College students are no strangers to juggling exams, work, and precious down time, but stress may be making it near impossible to cope without a serious adjustment of lifestyle.
"Students who are active in school and don't over-indulge in social activity are more likely to maintain a strong academic and social lifestyle," said Sherri Darrow, director of Wellness Education Services.
According to the 2007 National College Health Assessment (NCHA), most students claimed that stress had the biggest impact on their academic performance.
Angela Veindeffer, a freshman pharmacy major, said that stress keeps her up late at night, a problem that snowballs into a horrible cycle that ultimately causes a negative impact on her classes.
"I get really stressed out, especially when I feel like I don't have enough time to finish my homework," Veindeffer said. "I end up staying up later to do so and in turn, it throws of my entire day. I don't pay attention during my classes because I'm too tired."
Illness was a major factor of poor academic performance for 25 percent of students, while 24 percent claimed sleep difficulties were their biggest problem, according to the NCHA.
A small portion of students claimed that computer and video game use influenced their academic performance.
"Video games are a killer. They keep me up late and if I'm too tired, I end up skipping my first class," said Robert Travers, a freshman chemistry major.
The key to reducing stress is a simple matter of time management for Mike Hernandez, a junior communication major.
Hernandez adjusts his schedule to adapt to both busy test weeks and calmer weeks when there's more time for catching up on work.
"I work two jobs on campus and participate in intramural sports, but still find the time to have a social life and get good grades," Hernandez said. "I find the best way to beat stress is to have a set schedule and know exactly what I'm doing long before I have to do it."
According to Darrow, approximately, 15 to 25 percent of the college community engages in excessive drinking, an issue that can lead to academic problems.
"Students engage in drinking for various reasons, such as wanting to feel better, to be social, or because they feel shy," Darrow said. "Some students don't realize that they are countering their goals by engaging in heavy drinking."
Darrow recommends that students practice moderation of risky behaviors and establish good eating and sleeping habits.
"Sometimes you have to sacrifice your social life for your school work. If I have to miss a social event for school, it's not the end of the world, and my friends understand," said Arianna Kwiatkowski, a freshman biomedical sciences major.
Hernandez said moderation has helped him to find a good balance between his academic career and social life.
"I reserve one day a week to go out and party, because you still have to have a social life," Hernandez said.
According to Darrow, it's important for students to know the resources available to them on campus. The Student Wellness staff often provides students with a number of outlets for solving stress or health issues.
Other issues indicated by students on the NCHA included mental health problems, relationship difficulty and depression.
Individual and group counseling services are available to students facing depression or stress. A healthy relationship program has been implemented by Wellness Services to teach students to build relationships that are supportive rather than detrimental, Darrow said.
"Many of the challenges college students are facing are not unusual, but that doesn't make it any easier, Darrow said. "Maintaining a healthy lifestyle requires help from friends, family, and resources on campus."
