CAROL’S SUMMARY:
Students today have stress levels which are at an all time high. Some high school students are stressed about the college that they did or didn’t get into and the standard fears all students have about beginning college. Other students are stressed who aren’t going to college because they will be trying to find a job in one of the most difficult markets in twenty-five years. College students are worried about student loans, class size and the pressure to get jobs and internships this summer.
Whether students are in high school or college, many are absorbing stress from parents who have been laid off, suffered financial hardship or have been given double doses of workloads for jobs which still may be in jeopardy. Many students can feel this stress in their families, as well as the typical stressors which entering young adult life brings.
There are some very specific ways that students can deal with stress and depression:
1) Get help. Students with strong self-advocacy skills do better in school and in life than lone-ranger students who “go it alone†with their problems. There are many professionals available to help you. Access them.
2) Write down your stressors. When problems are defined, they can be solved. Free floating anxiety creates more problems and seems to balloon situations which can be broken down and dealt with.
3) Ask questions about alternate ways to view your problems. Perspective is one of the best ways to see your challenges from the 20,000 foot level. Often, you can find alternatives which can help you greatly.
4) Give yourself some time. Take the time to do one or two things that give you energy and help you feel calm—like running, writing in your journal or sitting quietly as you listen to music.
These are challenging times, yes, but they are also an opportunity to discover what you are made of and what you can withstand. These are life qualities which will serve you well throughout your personal and professional life. As Mary Chapin Carpenter said, “Keep the faith, don’t give it away.â€
ARTICLE:
By NANCY BENAC and TREVOR TOMPSON, Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Stress over grades. Financial worries. Trouble sleeping. Feeling hopeless.
So much for those carefree college days.
The vast majority of college students are feeling stressed these days, and significant numbers are at risk of depression, according to an Associated Press-mtvU poll
Eighty-five percent of the students reported feeling stress in their daily lives in recent months, with worries about grades, school work, money and relationships the big culprits.
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