Social stress is stress that stems from one’s relationships with others and from the social environment in general.
College students may struggle with keeping up with the wide variety of relationships they have built- from family, to roommates, and friends both at home and at school, keeping up with everybody can get tricky. In this following section we’ll provide all the resources needed to be a successful-social college student.
Social stress is typically the most frequent type of stressor that people experience in their daily lives and affects people more intensely than other types of stressors.
The following resources and guides offer help cope with social stress and social situations.
Staying in Touch Back Home
Finding your own independence is what college is all about. Acting on this independence while still respecting your parents and creating a meaningful adult relationship with them can be difficult, and can cause stress. Here some tips and tricks to staying in touch without giving up your new found independence.
- Take time to call them or set up a “facetime date”. Respect their desire to know what’s going on with you, they just want to talk. A simple phone call can make all the difference and can reduce the stress of your parents getting angry when they don’t hear from you. Ignoring their phone calls will just make it worse!
- Send them text messages. It doesn’t take much time or effort to send a message saying “Just got my test back – B+!” or “Just took my first salsa dancing class!” A simple reminder that you are okay and enjoying your experience will make your parent’s day.
- Use your webcam. Show off your newly decorated dorm room, or how you rearranged the furniture. Showing your parents even a small piece of your world will help maintain a positive relationship.
- Facebook. We all are constantly checking social media. Why not write on their wall or share a funny post to let them know you are thinking of them? Updating your Facebook status can be a great way to let everyone back home know what you’re up to and how you are doing.
- Send an old-fashioned letter or card. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but for a couple of bucks and the cost of a postage stamp, you can send your parents an unexpected greeting. The card will serve as afun surprise and a reminder that even though you have grown up, you still care.
Just remember, even if it seems inconvenient or “not cool” to talk to your parents, they love you and just want to know you are doing okay. Taking time out of your day to let them know you are thinking of them too will mean the world to them.
Staying Social in College
The power of an introvert- Susan Cain
Going to your hall events and weekly hall dinners is a great way to ensure you are getting out of your room and interacting with your peers. Use your time in the dorms to its full advantage to get to know the people living around you. Immersing yourself into this new community can be a great way to stay social and make new friends.
Explore your options when it comes to getting involved. There are many organizations you can join, and will never know if you like until you try! The activities fair which occurs at the beginning of each semester is a great way to get a taste for each organization, and get your name on an emailing list if you decide to join. There are also many Greek organizations, both social and service for you to join if you are looking for that kind of experience. The biggest thing is, get out there, and explore new interests and new people.
- Student Organizations: At Truman, students have an abundance of involvement opportunities to explore. All students are encouraged to explore all their particular interests and find quality out of classroom experiences to take advance of.
- Greek life: Students who are interested in joining a fraternity or sorority at Truman have many options and they encourage you to take the opportunity to get to know the Greek students.
How to Live with a Roommate
You may have grown up living with siblings, or this may be your first time sharing your room with someone else. While having a roommate can be challenging, it can also be a great part of your college experience. Follow these eleven tips to make sure you and your roommate keep things pleasant and supportive throughout the year (or even years!).
- Be clear from the beginning. Do you know in advance that you hate it when someone hits the snooze button fifteen times every morning? That you’re a neat freak? That you need ten minutes to yourself before talking to anyone after you wake up? Let your roommate know as soon as you can about your little quirks and preferences. It’s not fair to expect him or her to pick up on them right away, and communicating what you need is one of the best ways to eliminate problems before they become problems.
- Address things when they’re little. Is your roommate always forgetting her stuff for the shower, and taking yours? Are your clothes being borrowed faster than you can wash them? Addressing things that bug you while they’re still little can help your roommate be aware of something she may not know is bothering you. Addressing little things is much easier than addressing them after they’ve become big problems.
- Respect your roommate’s stuff. This may seem simple, but it’s probably one of the biggest reasons why roommates experience conflict. Don’t think he’ll mind if you borrow his cleats for a quick soccer game? For all you know, you just stepped over an uncrossable line. Don’t borrow, use, or take anything without getting permission first.
- Be careful of who you bring into your room — and how often. You may love having your study group in your room, but your roommate may not. Be mindful of how often you bring people over. If your roommate studies best in quiet, and you study best in a group, you can take turns going to the library while the other gets the room.
- Lock the door and windows.This may seem like it has nothing to do with roommate relationships, but how would you feel if your roommate’s laptop got stolen during the ten seconds it took you to run down the hall? Locking your door and windows is a critical part of keeping safe on campus.
- Be friendly, without expecting to be best friends.Don’t go into your roommate relationship thinking that you are going to be best friends for the time you’re at school. It may happen, but expecting it sets both of you up for trouble. You should be friendly with your roommate but also make sure you have your own social circles.
- Be open to new things.Your roommate may be from someplace you’ve never heard of. They may have a religion or lifestyle that is completely different from your own. Be open to new ideas and experiences, especially as it relates to what your roommate brings into your life.
- Be open to change.You should expect to learn, grow, and change during your time at school. As the semester progresses, realize things will change for both of you. Be comfortable addressing things that unexpectedly come up, setting new rules, and being flexible to your changing environment.
- Address things when they’re big.You may not have been comfortable or able to complete tip #2. Or you may suddenly find yourself with a roommate who goes wild after being shy and quiet the first two months. Either way, if something gets to be a big problem quickly, deal with it as soon as you can.
- If nothing else, follow the Golden Rule.Treat your roommate like you’d like to be treated. No matter what your relationship is at the end of the year, you can take comfort knowing you acted like an adult and treated your roommate with respect.
- Fill out a roommate contract/ agreement at the beginning of the year, so incase there is conflict you both can look back to what was agreed upon at the beginning of the year regarding roommate actions.
Don’t think you and your roommate are going to be able to work it out? It can be easier than you think to address your problems and, ideally, find a solution that works for both of you. If you are unable to talk to your roommate about the problems you are having reach out to your SA to help you find a healthy and effective way to address your concerns.
Truman Resources
Looking to get involved on or off campus?
- CSI: The Center for Student Involvement is responsible for campus programming, student organization development and services, Greek Life related services, and leadership development and recognition programs at Truman.
- Student Organizations: At Truman, students have an abundance of involvement opportunities to explore. All students are encouraged to explore all their particular interests and find quality out of classroom experiences to take advance of.
- Greek life: Students who are interested in joining a fraternity or sorority at Truman have many options and they encourage you to take the opportunity to get to know the Greek students.
- Res Life: Residence Life offers a whole range of services from helping you find the campus housing option that is the best fit for your needs to creating and defining your on-campus community.
- SERVE Center: The Truman SERVE Center is a student-led service team dedicated to helping you find service opportunities on and around campus!
- Truman’s Events Calendar: This offers a monthly view of everything going on around campus!
Content retrieved from
http://collegelife.about.com/od/beforeyouarrive/qt/roommatetips.htm
http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/conflict-resolution-skills.htm
http://collegelife.about.com/od/backonthehomefront/ht/How-To-Keep-In-Touch-With-Your-High-School-Friends.htm