lower the chances of wanting to grab that phone constantly and will make getting work done more efficient.

Step Three: Be Prepared with The Necessary Materials.

Before sitting down to get to work, I suggest looking over each task to see what materials you will need. Do you need to print papers out? Are highlighters going to be a useful tool for studying purposes? When studying, I like to have notes printed and separated by class. I always utilize highlighters to help me stay organized with material. If not on paper, I usually will have my laptop and use the tools built into the program my notes are on. Aside from studying materials, I suggest having water and a light snack next to you to prevent you from having to get up and become distracted. Being prepared will already have you feeling accomplished before even starting your assignments.

With these tips and tricks in mind, you will be set to manage your assignment and studying goals. Simple adjustments to your work habits and methods of achieving your academic tasks will have you prepared to get to work in the most efficient environment.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

"Social media isn't real life!"

This is a common phrase we hear in our everyday lives as people critique the false reality of social media. Like other social media platforms, Instagram pushes forward this "perfect" reality of others around us. While it is nice to see what our favorite celebrities or influencers are up to, is it worth the cost of it ruining our perspectives of our own lives and directions?

Be On Your Guard

To be frank, I find myself also getting lost in the continuous scrolling process. It is nice to connect with those we know from the past or present and possibly connect to new people in the future, but we all have to play some form of devil's advocate when it comes to social media and how it can impact our lives. Social media has the power to distract us with even the smallest thing such as an ad or a picture. The control that social media has obtained over the years is quite frightening, but who can we blame for this?

Increased Pressure

It is so hard to pinpoint the villain in this narrative when we all contributed to the rise of social media in this day and age. The pressures of being suitable for society’s norms are already high enough, but social media just increases this pressure as it pushes people to believe that they must be the best or at least present themselves as the best.

False Reality

Other technologies, like photoshop, filters, and other editing tools help create the illusion of perfection and attainability of society’s high standards. A good portion of people use these every day or on social media. I can say that I do too because it is so common now to use one of these tools. However, at the end of the day, we need to realize that all these things aren’t 100% true as they seem. We need a reality check to make sure we aren’t consumed by the high standards and pressures presented through social media and society.

We are human beings who were designed to be ourselves and be authentic to that. Keep that in mind the next time you’re scrolling through social media and see an influencer’s post that makes you ever doubt yourself. Because deep down, we all struggle with the illusions of social media and the impacts they have on us.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

How many times have you heard that your mobile devices are a distraction? While the answer may be a lot, there are surprisingly several apps available to optimize your learning, maintain your focus, and help you manage your time better. As a student who is often on the go, I want to share my favorite mobile apps that have helped turn my mobile devices into my best study buddies over the course of my four years in college.

1. Pearson+: Whenever I am riding the bus to and from campus, a very productive use of my time is to scroll through flashcards offline on the Pearson+ app. Even if it is just a few minutes of study time here and there, it really adds up! Many other features to the Pearson+ app include access to textbooks, an audio player, advanced note taking, practice questions, and tutoring discounts!

2. Mondly: I always wanted to study at least one semester abroad, so I use Mondly to learn languages. It’s fun, easy to use and it includes just the right amount of gamification without distracting me from actually learning. Conversation practice feels like talking to a friend, so I never have to worry I won’t be good enough in real-life situations.

3. Flora: Have you ever wanted a virtual plant? The Flora app uses gamified technology to give you that extra incentive to focus. The longer you spend working on your assignments or completing your studying, the more time your virtual seed must grow! When you choose to browse a different website or hop onto social media, then your virtual plant dies.

4. Notability: A powerful, yet simple note-taking app that allows you to make PDF annotations. On this app, I find it helpful to download class PowerPoints beforehand and take notes directly on the slides while my professor teaches the material. I also use this app to sign documents and highlight my notes as I study outside of class.

As a full time, college student, it’s easy to neglect your well-being as you’re multitasking with life problems. We prioritize schoolwork, extracurricular activities, work outside of school and social life. But one thing we tend to forget quickly is ourselves! I’ve gathered a few tips along the way that have helped me navigate through the stressful times as a full-time student. Here are three amazing ways you can practice healthy living to navigate through everyday challenges.

