By Angela White
Trinity Times Correspondent

Stress levels tend to skyrocket for students at the end of a semester when assignment deadlines and final exams loom, but college students often report that they are dealing with various levels of pressure throughout their entire academic career. 

Every year during the month of May, the National Alliance on Mental Illness embarks on a nationwide movement to raise awareness about mental health, and academic anxiety is the most dominant stress factor that affects the mental well-being of college students this time of year. 

“I am a single mother, I try to handle it all by being on a routine, but sometimes I fall short,” said Kierston Smith, a freshman at Trinity Washington University, reflecting on the stressors she has faced throughout her academic journey so far. 

“The stress of maintaining my course load and being a mom has interfered with my studying and class attendance,” Smith told Trinity Times as she was preparing to enter finals week.

While one student at the university may be facing financial concerns, others may be dealing with homelife issues or juggling being a parent with a full course load. 

Stress looks different for everyone.

The mission of Trinity’s Health & Wellness Center (HWC) is to enhance the students’ academic performance and healthy lifestyle choices by providing medical, mental health and preventive healthcare, said Jazmine Senn, the university’s director of health services. 

“The HWC staff is committed to recognizing the diverse needs of students, encouraging them to become equal partners in their healthcare,” said Senn, who encourages students to take advantage of the resources offered by the Health & Wellness Center, such as a stress buster event it held in the campus dining hall May 2.

The event included games, art, hula-hoop spinoffs, relaxation activities and a make-your-own-sundaes bar, designed to give students a moment to release the stress they were feeling about upcoming exams.

“The stress buster event helped me with my stress level,” said Ingrid Tchouamo, Trinity’s student government council president. “I was actually studying for an exam right before the event started, I was very anxious and felt overwhelmed. When I went to the stress buster event, I was able to socialize with other students and get some snacks. There was ice cream, music, fun games, and we even got to make our own stress ball. It was a great moment to take a break.”

The American Psychology Association confirms that students who are struggling with academic demands may benefit from workshops on stress, sleep, time management, and goal setting. 

Trinity’s Health & Wellness Center hosts as many as two events each month to help students combat stressors, ranging from depression screenings, adjusting to college workshops and stress buster gatherings. 

Students who face mental health concerns often do not seek help, even if they desperately need it. 

Frequently that is because they are unaware of the resources available to them. 

Trinity students like sophomore Lorrine Oyetubo believe the university could do a better job in getting the word out about available mental health resources. 

“Trinity has resources, but the issue is how they communicate them,” Oyetubo said and added that better advertising and outreach could bring more students into the therapeutic resources the university already offers. 

Flyers for mental health workshops and resources are posted throughout campus and university-wide email blasts frequently promote stress workshops and other assemblies, but many students said they are rarely reached by such efforts.

Earlier in the spring semester, Trinity’s academic support services department organized a workshop on managing test anxiety in preparation for midterms. No one showed.

Other Trinity students said even if they recognize they’re struggling, they don’t believe they have the time to seek help. 

“With work, school, and with my son having special needs, I often get behind in a lot of things,” said Ashley, a junior at Trinity who didn’t want Trinity Times to use her last name. “I really don’t have the time to focus on how to handle these stressors. It just feels like everything is put on me at once.” 

Sometimes a gentle word from a professor or someone else at the university to point out how overwhelming college life can be and recommend the resources offered at the school can be an effective outreach tool, a few students said.

“At the Health & Wellness Center, we offer individual counseling, support groups, mental health screenings, and prevention and education workshops and programs,” Senn said.

The Health & Wellness Center is located on the fourth floor of Trinity’s Main Hall. Students with questions or concerns about their own unique situation are encouraged to make an appointment to talk with a health center staff member at 202-884-9615.