Students Cope with Midterm Anxieties

Author: Liz Lathey

The other day, when I asked a friend how her classes were going, she replied, "I've stopped sleeping." The casual manner in which she announced this astounded me. With midterms now in full swing, there are more and more people on campus who have fallen into the same pattern. This phenomenon can be witnessed at any time of the day or night in the Great Hall, where some students seem to live for days at a time. Stress is a very real and immediate problem here at Middlebury, an institution whose students cherish studying and good grades more than food and sleep.

According to Neil Howe and William Strauss, authors of "Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation," this rising rate of stress can be attributed to the higher standards students must achieve in today's educational environment. In the early 1980s, studies indicated that the United States educational system was not as successful as those of other nations. Faced with the task of improving the nation's teaching methods, the First National Education Summit decided to make the class of 2000, then only in the second grade, number one in the world in math and science by the end of their high school careers. This goal brought about much higher expectations in education, and hence students felt increased pressure to perform.

In addition to higher expectations in elementary through high school, the bar has also been raised in colleges and universities across the nation. Due to the dramatic increase in college enrollment in the last few decades, standards for prospective students are higher than ever.

Also, once accepted to college, the workload only increases. Academically competitive schools such as Middlebury load students with hours of homework to maintain a high standard of academic excellence.

Although these new standards are positive steps for the overall education system of the United States, they place a significant burden on individual students.

The demands that are placed on college students today are causing unprecedented amounts of stress. Stress is often rooted in change. Positive and negative changes, as well as excessive worrying, bring on stress. The many causes and manifestations of stress include emotional illness, overworking one's body, tobacco use, hormones, responsibilities, the environment and allergies. Since college students are living in a different environment than they are used to and having to manage large quantities of work with social pressure, they are especially prone to anxiety.

Students at Middlebury express concern over the amount of stress present in their everyday lives. Some factors cited as causing stress are being far away from home, balancing academics with social activities, personal problems, living with peers and dealing with their relationships. The majority of the students interviewed for this article reported that they are either "stressed out" most of the time or they have been under serious stress for a period of time while at Middlebury.

One student pointed out that anxiety depends on how well individuals deal with stress, as well as how high their expectations of themselves are. Frederick Sanford '03.5 noted, "I feel like sleep is a waste of time." However, not all students at Middlebury indicate high levels of stress. Emmanuel Sabiiti '05 said, "Of course I'm not stressed," when questioned about the academic and social pressure placed on him.

Middlebury, along with other colleges and universities, is trying to help students lower their stress levels. The initiation of the commons system as well as first-year seminars enable students to adapt to their new environment more easily and have closer relationships with professors and staff members who they can turn to if they are overwhelmed. First-year seminars help to lessen academic stress by providing a transition from high school to college classes. Also, the commons organize activities that are conducive to fostering a sense of community, which lessens social stress. Middlebury students who have questions about stress or would like to talk to a counselor may call the Center for Counseling and Human Relations at extension 5141.

This week the computer labs will be crowded, Bicentennial Hall study spaces will be filled all hours of the day and night, and the coffee machines in the dinning halls will have a difficult time brewing enough caffeine to keep hundreds of sleepy students' eyes open.

In a high-intensity environment like Middlebury, there will be times of increased stress, especially before vacations. But just think how nice it will be on Friday to close that last blue book, hand in the midterm papers and drive away from all the stress for seven days.

All the work before vacation makes the break that much more enjoyable. It almost justifies all of the anxiety and the extremely hard work — almost.