Take Time and Get Some Sunshine

Sunlight exposure can provide a variety of health benefits, so it is extremely important to make a point to get outside throughout the week. During the colder months it can be challenging to find any sunshine as the days are shorter. Taking time to go for walk during sunny hours will help increase your extra vitamin D nutrients while also increasing your serotonin. As a college student it’s very easy to lose track of time when it comes to balancing school assignments and extracurricular activities so it’s imperative to implement into your daily routine. The health benefits of sunlight include generating the production of vitamin D, supporting bone health, lowering blood pressure, preventing disease, and promoting good mental health.

Change Your Surroundings

Last year, the transition from in-person to online classes and remote learning was a huge jump for the whole world. Many students continue to deal with a hybrid combination of online learning and in-person classes. When studying remotely, it can be very easy to stay in one location and complete your assignments. Try looking for a new study spot to promote better memory recall when it comes to studying and completing assignments.

Sleeping Is Medicine

It can be very difficult for college students to get the recommended 6- 8 of sleep per night if they are pulling all-nighters to study for exams and complete projects. The best tip I’d recommend is to prioritize your sleep. Taking time to rest your body and mind allows you to recover from any day’s challenges. Students who sleep better enjoy better grades, better recall, better mood, and better health. Better sleep is associated with improved academic performance. To enjoy the maximum benefits of good sleep, you should consistently get sufficient hours of sleep nightly for at least a week leading up to your exam.

With these amazing tips incorporated into your daily routine, you'll see a huge difference in your everyday life. These steps have improved my daily life as I feel more energized to start my day and take on tomorrow's obstacle.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

College is an important time in many people’s lives. For some, it is the first time they live independently and have bills to pay. The habits you form in college will impact your habits in the future, especially when it comes to money management. It is important to develop good practices and habits when it comes to your finances because what you do in college can either put you ahead in life or hold you back. Here are four topics to think about and/or actions to take while in college that will prepare you for the future.

Understand Student Loans

We can’t talk about how to effectively manage money in college without talking about student loans. Too many students go to college and agree to take out loans, without knowing the terms of the loans or realizing the impact these loans can have on them later in life. Every college student should work part time to make some money and gain work experience. You should aim to pay for as much of your living and tuition expenses as possible.

Once you have a job and steady income, you can decide whether you will need to take out student loans, and, if you do, how much you should take out. Pay close attention to the interest rates on loans if you do take them out. Look for loans that have less than 5% interest rates. If interest rates are over 5%, you should try to look at alternative options. Generally, federal loans will have much lower interest rates than private loans and you should look here first. Additionally, you can look for opportunities such as scholarships and grants to help pay for the costs of college.

Brains in Budgeting

While working part time in college and paying bills, you should begin to track your income and expenses. This is generally referred to as a budget or cash flow analysis. You can make a budget in Excel, on a Google spreadsheet, on paper, or you can use a budgeting app such as Mint, Personal Capital, or EveryDollar.

When making a budget, you will want to split it into income and expenses. In the income section, list the paychecks you receive from work, income from side hustles and investments (if applicable), and cash gifts. In the expenses section, choose categories that apply to your situation such as housing, utilities, transportation, food, etc. Once you have chosen your categories you can add subcategories underneath. For example, rent and household supplies could go under housing; electricity, water, and internet could go under utilities; gas and car insurance could go under transportation; and groceries and eating out could go under food. It is important to track your income and expenses, so you know where your money is going.

Build an Emergency Fund

If you have discretionary income remaining after paying for living expenses and tuition, focus on building an emergency fund with 3-6 months of expenses. This will ensure that you are still able to pay your tuition and bills in case you are between jobs. You can keep your emergency fund in a money market or high yield savings account.

