Students feeling stressed earlier than usual

By Bishal Malla and Justin Combs, Staff Writer

Two reading and writing assignments, three tests and two quizzes, all in a single day, have made the beginning of the semester difficult for Dibyeshwor Singh, medical technology sophomore.

“We haven’t reached the end of the semester yet but I feel like I am taking my finals,” he said.

Singh is not the only student feeling pressure right now. The spring semester began with icy weather preventing many students from having a strong start.

Pioneer staff surveyed 50 students during the third week of the semester, asking whether they are feeling more stressed compared to earlier semesters.

More than half of the students polled answered yes.

The main reason given for the stress was the days of school missed because of the ice storm when the college was closed for two and a half days Jan. 26 through 28.

Singh said he missed all of his classes on those three days, creating a situation where the pressure to complete classwork doubled.

Psychology Professor Yuthika Kim said stress is a normal part of life.

“A lot of times it’s not the stress that gets you, he said. It’s how you attempt to manage the stress.”

Kim believes that the management of stress is more important than the stress itself.

He said the easiest method to deal with stress is to set deadlines for things that need to get done.

Kim recommends a monthly calendar to all students so they can plan ahead and organize their academics and priorities.

“I have one myself so I can see what needs to be done in the long term,” he said.

Linda Cochran, Emergency Medical Science major, said getting into the habit of planning now helps prepare students for the future.

“Students need to be prepared for everything in their life,” she said.

Cochran said, in order to get rid of stress at school, students could possibly give more time to their studies during free time at home or somewhere else.

Cochran said she thinks it also would be a good idea if professors would leave room in their schedule for missed days.

Psychology professor Trish Bilcik said remaining realistic about what needs to be done first is important so that students aren’t looking so far ahead they forget that the present matters the most.

Bilcik, who also teaches stress management, said dealing with a workload on a week-by-week basis will lighten the stress load for most students.

“Take it one project at a time and just take it in manageable pieces,” she said.

“If you just do it week by week, bit by bit, it will get done.”

Bilcik said, in her stress management class, students not only learn about stress, but also ways to deal with it.

“We do deep breathing and looking at the value of humor,” Bilcik said.

“Being able to laugh, a good belly laugh, makes us all feel better.”

Singh said students must have good study habits. The more students study, the more routine it becomes and the less stress they get, he said.

Kim agrees, and said students may find habits from high school may hinder them in college.

“College is a new environment for a lot of people and the work load is greater,” Kim said.

“When organizing your schedule and degree program, you need to take an academic load that’s within your ability to manage.”

Kim said it’s also a good idea to fill breaks constructively.

“When I was in college, I would try to steal moments of my day,” he said.

“If you have a 30-minute break, you can rewrite your notes for the class and keep getting things done.”

Kim said in stress situations a person needs to make an assessment of whether this is something in their control or out of their control.

“Most people know or can feel what is beyond their level of coping with stress,” Kim said.

“A lot of times when people question whether they can cope with stress that’s generally when they know they need to seek help,” he said.

Students also can speak with their professors if their workload is giving them trouble, Kim said.

“Seek out your professors,” he said. “They want to help you and want you to succeed.”

Bilcik said there are steps students can take for dealing with stress better.

Even just eating properly and sleeping enough have a strong impact on being able to handle stress in life, she said.

“You need to build yourself into the equation so that you can be at your optimal performance and health,” Bilcik said.

Staff Writer Bishal Malla can be reached at StaffWriter1@occc.edu.

Staff Writer Justin Combs can be reached at StaffWriter3@occc.edu.