Stop stressing, start thinking
Gee, the halls sure seem quieter.
All your friends who were ecstatic to hit The Hub a mere two weeks ago now only nod in your direction as they pass by swiftly in the halls.
Classes full of keeners in the first week now have handfuls of people who generally feel getting to one of the last four classes ain’t half bad.
It’s the stretch run, the last chance, or at the very least, the end of a long semester.
The mood of the school changes from joyful and communicative to angry and stressed out pretty quick. Does academic success need to be so soul-suckingly difficult? It may seem that way now.
We hardly need statistics to prove it — just look around — but we’ve got them anyway. According to the 2010 National College Health Assessment, more than half of Mount Royal University students reported experiencing “more than average or tremendous” amounts of stress.
Learning doesn’t need to be that hard. Education shouldn’t be a people-pleasing task that leaves you in tears in a library by yourself at 2 a.m. on Saturday night.
By all means keep working hard, but make sure you’re doing it for your own happiness.
Remember, it’s your money paying tution bills, and the professor you’re concerned about disappointing is actually paid out of your pocket and is there to help, not make your life miserable.
The sometimes rocky nature of the student-instructor relationship can undermine a collective ability to gain knowledge. The best relationship is one of mutual respect, which limits stress factors.
Instead of looking at your professors as enemies or obstacles in your path to greatness, help them help you. Let them do what you’re paying them to do: assist and guide you through the maze of higher education.
Everyone wants to make it out of this semester with mind, soul and body intact — both instructor and student alike.
The only way to achieve this is to work together.
So, instead of walking through the halls hating every passing second of post-secondary life, remember the university experience is about bettering yourself and gaining the skills you need to build a foundation for the rest of your life.
