College Students and Stress: Is it Too Much?
Emily Boilard
Contributing Writer
College students everywhere experience extremely high levels of stress, hindering not only their academic life, but their personal life as well. So much goes into being a college student and all of the little things combined with the big things is enough to make anyone overwhelmed. Many college students are on their own for the very first time, navigating what it’s like to be independent. The responsibilities, homework, sports, clubs, social events, and so much more pile up and it may feel as though they are drowning in everything, not to mention being homesick. The first thought of college may be partying with friends and meeting new people, but with that comes a load of stress that may be too difficult to bear.
As students return to campus, so does the stress for most people. Walking from building to building, class to class, or event to event, many students are both seen and heard all over campus. The stress of being both a college student and maintaining a personal life can be extremely difficult for most students. Students on the UMF campus described their stressors to include: classes, sports, homesickness, relationships, tests and exams, homework, sleeping, eating, clubs, and the simple fact that they are in a new environment.
“Well, there is a lot to be stressed about while at school. Deadlines for assignments approach very fast and it’s hard to keep up with them,” sophomore Shelby Iverson said as she explained her stresses.
Students find techniques and ways to cope with all that is happening in their lives:
“I like to have a planner to make sure I stay organized and know what I need to do. I also have many to-do lists to stay on track. It helps to know what I have to do and when. I definitely keep more than one list to really lay out what needs to get done,” Iverson said.“I would say there are a lot of resources and I think most professors are pretty understanding, which always helps.”
What some students may not know is that there are various classes available that offer stress management and coping skills. One of these classes is the First Year Seminar called “Better Grades Through Better Health” with Professor Kate Callahan. The class not only offers ways to maintain the best grades possible, while remaining physically healthy, there is a whole unit on stress management and ways to cope with it.
UMF also posts various inspirational quotes on campus that should ease some negativity, or at least prompt a smile. The bright colors and how the administration describes the campus as “home” also makes students feel at ease. Many emails go out to students from faculty and staff from the Health Center, explaining what they do and how they can help students through college.
On most Brightspace pages, professors include links to obtain a tutor, which is free for all students at UMF — creating ease for students that may be struggling in a subject and need some assistance getting through it. In addition, there is a list of contact information for people who can help students with any issue they may be facing, along with different organizations that do the same thing in every dorm bathroom.
If anyone is looking for resources on or around campus, visit the UMF website and there you will find an abundance of resources to gain support and help in times of need. There are also many resources on the doors or walls in the dorm hall bathrooms that may direct those who need help in a more serious direction. College can be the best four years of someone’s life, or it can cause more stress than one can bear. Either way, UMF is here to support.
Going back a few years, Fahey started out working at a wilderness therapy program for teen boys who were in trouble with the law as an alternative to going to a detention center. He also worked with young kids ages five to fourteen who experienced significant trauma. Most recently, prior to coming to UMF he worked at a co-ed high school boarding school in New Hampshire and worked there as Director of Student Life, Dean of Student Life, and dorm parent. He then jumped to UMF where he stated, “UMF felt very similar to the school I was at. It was like a jump to a bigger thing back into the university world but not so big by going to a gigantic university.”
Once arriving on Monday, Aug. 15, The admissions staff already had so much of the stuff at orientation planned and worked on. Fahey said he stepped in to help with those little details that needed to be worked on for this year’s orientation. He stated: “Working with student leaders is something that I think is so important as it makes others feel welcomed. When I heard other students coming here and volunteering to do it I was just really excited to learn why people wanted to do it and what people wanted to get out of it and to try and make training relevant not just for new students arriving but what you wanted to get out of it as a leader for the rest of the year on campus.” Fahey put his full foot forward, even if he didn’t know much about the school, for the students.
He explained that once orientation started, he felt no nervousness or anxiety on him and felt very excited about it. He said how having the experience of his past jobs for years at a time has helped him become comfortable with the responsibilities he now has at UMF. One thing that stood out was when he said “I’m gonna have stuff to learn and I’m gonna learn it and I’ll make mistakes and I’ll learn from those.” He said that he did have that nervousness during the first couple of weeks when going into meetings with Lisa Ellrich and Joe McShane, both of who work in Admissions and who hired Fahey. He said that going through an orientation where he wasn’t a part of planning these big parts gave him a different perspective, as he states: “I was there, I could help with any issues that came up. But, I got to experience it from the standpoint of really being able to understand the nerves that come with the new students and their families and their friends that come to support them. It meant to have it with a fresh eye of what changes could be made or what feedback do I want to get from students about what went really well and what they would like to see.” He said that orientations are about getting three things accomplished during a very short period of time. It was about knowing where classes are and what you need, making connections with new friends, and making sure you’re settled enough before classes.
Fahey also talked about how even after orientation, he still puts himself out there in the community:
“If you want to be a meaningful part of a community you have to understand the community and you have to take your own risks. You can’t expect other people to put themselves outside of their own comfort zone if you don’t do the same thing at times,” he said.
He also talked about how as older adults, it's good to remind ourselves how hard it is for young people transitioning in the world to do just that. Especially when that adult has been in the same job for a few years to twenty years as they get that sense of comfort. In the next few weeks, Fahey stated that he wants to go to more events like the job fair and club fair where he interacted with groups of students and asked them about their clubs or jobs. He has become an amazing part of campus and one that is hopefully going to stay for a long time.
