Getting Through a Stressful Semester

Find Where the Pressure Comes From

Semester stress rarely has one source. It might be a heavy course load, a job on top of classes, a roommate conflict or worry about what comes after graduation. Writing out the specific pressures on paper can make them feel less like one big weight. In CBT, this helps decide which pressures can change, which need a different response, and which may simply need to be tolerated for a few weeks.

Watch the All-or-Nothing Thinking

Thoughts like if I do badly on this exam my whole future is ruined can feel completely true in the moment. CBT invites you to slow down and look at those thoughts more carefully. What is the realistic range of outcomes? What would you tell a friend in the same spot? This is not about dismissing real stakes but about seeing them more accurately. Seeing the stakes accurately often makes studying feel more manageable.

Plan the Week You Actually Have

A plan built for an ideal week often collapses by Tuesday. Building around your real schedule, including classes, work, commuting and rest, tends to work better. Marie may help you look at your week, spot the times when focused work is realistic and protect them. Reviewing what happened at the next session helps the plan improve over the semester instead of being abandoned. Leaving buffer time for the unexpected also keeps one bad day from derailing the whole week.

Keep Basic Needs on the List

When stress rises, sleep, meals and movement are often the first things to go, which can make everything else harder. Treating them as part of the plan rather than a reward for finishing work can help. If stress turns into thoughts of hurting yourself, contact 988 right away, and consider reaching out to your campus counseling services as well. Even small, consistent habits during finals week can help you stay steadier when the workload peaks, and they make it easier to recover afterward.

Reach Out

Marie offers a free 15-minute consultation to talk through what is happening and whether her practical, collaborative CBT approach seems like a fit. Sessions are 50 minutes, and individual sessions are $200. Online therapy is available anywhere in Oregon, and you can ask about current Portland office availability if meeting in person matters to you. Bringing one or two concrete examples to the call is usually more useful than a full history.

Questions You May Have