Here it is, October. Fall is here and the semester is full in swing. While we frequently stop to chat with our friends in the halls, instead we could be in Healey Library studying or catching up on our reading sets. Nevertheless, we find a way to procrastinate in any way we possibly can if it saves us from doing coursework. While chatting with friends, at some point we get around to complaining about the college workload: “Man, September flew by so fast and I have so much work”! Indeed, October finds us swamped with a plethora of assignments. What we don’t realize right away is that procrastination almost always compounds our stress. For some, stress is a great motivator, but for most of us it can be a gpa crusher.
As college students we routinely stay up late at night to complete assignments then wake up at crack in the morning for 8:00 am classes. Problem is, the average student works at least 15 hours per week while managing a 12-15 credit course load. Other times, we are under stress from different sources. We may have a totally insane roommate that keeps us awake all hours of the night or perhaps social obligations are demanding too much of our time. Either way, we always think we can catch up on schoolwork after we handle other things.
Sure, some of us work quite well under pressure. I’ve heard my peers boast about being able to write a ten-page research paper in 3 days. However, most of us are not that super human. Many UMB students are mothers, fathers and spouses in addition to being college students. This means that family priorities often have to compete with academic priorities.
Personal problems and financial issues are also significant sources of stress for university students. Whether you’ve just broken up with someone you were dating or your are not getting along well with your folks at home, these things demand our attention and become stressors with the potential to affects us academically. Whether we need help dealing with relationships problems, an insane roommate, or finding time to work out at the college gym, UMB has resources to help us succeed as students. Our job as a student is to find these resources and make good use them.
Those looking for sound advice regarding stress, time management, fitness, getting adequate sleep and other matters that affect college students should log on to umbwellness.org. Here you will find information on programs like the Beacon Buddy Program, free yoga classes and resources like the Student Wellness Center. In addition, you will find a new resource called Student Health 101. Student Health 101 is a nationally syndicated health magazine for college students. The magazine highlights weekly health tips and has a health reference guide that gives expert advice on how to face the issues that us.
As college students we spend an enormous amount of time online whether we’re checking facebook, downloading music or just surfing the web. What I love about Student Health 101 is that it puts the health advice I need right at my fingertips. I can use this resource on my own terms and from the comfort of my own apartment. What is more, it is filled with expert advice on everything from how to deal with your crazy roommate to dealing with the infamous college hangover. We can share interesting articles with friends on facebook, google bookmarks, del.icio.us and yahoo bookmarks. Student views are presented in the form of short videos and the magazine is also archived on umbwellness.org, so you can read back issues anytime. You can find the latest issue at http://www.healthservices.umb.edu/SH101.htm or subscribe today to have it delivered to your inbox.