Don’t let stress get the best of you

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By Yunjo Jeong

Around us everyday, among the many students who look happy and cheerful, there are some who are having trouble dealing with their college lives. Not even a few, but many.

A 2008 survey carried out by the Associated Press and mtvU on college students found that of the participants, 80 percent frequently or sometimes experienced daily stress, 34 percent had felt depressed at some point in the past three months, 13 percent had been diagnosed with a mental health condition such as depression, and 9 percent had seriously considered suicide in the past year.

It is clear that stress is highly prevalent among college students, and therefore we should take personal actions to help combat it.

Mary Gormandy White, a corporate trainer and consultant and certified Senior Professional in Human Resource Management mentions academic pressure, financial woes, increased responsibility and peer pressure as possible causes of such stress. With heavy coursework, high tuition rates, independent college life and social pressures, such problems are easily faced by college students.

Excess mental stress creates problems both in the mind and the body. Students may feel unenthused to the extent that it is impossible to focus. But even worse, the physical state of the body may worsen, resulting in headaches, sleeping problems, muscle tension or pain, fatigue, anxiety, changed eating behaviors and other negative consequences.

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With consequences of excess stress as problematic as they are, it is important to try to relieve stress regularly.

Resolving the malevolent impacts of stress can be difficult, but making efforts to try and prevent common, everyday stress can help keep it from piling up and falling down on you.

To help combat some of the effects of stress, I think it can be helpful to take time to do something one enjoys. For example, I’ve found that exercising, listening to music, biking, even playing games can be helpful. Enjoying life is what counts.

College life can be extremely burdening at times. There is seemingly endless class work, many clubs and activities to go to and meetings to attend, and there is even the added pressure of maintaining a social life as well. Managing such a large amount of events and dealing with the busy life of a college student can be difficult.

I, personally, am taking 17 credit hours this semester, and I took 18 credit hours last semester. It wasn’t easy, and my schedule was extremely full. Stress was a concern, and it made my college experience less enjoyable than it could have been. I questioned my decision to come all the way to the United States. I questioned my purpose, and I questioned my ability to get things done.

This semester is pretty much the same workload. But by participating in more enjoyable, personal activities, I can work to relieve my stress.

For instance, I attend weekly meetings for the Society for Experimental Mechanics, which I highly enjoy, and I take the time to have more frequent encounters with my friends.

Without having fun every now and then, it is easy to question the point of studying so hard, and such questioning is the bridge to unnecessary stress.

The answer is easy; everybody needs a break and an opportunity to feel the fresh air.

Many students are probably as busy as I am. Every student here at the University has a dream to pursue, and the road to academic Eden is not easy. Writing papers and doing assignments, studying for exams, etc. — they’re all important. But a break away from the academic pressure is just as important — don’t let stress get the best of you.

Yunjo is a freshman in Engineering. He can be reached at [email protected].