Casanda Anderson
News Editor
At times, life can be very stressful. Sometimes, there is no clear idea of what to do in periods of stress. This is one of the main topics that college students struggle with.
Some may know what’s causing the issue, and others may not. For this reason, all colleges and universities offer a form of counseling services for the students to help them through whatever stressful event that may cause them to lose focus on their studies. This outlet allows students a safe place to talk about what is stressing him or her or receive advice from professionals on the best way to deal with, solve, or handle their specific stressful issues.
Stress is a common factor that affects all individuals at some point. However, when you’re in college, this little six-letter word determines a lot. It can determine whether students fail, pass, drop-out or graduate from their post-secondary school.
“I believe the top five reasons students stress during finals and the semester are deadlines, financial situations, relationship issues (friendships, family, significant others), setting unattainable goals for oneself and fear of failure,” said Rob’Dreka Shaw, a licensed professional counselor here at Mississippi University for Women.
These top five reasons can seem small by themselves and to others who are not dealing with them, but they’re not. They can be devastating when they are combined together for some college students over the course of a semester, but especially during finals.
It also depends a lot on the individual facing the stressful situations, because similar situations can be solved in different ways — and so can stress.
“Do not forget what makes you happy and what you enjoy,” said Shaw. “Do not put all of your time into studying, relationships, organizations, etc. It’s the best way to keep the stress level down.”
Stress varies from individual to individual. There are plenty of ways to get creative when tackling stress. Some students might utilize the counseling center, and other students might just take a break from the roots of their stress.
“I listen to music, take a deep breath and focus on one task at a time,” said Baley Gant, a Business Technology and Culinary Arts major at The W.
Music can be a really relaxing way to decompress.
“If I get really stressed, I take a break for an hour or so then continue whatever task that made me stress,” said Lizzy Lassiter, a General Business major at The W.
Stress is stress. It might look different, but that one thing is true. Fortunately, this semester is coming to a close. During finals, don’t forget that stress can be interpreted and dealt with in many ways and that the counseling center is open for anyone who needs an extra person in his or her corner.