As a premed or medical student, I’m sure you’re more than familiar with stress.
Whether it’s finances, academic strain, or pressure from family, friends, and peers, you’re
not alone. Here is the single most important tip for managing stress as a student.Get organized.
By simply taking the time to get organized, such as putting class times in your calendar,
including exam times and assignment due dates, you’ll greatly reduce the sense of dread,
chaos, and uncertainty you feel when approaching your academics.
Organization extends to other aspects of your life as well. Rather than approaching
each day as a blank slate and then doing what you feel like, try time blocking.
During those hours when you know you’ll be more focused and productive, plan on setting aside a
few hours for more intense and focused work or studying. During the hours when you know
focusing will be difficult, block out time to exercise, do laundry, or grab groceries.
Staying organized in this way will also ward off procrastination,
one of the most common and insidious stressors amongst students.
It also mitigates the issue of balancing social stressors with academic stressors.
If you know when to study and when to hang out with friends,
you won’t have to make the decision each time a social opportunity presents itself.