• By Smriti
• Posted June 21, 2017

6 ways to deal with college application process and stress.

With admission season just around the corner, most of us have been having sleepless nights over entrances, deadlines, and what not.

College application process comes with a notion of being hectic, torturous and downright nightmarish.

Why does it have to be? Last minute submissions, essays and interviews have you worried? Fret not.

Here are a few tips to manage stress during college applications:-

 

• Get adequate sleep: In times of stress and worry, especially after the boards result, we tend to “buckle up” for college applications and start going through websites, motivational student blogs and what not.

During this process, we not only over-work ourselves but worry about things that might not even happen.

Set a curfew time to shut off your laptops and get some good sleep. Trust me, the better rested you are, the better decisions you make.

 

 

• The front-load technique: Front loading means planning activities in such a way that a major portion of work occurs in the early period.

Start by working 20 minutes on gathering all your documents in one place, get copies of your mark sheets and certificates. Remember, extra copies never harmed anybody.

Get your photographs clicked two weeks in advance to avoid waiting at the store since just before the admission processes, they are tied up.

 

 

• Keep your options open: A really good piece of advice I got back in school- always apply to 3 kinds of colleges (They may be different for everybody). One, where you are sure to get into. These are called “safeties”, or backup plans. Two, the ones you have a pretty good shot getting into, these are the colleges that are not easy to get into, but you know yourself best. Third, the “dream schools” where the admission is difficult but you hope you get in.

This helps you be realistic while shooting for the stars.

 

 

• When everything fails- stop, drop, and organise: When you have thirteen forms to fill before the end of the day, it does take a toll on the best of us.

When this happens, don’t panic. Stop for a minute, take a walk, breathe and ORGANISE.

Nothing feels better than having your things in place, a timed schedule to get things done (With sufficient breaks. Don’t exhaust too much.)

But also, keep a check of your deadlines: make a calendar, set reminders if you have to. Plan well in advance if you want any letters of recommendation from your teachers and ask for them. The ones that liked you back in school will be happy to write you one!

 

• Be yourself: I cannot emphasise this enough. During group discussion and personal interview, the first thing they are looking for is authenticity in candidates.

The first thing they get to know is if someone is trying to be someone they are not or trying to do something they don’t know.

If you do not know the answer to a question, politely say “I don’t know, but I shall check on it after.” It is much more genuine than stammering and fooling your way around. It is a personal interview for a reason. They want to see the real YOU.

 

 

• Ask questions and ask for help: Do not be embarrassed to ask someone how to answer a question in an application or how does the process go by.

Mostly, people will be willing to help you out to the best of their abilities. If you think the process is too much for you to handle, take help from your parents or a website. They are much more familiar with the admission process and it isn’t as nerve-wracking for them. (Hint: Head to AdmissionX.com for all your admission worries and queries to vanish!)