As Keene State College students stretch through the semester, assignments are piling up and exams are looming overhead. Stress levels within the student body also increase as the school year progresses.
Jessica Bratberg, a sophomore at KSC, explained a few of the stressors she has recently experienced.
“My classes are definitely more challenging this year as opposed to my freshman year. Managing my workload along with my money, friends and family hasn’t been easy,” Bratberg said.
Dr. Randall S. Hansen, writer and founder of the advice website ‘MyCollegeSuccessStory.com,’ discussed the main sources of stress for college students in his article, “Top College Stressors that Affect Academic Performance.”
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He explained that academic stress, personal stress and relationships with others, family stress, financial issues and future career options are the primary reasons for anxiety among college students.
Bratberg confirmed this finding.
“Deciding on a career plan has added a lot of stress this year. As you get older, your classes and finances seem much more serious. It’s scary having to decide what you’re going to do for the rest of your life,” Bratberg said.
This feeling is virtually universal for the majority of the Keene State College student body, according to Bratberg.
Recognizing stress and being able to manage it in a healthy way is extremely important, especially because Mental Illness Awareness Week, which ran a couple weeks ago from Oct. 6 to Oct. 12, reminded students of the potential dangers of mental illness.
According to the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, or NAMI, this week was established in 1990 to recognize those with mental disorders and advocate others to sponsor activities and events, large or small, for public education about mental illness.
Stress is just one issue of mental health. Hansen listed some of the detrimental symptoms of stress.
“High levels of anxiety, feelings of depression, abuse of alcohol and drugs, headaches, excessive sleep or insomnia,” Hansen wrote. However, that list goes on. Therefore, managing one’s stress and the sources of that tension is imperative to a student’s health.
KSC Senior Sean Morrissey explained various ways he manages his stress.
“I think balance is really important. I try and get my work done early so I can hang out with friends at night,” Morrissey said, “The weekends definitely help to de-stress and clear my head.”
Stacy Brice, an expert on relationships and work and life balance, has given students a list of strategies for managing stress in her article “10 Ways to Manage Stress in College” on powertochange.com. Brice emphasizes positivity and surrounding yourself with helpful people and a safe environment in order to ease the stress of a heavy workload, financial troubles and an impending career decision.
Brice makes suggestions not only about the people and environment students choose to surround themselves with, but also about how they should treat themselves.
“Reward yourself … Nurturing your spirit is a great way to help you reduce stress. Take time to do things that reward you, every day,” Brice wrote.
Morrissey agreed and said that entertaining himself with leisurely activities was one way he felt he was really able to reduce stress.
“It’s definitely important to just sit back sometimes. Maybe playing video games and spending time with friends isn’t the most productive thing I could be doing, but it helps to keep the burden of classes and graduating soon under control,” Morrissey said.
KSC Junior Ian Lemley explained that exercising typically helps reduce his stress.
“I always make time for the gym, no matter my workload. As you move through college, the stress adds up. You’re expected to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life, while also completing all of these research papers and exams,” Lemley said.
Brice confirmed the importance of exercising in order to manage a student’s stress.
“Exercise releases endorphins, which have been shown to improve one’s mood, making it a great way to deal with stress,” Brice wrote.
Lemley explained that working out has recently become his primary outlet for stress.
“If I have a huge paper to write, I’ll go to the gym beforehand to clear my head. It’s something positive for me to focus on for a few hours and helps to improve my mood,” Lemley said.
Bratberg also revealed her main strategy for relieving stress.
“Sometimes just venting to a friend can be really helpful. Explaining your stressors and having the support of someone close to you usually makes me feel better,” Bratberg said.
Although stress for college students is virtually inevitable, according to Dr. Hansen, there are many healthy ways students can ease the hardship of managing their heavy workloads, maintaining relationships with friends and family and controlling their finances.
Aryanah Haydu can be contacted at ahaydu@keene-equinox.com
