There are no two ways about it—college will be one of the most stressful times of your life. You’ll have to face the clash of social and academic schedules, you’ll have tests that seem impossible, professors that don’t seem to like you, roommates you don’t see eye-to-eye with, and any number of possible other situations that cause stress. However, it is possible to manage these stressors and learn to deal with the stress that they cause.

When it comes to managing stress, time management is paramount. One of the decisions that you’ll have to make every day is how to prioritize different things in your life. These can include your social life, athletics, a job, academics, and anything that might take up even a small amount of your time. Learning to balance all of these things is a skill that takes years to develop; however, if you focus on discovering the best way to organize your day, you’ll be a step ahead of the game. Keeping a schedule, either on paper, on a PDA or cell phone, or on your computer will aid your time management efforts. Use it to plan all of your activities—but don’t be afraid to change them when needed. Don’t let your schedule cause more stress than the things that you put in it.

Finding a relaxing activity that you enjoy is one of the more valuable things you can do in the battle against stress. There are as many different stress-relieving activities as there are people. Some popular ones include reading, journaling, watching movies, exercising or just holding a non-school-related conversation. Find something that you like to do that takes your mind off of the problems that you have. You’ll find that you feel a lot better if you can schedule this activity into at least most days.

Finally, don’t be afraid to use on-campus resources. People like your RA, a counselor or a chaplain can provide very helpful information as well as listening ear, which can be just as important as the above strategies. Going to talk about stress or problems that you’re having is nothing to be ashamed of—in fact, once you seek help from these people once, you’re very likely to go again. It’s an effective way of getting advice from someone who has a greater amount of experience than you do.

While stress is something that you’ll be feeling a lot of throughout your college career, you don’t have to let it control your life. Be pro-active and take steps to manage your stress; the earlier you start, the easier it will become.

The ultimate source for student reviews of colleges and universities is now live at StuVu.com!  The recent release of our website has been exciting, especially with the timing for high school students.  November is the month where most colleges have their deadlines for applications, and it’s also the month where college bound high schoolers are thinking about which college they want to go to.

That’s where StuVu.com comes in.  StuVu.com is a place for high school students to research schools that they want to attend, and get an idea of what being a student at that particular campus is like through the eyes of a student.  All of the videos, photos and reviews on the site are created by students at those universities, which ensures that everyone gets an authentic view of a “day in the life” of a university student at that particular college.  College bound high school students, and even undergraduates looking for grad schools can base their decision on student reviews of colleges and universities rather than statistics and guide books written by people who haven’t been in college in years.

StuVu.com is also a place for current college and university students to share reviews, photos and videos of all kinds of facilities, restaurants, services and events around campus with their fellow students.  As a newer student on campus, you may not be familiar with certain campus services, or hot spots in town that other students may know about. StuVu.com can bridge that gap of knowledge and make sure that everyone on campus knows where to go and what things they should avoid.

The bottom line is that most high school students currently base their college decision on top 100 lists, statistics and pamphlets created by the schools themselves.  StuVu.com provides a community that allows college students to be the voice that directs college bound students to the right colleges based on what’s important to them, because in the end, there’s a lot more to college than just statistics.

With the health craze on the rise it’s always good to read up on the latest healthy ways to perk you up in the morning.

Wheat Grass

People have been taking shots of this for years even before it was trendy and the mental boost is supposed to be exceptional. You can pick up some ready made at any health food store or find a recipe on the internet and make your own.

Apple Juice

This has all the natural sugars and yummy taste to keep you awake and alert without the physical and mental crash you get after putting foreign chemicals into your body. Just don’t drink too much in one day because that causes headaches.

Gum

Chewing keeps your brain focused and your eyes open, no one wants to choke on gum and interrupt the class. So keep your jaw moving and your alertness on the board in front of you. This won’t help if you’re one of those students who brings a laptop to class and plays on Facebook the whole time.

Crystal Light

This is tasty energy boost and you get the amount of vitamins and hydration needed for the day. Just watch some flavors, with the fake sugar some of them can be tricky and taste really bad. Stick to a flavor you like rather than exploring and wasting your money on drinks you don’t like to drink.

You’ve got to be creative on a college campus when it’s all been done before. Getting your party on isn’t something to scoff at when reputations and the sake of the whole campus’s good time is on the line. So you don’t make mistakes and do the same thing, here are the biggest campus party themes.

Pimps and Hoes

A scandalous affair with lingerie, chocolate covered strawberries and fun, fun, fun!

Golf Pros and Tennis Hoes

Guys dress up like golf pros, and girls put on skimpy skirts to play the tennis hoes.  Always a good time, just be careful with your clubs and rackets.

Black and White

A party where everyone wears black and white, made popular by The Hills, Gossip Girl, and other popular shows.

Beach Party

The classic luau theme with all the essentials, lay’s, Corona, and bikini’s. What’s great about this theme, is it can quickly become a naked party with the right amount of ‘foreign’ substances.

Playboy Party

Everyone knows this one, bunny ears, skimpy outfits, and paisley robes. Make Hugh proud.

Highlighter Party

Everyone wears a white t-shirt (or white everything), and people write and draw random stuff all over you all while under black light.

While you may have heard or experienced the fact that most food on college campuses are terrible, there are some foods in college that don’t suck.  Here’s your guide to college foods that don’t suck.

Bagels and Eggs and everything breakfast is always really good and really customizable. It may seem sucky to wake up in the morning to get breakfast but it really is the best meal of the day in every sense of the word.

The dessert bar is always fully stocked and fresh. So many good combinations, just make sure you limit yourself or hello freshman fifteen. Try the pies, a lot of the time they are really creative with their fruit filling.

Pizza, oh the pizza. Everyone loves pizza unless you’re allergic to tomatoes, but if that’s the case cafeteria’s make white pizza just for you. Eating pizza in the dining hall is an awesome way to save money on those late night study pies and still get your pizza fix. Often they are fresher and unique then anything you’d order from Pizza Hut.

Burgers and Fries are always available and always yummy; fast food style never goes out of fashion. With different toppings and different fry shapes you can pretend you’re in an upscale Burger Joint like Red Robin and make your burger pretty and delicious.

When in doubt, you can’t go wrong with cereal. That’s the bottom line for a college student.