Start Investing Now

Once you have a fully funded emergency fund, you can consider investing. The sooner you start investing, the longer your money will have to grow. It is important to get in the habit of saving and investing and this can start in college. Even if you are only able to invest $20 a month, this will start the habit of investing. Since you are young and in a low tax bracket, consider opening a Roth IRA so your money can grow tax-free. You can open a Roth IRA at a brokerage firm such as Fidelity or Vanguard. I recommend investing in a total stock market index fund and putting in the same amount of money each month.

Doing things such as minimizing student loan debt, budgeting, building an emergency fund, and investing in college can help put you ahead in life and set you up for success in the future. It is important to build these habits in college so you can graduate in a good financial position and be prepared to manage more money after college when you are working full time and no longer must pay for school. If you can learn and implement these important lessons in college, you will look back one day and be glad that you started early.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

As a college student taking many difficult classes, being a part of different organizations, and wanting to have time for a social life, it becomes difficult to find a balance. I often found myself spending too much time locked in my room doing homework and studying, therefore missing out on time spent doing the things I love. I don't want anyone to make the same mistakes I made and have senior year come wishing you would've spent more time doing those fun things. Don't worry, though, you can learn from me – here is how I made adjustments to create a healthy balance between school and life.

Mindset Makes Everything

I grew up with two very strong, independent parents and two brothers. My brothers pushed me to be more of a tomboy instead of a girly girl, and I often was judged for it throughout my elementary and middle school days. People would say mean things and I was grasping for something that could make me special, because clearly it was not my appearance, the sports I played, or my voice. I discovered that when I put more time and energy into school, did the homework, and studied a sufficient amount, I easily earned A’s. With this, I was the valedictorian of my 8th grade class, and I went into high school having the same mindset – get all A’s to prove you are worthy. I did exactly that in high school and felt very confident about myself due to my performance in school.

I assumed that the way I had operated up until my senior year of high school would be perfectly fine to replicate in college, but boy was I wrong.

You Are Inherently Worthy No Matter What You Achieve

I spent my first three years of college doing the exact same thing – going to class and doing homework until it was time for bed. Hanging out with friends during the week was never something that occurred to me as an option. As I approached my senior year, I found myself being very depressed due to the fact that school consumed most of my life; I began to feel drained and unfulfilled. I realized that I couldn’t keep neglecting alone time and time with friends solely to get straight A’s to “prove myself.” The funniest thing looking back is that I’m not quite sure who I was trying to prove myself to – perhaps it was me, but it definitely wasn’t anyone else because I came to realize that they actually loved me beyond my academic performance.

Reprioritizing ME

I decided to make a crucial change in how I operated on a daily basis in order to refrain from missing out on the fun things in life. I began treating my schoolwork and fitness as a full-time 9 am to 5 pm job. As much as I hate waking up early, doing so has allowed me to attend class, get homework done, and spend time on my personal health. Once 5 pm hits, I make dinner and dedicate the rest of the evening to hanging out with my roommates and friends. This seemingly minor, yet impactful change improved both my physical and mental health while also allowing me to maintain my academic performance.

Consider making this type of change for yourself. I promise you; you will not look back in 5 years and remember the grade you received in an economics class – you will remember the time you enjoyed working on yourself and surrounding yourself with those that you love. Learn from my mistakes and make adjustments now so you don’t have regrets at the end of your college years.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Coming out of high school, my desks, shelves, and tables in my room were filled with papers and textbooks, even after graduating. I knew I had to change my system for college. I couldn't just continue to hoard all my notes with the mental process of hoping I'll need them in the future.

Invest In Your Future

After extensive research, I came across the Apple iPad and Apple pencil. However, the price was a nightmare – I couldn't afford something like this after going on a spring break trip in my senior year of high school. Working a tutoring job, I saved throughout the summer. I finally bought an iPad and a second-hand Apple pencil from Amazon during Black Friday.

