Balancing work and school
The stresses of school, friendships, dating, adjusting to college, finances and work all at the same time can be be hard to handle for students, said LuAnn Helms, who works for the USU Counseling Center.
Many college students work full time or part time, and the mere act of finding a job can be stressful itself, she said.
Rebecca Sheffield, a senior in secondary education for her second bachelor’s degree, said she works part time as a teacher’s aide.
“I hope I can handle the stress,” said Sheffield, who previously only worked during the summers.
Audrey Merket, a senior studying English education, said
she works part time at the Writing Center at USU. To have time for school, she said she often stays up late and spends a lot of personal time at the library to maintain her grades. Merket said having a social life is even harder to balance as a full-time student with a job and that her social life is replaced by “study partners and coworkers.”
Sophomore Adam Gerth, in aerospace engineering, said he is currently looking for a job, although he did work part time at the HPER building on campus his freshman year. Even now, however, Gerth said he tries to keeps himself on a strict schedule in regard to work, school and other commitments.
“No outside plans before 7 p.m.,” Gerth said.
He said he was able to maintain his high GPA because he kept to his schedule.
Of course, not all students are affected the same when it comes to stress caused by a tight schedule. When asked if it was difficult to have a social life, Michael Clark, freshman in premed who works part time at Lee’s Marketplace, said, “Not really.”
So how do students handle a job, school and a social life?
“No sleep,” Merket said. She also said working out helps her find energy to deal with her stressful schedule and to stay productive for a longer period of time.
Helms said students deal with stress in two ways: healthy and unhealthy. The healthy way includes activities such as talking to a friend and exercising. The unhealthy way, Helms said, can include activities like drinking too much alcohol.
Gerth said he makes time to relax by swimming, listening to music and hanging out with friends.
Sheffield said she handles her stress by reading, taking walks and breathing deeply.
A few tips Helms said she recommends in dealing with stress include enjoying nature, exercising moderately, eating healthy and getting enough sleep. Students can also try yoga, meditation and breathing exercises. Helms also suggests spending time with positive and supportive friends, being creative through hobbies such as painting or writing, and listening to calming or uplifting music.
For more information, students can call the USU Counseling Center at 797-1012.
-jennaq@cc.usu.edu