Adjusting to school is not an uncommon struggle for a college freshman. Ashton Johnson and Devin Hare are both graduate students who said they’ve been there and seen it all.

Hare and Johnson spoke to students at Wednesday’s “Adjusting to College” workshop about the importance of keeping a strong balance in every part of their college lives.

“I cannot stress enough to you guys how important time management is,” Johnson said.

She told students that keeping a planner nearby is a great start to managing their time more effectively.

“It’s good for students to go to these types of workshops if they do need help starting out in college,” said Cortney Lara, a freshman pre-nursing major.

Johnson also told students that it was okay to say no to their friends in order to make smarter choices; such as choosing to study instead of going to a social event with their friends.

Hare addressed topics such as stress, self-esteem, alcohol or drug abuse, and negative relationships. She also told students to evaluate their emotions and how they feel to recognize symptoms of anxiety, stress or depression.

She said eating healthy is one way to relieve their stress too.

“It’s also very important to get sleep. Even three hours is better than none. So please sleep,” Hare said.

Many freshman were unaware of the available help and resources on campus.

“I didn’t know the counseling here was free for students. It’s a really good service they offer us here,” said Carolyn Dixon,  a freshman toxicology major.

The centers allow students to bring in a family member or significant other free of charge, as long as the student is present with them.

The Community Counseling center and the Marriage and Family Therapy Counseling center can be found in Strauss Hall. Both are open Monday through Friday.