Therapy & Stress Management as a College Student in Finals
No seating available. Silence is the only thing you can hear at every corner of the building. The occasional sobs come from the library stacks. This is what finals season looks like, and what my personal hell looks like.
Exams have never been my strong suit. When it comes to final exams, at least, I’m not the only one freaking out. All of us college students freak out together. The pressure and stress of taking an exam is enough already, with the added pressure of doing well, it becomes unbearable. Not to mention, as a South Asian, my entire family is depending on me to do well on exams and in my courses as a whole. And so, the rumination, panic attacks, and depression episodes begin.
According to the American College Health Association (ACHA), after surveying over 54,000 undergraduate students, about 77% were found to be experiencing moderate to serious psychological stress. Another study through a survey also revealed that 64% of students think that their stress over exams has had a negative impact on their grades and academic performance. Not only does academic stress in college affect students’ mental health, but it can also affect their actual performance.
Furthermore, according to the American Institute of Stress, 61% of college students seek counseling for anxiety, depression, academic performance, family issues, and relationship problems. If therapy is so common, why are we all still struggling?
MY therapy journey
I started therapy after a nasty toxic friendship I became aware of in my life. I had been through it with this person and I realized that my mental health was struggling severely due to not only this factor, but also college, being away from my parents, and other traumatic experiences from my past. Suicidal ideation, eating issues, anxiety, depression- the list went on, and my friends pushed me towards making the decision.
Telling my parents that I wanted to try therapy was probably the biggest issue throughout all of this. Coming from a pretty religiously conservative South Asian family, I didn’t really know how they would react, especially given that one of their daughters had already been in therapy for years. I didn’t want to inform them that they had yet another “damaged” child.
I wish I could say the journey into therapy was just as smooth of a transition as it could be. But, like any life transition, there was pushback from my parents, and even myself. Opening up in front of a computer screen with some lady I had just met wasn’t my ideal situation, but I kept trying and now landed at a once every other week period of therapy sessions. The stigma in the South Asian community, and within my family wasn’t something that I could break overnight, but with time and productive conversations, we were able to take that next step in my therapy journey.
I did end up getting on antidepressants as well, which ended up working out well for me. Reflecting upon everything now, I see how much progress I have made through therapy. This tool was helpful especially now in terms of building coping skills to use throughout the entirety of my college experience.
Stress Management as a College Student isn’t easy.
Throughout the past year and a half, I have used therapy as a tool to manage my stress as well. And managing stress as a college student isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Homesickness, loneliness, academic, social, and financial pressures all cloud up our time, not to mention how this is a huge life transition for all of us. Becoming an adult isn’t something to be taken lightly, and it’s a stressful process. In short, stress management as a college student, or as anyone, just isn’t easy.
Going into therapy was one of the most helpful parts of developing the skills I needed to cope with my stress and anxiety in college. Right now, especially, dealing with the stress of exams has been so difficult, but having someone to vent to and talk everything out with has been so incredibly helpful.
Coping Techniques I’ve Learned Through Therapy
I’ve had panic attacks for years now, and with exams, they become more frequent. To help manage these, I’ve learned several breathing techniques, such as box breathing. I’ve also learned how to manage my time better through therapy by learning to let go of things. I used to work four different jobs my freshman year of college, and I had a hard time saying ‘no’ to things. Through therapy, I have learned how to set stronger boundaries for myself and cut down on my workload.
Therapy isn’t going to be the right fit for everyone.
But, learning about your mental health and how to cope with issues is for everyone. Everyone has mental health to deal with, and you are going to go through the ringer a couple of times at least in life. Even if therapy isn’t for you, it’s worth trying things to allow yourself to heal from experiences.
If you’re not into therapy, try alternative options. Here are some great ways to get involved.
- Group Therapy
- Mental Health Circles
- Reading up on mental health
- Follow mental health pages on Instagram
- Try journaling or meditation
- Find other healthy alternatives to let go of built-up stress
If you’re looking into therapy options, check out We Rise Therapy to learn more.