UCC Mainstream Online

Students share methods for dealing with stress


Photo provided by bottled_void / Flickr
Photo provided by bottled_void / Flickr

All over campus, stress levels are through the roof. Winter term is almost finished, with final exams on the horizon. Students are walking about, their eyes glazed over as they mumble vocabulary lists to themselves. Even the instructors are stressed as they work through grading mountains of homework. Stress can make anyone want to cry, puke, hit something, or curl up in a little ball. Everyone deals with stress differently but the process is never pleasant.

Many students have dealt with some form of stress in the past. Aaron Dawson explained how he had so much stress in high school. Even while taking higher level classes in college that give him stress, he has become used to it.

Emily Roque views stress a little differently. “If I get to a point where I am so overly stressed, I break down and cry...or I sleep,” Roque said.

School work isn’t the only stress factor in student’s lives. Many students juggle jobs, families, health concerns and financial struggles as well. It can be tempting to throw in the towel and quit rather than fighting what can seem like an impossible battle. As Robert Strauss said, “Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t quit when you’re tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.”

Unfortunately, for every 100 students who enroll at Umpqua Community College, half return for a second year, and only 13 actually graduate. Each student who leaves college without graduating places our community deeper in debt. Public colleges operate on the idea that offering cheap education will result in students completing their education and giving back to their communities. When a public college falls short of these expectations, the state can withdraw its funding, cutting back on the opportunities for other students.

Tips for stress relief:

  1. Write down your school and homework schedule. Keep track of what is due when so that you don’t leave too many thing until the last minute.

  2. If you are feeling overwhelmed, make a list of tasks and mark each item off as you complete it.

  3. Take a little ‘you time.’ Rest and relaxation will help you feel recharged and ready.

  4. If you’re having difficulty in a specific class, stop by the Academic Success Center in ESB for free tutoring.

  5. YouTube is an amazing resource where you can watch lectures on almost any topic. Unlike in the classroom, you can pause and rewind if you need more time to process the information.