Students Stressed Over Midterms

If you haven't had a midterm yet - consider yourself lucky! Its that season - Gelman is more packed than usual, the lines at Starbucks are growing and so are the stress levels that make many students anxious each year.

"Midterms are so nerve racking," says Giselle Alvarado, a freshman majoring in political communication. "I have huge problems managing my stress and just can't relax whenever I have a test."

Giselle is far from being the only student experiencing such problems. Fortunately, the University Counseling Center is designed to help students who are stressed out deal with stress during the mid-term period. Counselors consider that someone is stressed out when they experience physical disabilities such as headaches, change in appetite, cognitive problems such as difficulties falling asleep or fear of failure.

There are some easy ways to reduce stress - counselors agree that some of the most useful ones are laughing and having fun, as well as learning the basic skills of time management. For more information, contact the University Counseling Center at (202) 994 - 5300.

- Claire Bauchart