As the fall semester comes to a close, many post-secondary students are dealing with a considerable degree of stress as they complete their courses.
With final exams and project deadlines coming close, as well as other assignments coming due, the pressure on students is understandable.
“The last couple of weeks have been very stressful, not just for me, but for a lot of other people I know,” said Audrey Davis, a University of Calgary student.
“I have all my finals coming up, and while I can manage, I’ll probably have to pull one or two all-nighters over the next two weeks,” she said.
“I think the most stressful thing right now is a couple of group projects that I have to finish,” said SAIT student Chris Alyn.
“Trying to co-ordinate at a time where everybody is already really busy is very hard,” said Alyn.
“I know that most students probably feel pretty stressed right now. It is the end of the semester and everything needs to get finished,” said Mike Landry, a Mount Royal University student.
In order to help students manage stress, post-secondary institutions offer help alleviate stress.
SAIT, the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University offer counselling, both academic and personal, to their students.
Student groups also often hold events on campus to help students relax.
At SAIT, the student’s association ran a “De-Stress Fest” from Dec. 2-6.
The event included various places around campus where students could relax and socialize, as well as play board games or video games.
The event will also included free massages for students, as well as the opportunity to spend some time with puppies.
SAITSA also distributed “de-stress kits” around campus, which include stress balls and pens, among other things.
The student associations at both the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University also held similar events to help combat student stress.
“I haven’t done any of the de-stress events offered on campus myself, but I see them all the time, and there’s always a lot of people there,” said Davis.
More information on SAITSA’s De-Stress Fest can be found here.
