Janice Luong
Opinions Editor
When you’re a college student, stress is inevitable. It can creep up on you, or come over you all at once. Your grades are most likely a ticket to a career, tests are worth 40 percent of your grade, and lengthy papers have you pulling consistent all-nighters. Who wouldn’t be stressed out?
Your grades are most likely a ticket to a career, tests are worth 40% of your grade, and lengthy papers have you pulling consistent all-nighters. Who wouldn’t be stressed out?
Throughout the years, we have learned how to cope with our stressful lives as students. Here are some ways UC Santa Barbara students cope with stress and my (very accurate) take on them:
The Procrastinator
You are dreading the assignment, and you wish the due date would never come. Your mind is telling you to do it, but your brain You are dreading the assignment, and you wish the due date would never come. Your mind is telling you to do it, but your brain is too tired or unwilling to function. You ask yourself, “why do I feel so unproductive?” The weight of unfinished work starts to feel heavier, and you feel pressure thinking about the deadline. So, you work on your assignment for 30 minutes, then decide to take a break. A well-deserved break, so well-deserved that you end up taking a break for half of the day. So what do you do? Put it off for the rest of the week, of course!
The Complainer
You don’t like your current situation. You complain because you want to blow off steam and rail against all the lemons life is throwing at you. You can’t stop nagging at the person next to you, venting out your frustrations. However, in the midst of all that complaining, you’re getting your work done. So, you continue to complain until you pass it on to your friends.
The Crier
Cry it out. Life is tough right now, and stress can cause a lot of physical symptoms that are unexpected and unwanted. You may feel lighter after your tears fall, and that’s completely okay. For those who cry, they’ve found a safe space to, and then afterward, they feel more motivated to joke about their tears and get their work done.
The Muncher
Those snacks in the pantry are looking really tempting right now. When you think of all the things stressing you out, you go for ice cream, chips, or whatever you’re craving. Food is your happy and safe place. Then, you stress about weight gain from all the snacks and when you’re actually going to stop eating. Food is your primary source of happiness in the midst of your stress. You may be getting work done, you may be not, but at least you’ll have the comfort of your own food.
The Fidgeter
Typically, those of you that fidgets are also productive in your work while managing your stress habits. You don’t let your stress overwhelm you in a huge way. You barely notice yourself shaking your leg, spinning your ring or spinner, nor do you notice pulling your hair. Perhaps, you’re the most productive one after all? You’re releasing stress while you do work, kind of like how 2-in-1 shampoo works.
The Coffee/Tea-Drinker
You love coffee. You basically donated your whole wallet to your favorite local coffee shop. Coffee is part of your routine, and although it can heighten your anxiety, you go for it, because your day is already hard from the pre-existing stress you’re experiencing. You take a sip when you don’t know what to write or don’t know how to answer. You take another sip because you’re thirsty, then another because you’re still stressed.
The One That’s Ready To Drop Out
Me too. But, instead of dropping out, let’s do the other things above.