There is seldom anything more precious to a college student than time. Between classes, homework and studying, work and hectic social and home lives, it can seem that having a minute to relax and just breathe for a moment is next to impossible.

As the semester begins to approach the end, students may find themselves with more than ever to do and that can be overwhelming. Projects that seemed far off in August are now due and the pace of classes tends to pick up in the last eight weeks. Feeling like you don’t have enough time to complete school work can lead you to feel stressed.

While some students view stress as a motivator to get things done and suffer no ill effects from it, statistics show the majority of college students don’t share the same take on stress, to the detriment of their health and academic performance.

“More than half of college students reported above average or tremendous stress levels in the spring 2012, and 30 percent of students said it had a negative impact on their academic performance,” according to the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment’s 2012 undergraduate summary,

In studies performed from the mid-1990’s until the present, students have always cited time management issues as a large stressor during the school year.

While many of us are prepared for college in terms of what to expect academically, many college students aren’t prepared to effectively manage their time.

Being a college student is very different from being a high school student in that college students must handle a massive workload while also juggling adult responsibilities like working and possibly taking care of a family.

For many college students, the art of knowing how to use their time carefully and wisely is never really explained to them so when they enter an institute of higher learning, they have trouble knowing what to do and when to do it.

Time management solutions range from being very practical and simple to being extremely abstract and introspective.

The website www.collegelife.about.com recommends college students purchase and use a calendar to help them keep track of what they’re supposed to be doing and when they’re supposed to be doing it, as well as writing down everything from when you’re going to study for a Spanish test to when you’re going to go to the grocery store.

Education website www.straighterline.com offers more abstract advice. They recommend taking time to be healthy — that means getting enough sleep and maybe grabbing a salad for dinner sometimes instead of burgers five nights a week — and knowing when it’s time to take a break and have just a few minutes of me-time to preserve your sanity.

If you find yourself in need of some immediate de-stressing, visit Student Support Services, located on the first floor of the Main Building.