Before you headed off to college, you probably had everyone from your Mam and Dad to the family pet telling you that these would be the best days of your life... and while there's little doubt that you will probably have a ball while you're at DIT, you'll undoubtedly encounter your fair share of stress too. There's always six lecturers who want stuff at the same time, and you have to spend a good portion of your Christmas holidays thinking about exams - it's not easy being a student! That's why you need to learn how to manage stress.

Stress has gotten a pretty bad reputation, but it's not always a bad thing. Ever heard of 'positive stress'? Basically, your body gears up when you're under pressure, helping you perform at your best - it's that old 'fight or flight' thing that you might have heard about in Junior Cert science, where, in days gone by, adrenaline coursed through your veins when that sabre-tooth tiger attacked, helping you fight him off or run like the wind. When something scary or worrisome happens, your body functions go up a notch, making you faster and more focussed. This is great when it kicks in five minutes before an exam, but when chronic worries give you that kick for months on end, that's when stress stops being positive and really begins to take its toll. Prolonged stress can be exhausting.

So what can you do to help you cope with those anxieties about studying and exams and whether or not the people in your class like you or not? Stress is not just an academic thing, worrying about personal issues can be just as stressful as anything that college might throw at you. But the truth is that stress can affect your academic performance, so in order to make the best of your time at DIT, get help with coping with any worries that are stressing you out.

• Make a timetable: You have a timetable for all your classes, to make sure that everyone's in the right place at the right time. So draw up a timetable for your personal studies too, to help ensure that you have plenty of time to get all your assignments done, without having to worry about getting a week's worth done in one very stressful evening.
• Be organised: Following on from having a timetable, you should also try to keep all your study materials in tip-top shape, to reduce the amount of time you wasted faffing about looking for books and paper and whatnot. It might sound awfully boring, but knowing where everything is when you need it is a pretty helpful stress-reliever.
• Schedule time for fun: It's all too easy to let the good things slide when you're under pressure, or conversely, to spend altogether too much time at the pub! So make sure you strike the right balance by allowing yourself a certain amount of time to see your friends - and make sure that when the fun's done, you get back to work.
• Make time for yourself: Seeing your friends is essential to a stress free you, but we all need to spend some time just chilling out by ourselves too. Whether it's watching our favourite shows on TV (Desperate Housewives marathon anyone?!), watching your skin go wrinkly as you spend too long in the bath, or just lying in bed having a good old think, we all need to take time out, take a few deep breaths and just relax.
• Get active: This doesn't include running round like a headless chicken! Taking part in sporting activities, doing an aerobics class or just going for a walk can help clear your head of thoughts of college and assignments, giving you a well earned break and helping you return to your studies with a fresh head.
• Lose the voices in your head!: Do you doubt your ability to do well? Do you sit down to do an assignment only to hear yourself thinking, 'This is too hard! I'm no good at this!'? If you find yourself worrying about your performance in exams or coursework, then make sure you stop before you put pen to paper, take a deep breath, and say 'I can do this! I rock!' Remember, you managed to get into college, so you're smart enough to get out of it too... With a qualification!