Quarter nears end, but stress doesn't
Worries magnify as academic, personal pressures increase
By Betty Song
It thrives on pressure and feeds on procrastination. It's stress, and it's everywhere.
As fall quarter draws to a close, students are faced with many facets of this thing called stress.
For fourth-year psychology student Shannon Horsely, finals are only a small part of her worries.
"I'm graduating (this quarter) so I'm stressed out about what the hell I'm going to do, so finals seem kind of puny in comparison," Horsley said. "But I want to pass all of my classes so I don't have to come back." she added.
According to third-year geography and environmental studies student Roger Kim, finals week isn't the most stressful aspect of the quarter's end either. It actually provides him with a time to catch up on sleep missed during the hectic quarter.
"It's stressful, but it's easier to deal with than the everyday crunch," Kim said. When asked what was causing him the most stress right now, Kim answered, "I have a paper due next week for Geography 3, and I haven't started the paper, or the reading."
But even without the common pressures of finals and papers, there's no lack of stress on the campus.
"I've been stressed the whole quarter," said Shawndrell Lynch, third-year math and computer science student. "There are just too many tests. I don't have any finals, but I have three tests next week, and I have three jobs. There's not enough time. You need at least 32 hours in a day."
The increase in stress at the end of the quarter can also be seen by the increase in the number of students seeking help in coping. According to Harold Pruett, director of UCLA's Student Psychological Services, the number of students using the counseling services has doubled since mid-quarter. At the beginning of the quarter, a student could expect a one or two day wait for an appointment. But now it can take up to two weeks to see a counselor, Pruett said.
Pruett attributed the increase to a greater awareness of campus services, but also to the fact that students find themselves overwhelmed during the end of the quarter by academic and social pressures.
"There is an increase in academic pressure as students realize they are not doing as well as he or she thinks," Pruett explained. "Problems with relationships impact on academics, such as expectations from parents and interpersonal issues such as dating. These are all compounded as the quarter moves toward the end."
In addition to Psychological Services, students can get help dealing with stress from Peer Health Counselors, who teach stress management strategies and relaxation techniques, as well as give massages on campus. Peer Health Counselor Amy Miyoshi, who gives free massages at various campus locations, said that more students have been coming for massages and are more willing to talk about things that cause them stress.
"I noticed at the beginning of the quarter people were just curious about the program, and just came for a massage," Miyoshi said. "Now people are talking about midterms and finals and saying, 'Oh I'm really stressed.'"
Unlike winter and spring quarters, however, fall quarter provides students with a long Thanksgiving break and gives them a winter break to look toward. This unique aspect of the quarter can both alleviate and compound stress.
For Horsley, the Thanksgiving break definitely did nothing to reduce the stress.
"I took an entire week off (for Thanksgiving) so now I'm a week behind," she said.
But for Kim, who didn't have any expectations of getting any work done during Thanksgiving, the break gave him a chance to get away from school. He added that the anticipation of winter break is also helping him deal with the work at hand.
"It makes it easier to know I have a big break ahead," he said. "It makes things easier to deal with."
For more information on services available, students may call Student Psychological Services at 825-7985 or 825-0768, and Peer Health Counselors at 825-8462.