Problems caused by anxiety or stress during your degree programme
When you experience anxiety or stress, this may have a number of different causes. In your degree programme or during your internship, you might become very anxious at the thought of presenting in front of a group or making contact with other people. But the combination of your busy life and your studies can result in feelings of anxiety and stress, too. Anxiety and stress can lead to an increased heart rate and higher blood pressure. You may also experience headaches or concentration problems. All these factors may affect your academic performance.
This is what I need of might need
Support for students with anxiety and/or stress
A range of facilities, accommodations and schemes are available at your educational institution and nationally, which may be very helpful to you and might make it easier to achieve success in your degree programme. As a student with anxiety or stress, you might have a need for the following:
- Guidance and advice. You may find it beneficial to speak with the student psychologist.
- Adjusted study schedule. Timetables are often definitively scheduled well in advance. This might be an obstacle for you because you may need a greater degree of flexibility. Many educational institutions offer possibilities for adjustments so that you will encounter fewer problems.
- Courses and other training options. It is possible that – due to anxiety or stress – your academic performance might not be the best you are capable of. Perhaps you procrastinate because you are nervous or unsure about getting started. This may be due to a variety of reasons. There are a number of courses or other training options that could help you with this. Some educational institutions, for instance, offer training courses on overcoming fear of failure, mindfulness courses or training sessions on how to deal with study-related stress.
Have a look at the other facilities, accommodations or schemes that might be helpful for you, too.
Tips
Study buddy
- This is a designated fellow student you can sit next to, to whom you can turn with questions and with whom you can study. They can also let you know when there are changes to the timetable. Some educational institutions have a buddy programme that matches students like yourself with a buddy. Ask whether your educational institution has such a programme.
Reminders
- Use reminders to encourage yourself to learn. This might involve an alert on your phone, asking other people to help you remember or choosing to study at fixed times.