The importance of supporting stressed-out students | Column

Two weeks ago, I burst into my 20th century poetry class 20 minutes late, the most egregiously late I have ever been to a class.

If stress had an illustration in the dictionary, it would have been a picture of me right then — with my half-damp hair already frizzing up as I clutched the two essay drafts due that day.

One of them was labeled “God’s Worst First Draft.”

No, I’m not exaggerating. And no, it wasn’t my proudest moment.

Rest assured, this isn’t who I am as a student. But as I said to another professor that same week, I was having “the most chaotic week of my college career.”

Since midterm season has been passing over Penn State like a dark cloud, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only student to say that — or at least think it.

Stress is very common for college students, especially at this time of year.

However, just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s healthy.

Stress can contribute to headaches, fatigue and stomach issues, among other health problems, according to Mayo Clinic.

In my own experience, a hormone came up as elevated on one of my blood tests, and my health-care provider linked this and some of my other symptoms to stress.

I know what you may be thinking: college students are supposed to be stressed.

To an extent, you’re right. I won’t argue that college isn’t supposed to be challenging or even stressful at times.

However, there’s such a thing as healthy stress, the type students feel before a big exam or essay, or during a busy week. In a way, it’s “good stress” that gets resolved quickly and becomes rewarding once it does.

That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the type that comes from multiple weeks with no time to bring out the coping mechanisms — no time to exercise, eat healthy or even take a minute to breathe.

That’s on top of the underlying pressure that weighs on all college students: the pressure to make something of yourself before you walk the stage at commencement.

These types of weeks are more common than they should be. Many people I know, myself included, have spent close to an entire month in an overworked haze.

I could yap for hours about how this shouldn’t happen, but that wouldn’t do anything. Regardless of anything I say, it does happen and will continue to do so — so, what do we do?

This is where community support comes in.

For students, this means keeping up with stressed-out friends and peers. If you have time, try to relieve some of their burdens.

Obviously, you can’t help them complete assignments or tasks at work, but you can help them with the basics. Offer to grab them food, drive them to work or take out their trash. Find ways to hang out that fit within their schedule, even if that just means studying with them.

If you’re equally overworked, you can still show them compassion and maybe even commiserate with them.

This applies to not just your friends, but those you work with at your jobs, internships or student organizations. There are multiple people taking care of things for a reason.

Professors, bosses and leaders, I’m looking at you, too. I’m not saying to allow your students, employees or members to shirk their duties, but a little compassion goes a long way.

If possible, grant that extension or that day off, or don’t be so harsh about that one lateness, especially when it comes to someone that’s otherwise consistently doing their best.

Additionally, we all need to contribute to an environment where students aren’t afraid to ask for support — one that’s free of judgment and assumes the best from everyone.

And, if you’re a stressed-out student, please don’t expect perfection from yourself if you’re slammed. I know, that’s hard to do, but here’s an anecdote that might help:

Remember that essay draft I mentioned earlier, the one labeled “God’s Worst First Draft”?

My professor handed those back with his comments at the end of class the other day. When I flipped to that draft, I expected to see something stern written at the top, or a line through it.

Instead, I saw something that surprised me. Right above my title, my professor had written “HAH!”

I think it would do us all some good to remember that we’ve all been frazzled and frizzy at some point (although maybe not 20 minutes late to class).

And when push comes to shove, sometimes the best thing for everyone to do is laugh about it.

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Editor’s note: The opinions expressed in this column are the columnist’s own. They are not representative of The Daily Collegian or its board of editors.