Anisa Jibrell – News Writer
As the end of the semester nears and the harrowing reality of finals week approaches, students on campus look for ways to manage their stress and stay afloat.
In honor of Stress Awareness Day that took place on Nov. 4, students shared some of the root causes of their stress and ways they try to eliminate it or keep it at bay.
Students also shared their opinion on whether or not they find resources on campus helpful or productive.
“Having so much to do in one day from basketball practice, to work, to class, to homework,” said Austin Carter, junior exercise science major. “What stresses me out is if I’m going to get a lot of sleep or not.”
Carter said some of the ways he eases his stress are listening to music, getting a good night’s sleep and playing basketball.
Since Carter is aware of the root cause of his stress and how he can alleviate, he said he personally isn’t interested in what the campus has to offer nor does he find them helpful.
A 2001 study from the Journal of American College Health that reported that only 11 percent of students feel well rested. Insufficient sleep can be both a symptom of stress and affect the ability to cope with stress.
“I really enjoy sleeping which is not good. I go to the gym when I’m stressed, I paint,” said Julie Dellavecchia, junior public health major. “I’m kind of like a nerd but it’s okay.”
To de-stress, Dellavecchia uses watercolors to paint food, ice cream to be specific.
“It just clears my head and gets my mind off of what I’m stressing about,” said Dellavecchia.
Although she’s aware of some of the stress management resources that exist on campus, Dellavecchia doesn’t go to any of them for no particular reason.
“Right now the most stressful thing is having no money, I’m in orientation for a new job, and trying to pull my grades up,” said Dellavecchia.
She said the root cause of all her stress is herself, and describes herself as being “her own worst enemy.”
“I put a lot of stress on myself to be better, but I’m never good enough for myself,” said Dellavecchia.
According to the 2015 National College Assessment, 30 percent of students stated that stress had negatively affected their academic performance within the past year, and over 85 percent had felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do at some point within the past year.
“The campus gives out a lot of different resources for stress management,” said Merritt Ruff, liberal studies major. “There are a lot of different RA programs that help cater to people who have stress.”
Ruff said his faculty and friends do a lot to keep his stress to a minimum.
“A lot of different faculty members have actually sat and invested their time into my life to make sure that I’m doing well,” said Ruff.
Ruff said at the moment it’s hard to pinpoint what the root cause of his stress is because he’s taken advantage of campus resources to tackle the stress occurring in his life.
“As students we tend to get wrapped up in our everyday, doing nothing but structured stuff—but it’s very conducive to actually having your free time and finding out who you really are,” said Ruff.
Photo Credit: Anisa Jibrell – News Writer
HEADER PHOTO: Julie Dellavecchia, junior public health major
