Cornell can be overwhelming to navigate, especially when dealing with internal and external pressures to do well and keep up with an extremely busy schedule. Part of adjusting to Cornell’s environment involves figuring out how to manage stress and being surrounded by such high achieving peers. These four things can help you stay calm and remember that everyone’s needs are different and taking care of yourself is the most important thing you can do!
1.It’s ok to take a break
It’s really easy to get caught up in constantly doing homework and filling your day with various extracurricular commitments, but being overworked is never a good thing. Having too much on your plate can make you less productive as well as being overwhelming. My biggest advice for increasing your efficiency is actually to make sure that you take breaks when you’re feeling overworked and make time for activities like eating, sleeping and socializing.
2. Sometimes sleep is more important than finishing that reading
Being constantly busy and trying to do everything leads a lot of Cornell students to feel like they need to sacrifice sleep to keep up. Although many of us have had some late nights under a time crunch, not sleeping enough can have a negative effect on brain function, memory, and overall physical and mental health when sustained over a long period of time. The best thing you can do the night before a test is to go to bed early and feel well-rested the next day. Additionally, it’s so important to try to stick to a consistent sleep schedule throughout the year.
3. Professors want to talk to you
It can be intimidating to talk to professors so early on in your Cornell career, especially in big lecture classes, but professors are here to help you! Many students don’t utilize their relationships with professors or go to office hours, so professors are often very happy to have students come in to introduce themselves or ask questions. Even if you don’t need help with your course material right now, it’s always a good idea to talk to your professors in office hours or after class to establish a relationship with them from the beginning.
4. It’s not the end of the world when you get rejected from a club
Clubs at Cornell are getting more and more competitive in terms of their application processes, and it can be hard not to take rejections personally, but it’s important to remember that there are so many opportunities here that you can take advantage of. If you get rejected from a club or professional fraternity, remember that the members have nothing against you personally and that you can always try again with other organizations or with the same ones the following application cycle. Never give up!