All Your Materials in One Place

I started by downloading GoodNotes, an app that specializes in writing notes. The possibilities were endless! This app held my planner, notebooks for class, lab reports, and pdf copies of articles I needed to read. I was even able to doodle and take quick notes on the app. It felt like I was writing on paper with unlimited colored pens and highlighters with an Apple pencil. I bought all my textbooks in an eBook format and accessed them through my iPad from apps such as Pearson e-text and iBooks. These apps allowed me to take notes and highlight the pages in my textbook. In the past, through rental books, these actions were constricted. I never “forgot” my books in the dorm or misplaced my papers because the digital copies were on my iPad.

Sustainably Study

I bought a keyboard that connected to my iPad through Bluetooth so I could type class papers or any essays, which made things even better. It transformed my lifestyle. I was no longer carrying heavy weights and my friends were envious of my easily accessible notes and e-texts. For any papers that were provided in class, I could just scan the paper and get a digital copy on my iPad to write on – an environmentally friendly way to save paper. Especially with the current conditions, a lot of assignments are done online – I no longer need to print out my assignments to work on them, I just download a copy onto my iPad and complete the assignment. It is very simple and efficient, and singlehandedly the best decision I made in my freshman year of college.

Clean, Conscious, & Concise Creativity

Not only did I use my iPad for my academic endeavors, but I also downloaded an app called Procreate, a digital art studio. Though the iPad doesn't mimic a paintbrush that I usually work with, it was very close! I loved drawing and painting on it, and the best part was that I wasn’t making a mess of art supplies or paint. The complexity behind this app is incredible, there are numerous features for even professional artists. There were 100s of “brushes” to choose from, various color palettes, and inspiration you can draw from. This provided a way for me to destress without bringing out my canvas, water, and paints. It was versatile and easy to use and allowed me to easily fix mistakes if needed.

I believe that investing in an iPad was a good decision, however, there are many alternatives. I recommend researching online and then visiting technology stores near you to try out different products before deciding on investing in the one that best fits you.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Stress is not inherently a bad thing. Stress can be a good motivator and can help you be productive. No one lives a completely stress-free life. The important thing to recognize is when your stress begins to take over everyday tasks and becomes counter-productive. If your stress begins to impinge on your ability to complete daily tasks or if it becomes debilitating, it’s well past the point of you having to talk to someone. Here are four things students can do to manage stress.

Evaluate The Semester

First, understand that semesters are variable and can range from overwhelming to easy. It is not forever, even though it may seem that way, and you will get through it. Lowering your expectations for school and concentrating more on improving your life balance to improve your stress will work wonders for your mental well-being.

If you are working while also enrolled in school, try to see if you can reduce your work hours for your busiest school weeks or around big projects. Go over your semester with your boss and see if you can work around difficult weeks. Perhaps you can drop a shift here or there or take a few fewer hours and make up for it later. Trying to balance too many things at once is one of the leading causes of stress and the simplest solution is almost always the best: do less!

Have a Game Plan

Maximizing your available time is another key tip in reducing the stress you feel when your plate is full. Getting a scheduler and planning out your week, hour by hour or day by day can help you feel more in control of your life. You can see what you must complete and can more easily schedule more downtime. That could mean you take a half-hour/hour each day to go for a walk or run, read, hang out with friends, go to the gym, watch tv, or just zone out. Make sure you are actively scheduling your time!

Use Your Resources

One of the hardest things to do when you are feeling overwhelmed is to reach out for help. This means going to your professor's office hours when you don't understand a concept in class. This means heading over to your wellness center and talking to a counselor about your stress. This means participating in campus activities or club events. This means seeking out workshops dedicated to making you a better student. Utilize the resources on your campus that are there to make your life easier!

Study for Mastery

Lastly, studying more efficiently can reduce the amount of time it feels like you’re spending on tasks. Don't spend 4 hours studying what could be learned in 20 min. One of the worst ways that you can study is simply by re-reading the material. Instead, try writing out your notes again or writing them in a different format; even better yet, explain your notes to a friend! Mastery of a subject comes when you can explain it to someone else. For math or science-heavy subjects, the only way to study is by practicing questions repeatedly, so get extra questions from your professor or online.

Putting these tips into practice can be much harder than just reading about them. It is important to take small, incremental steps and make sure you aren’t overwhelming yourself all at once.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!