Top 3 stresses of a college student

By Samantha Wigfield

College can be stressful enough for anyone. It can seem exciting and moving on to the bigger and better but in reality, it can be pretty scary. Whether it’s the workload, trying to juggle courses along with a job, friends, family or the inhumane crushing debt most students are balancing, it all can be dealt with.

“Stress is about perception. It’s not things that cause stress, its’ how you view them. In other words, stress is a result of a perception of a view.” said Karen Gignac, the manager at the mental health service of Canadian Mental Health Association.

1. Financial struggles

 

A typical St. Clair student spends about $13,500 a year on tuition, books, housing and transport. That’s a hefty bill and a massive stress for a college student of any age. According to Collegelife.com, ways to reduce financial stress are to make a budget. If you know exactly how much money you have coming in versus how much you have include going out, organizing funds will help give a clearer picture. Stick to the budget – there’s a difference between wants and needs when it comes to extra spending money. Making coffee at home every day is a little cheaper than buying a five dollar coffee every day. Avoid using a credit card, as it racks up more debt. Apply for as many scholarships as possible. There’s always the financial aid office to discuss OSAP appeals and other advice too.

 

2. Relationships and Time Management

“In my experience, a lot of students at the University of Windsor face a tremendous amount of stress from their families to succeed,” Gignac said. “They also feel the need to compete with already successful siblings and to have that feeling of approval within their families.”

Gignac also said students need to balance homework, school and personal time. Too much time doing one thing will either result in failure in academics or isolation from peers. Isolation can breed into anxiety and depression. When someone is alone with their thoughts, it all comes down to support and emotional resilience which can be learned, or born with. But having people close to you can relieve some of that pressure.

 

“I always keep a planner of what I have to do. I highlight certain things too. Green means I have a week or so to complete it, yellow means I have 3 to 4 days and red means do it now.” said April Anderson, a student in the Office Administrative program.

 

Keeping a planner is great for time management. Along with trying not to commit to too many hours at work right away. Try to schedule an evening or two to distress and spend some time with loved ones. If you communicate with people most people will understand the struggle of school and the time consuming stress that comes alone with it.

 

3. Freshman 15

 

It’s not hard to figure out where the dreaded freshman 15 actually comes from. Energy drinks, cafeteria pizza and ramen noodles could be the culprit.

 

Don’t skip breakfast. Not many people have time for a sit down breakfast, but even a piece of fruit will rev up your system for the day. As tough as it may seem, limit alcohol intake. Remember a light beer, glass of wine or just an ounce of liquor has 100 calories. Drink a ton of water. There’s the recommended eight glasses a day, but it can also help if you drink a glass of water before meals, too.

There are plenty of websites, such as collegerecipes.com, with cheap and easy meals and recipes to help avoid gaining the extra pounds in the college years.

 

Stress is a completely normal feeling, but knowing how to handle it in a healthy manner is an entirely different thing. Take a deep breath, spend some time with family, and maybe talk to a counsellor and all the hard work will pay off.

 

 

SIDEBAR

Tuition and fees – At St. Clair College, this averages out to about $7000

Books and materials – $655 (National Association of College Stores)

St. Clair College residence for one year – $5,350.00

Transportation (based on Windsor Transit student bus pass) – $520