“Clock Ticking” Canva
With classes starting only a couple weeks ago, the halls of Saint Xavier University (SXU) have been filled with students’ stress and their hectic energy. The Xavierite Editorial Board has voiced their views on the constant challenges, stresses and responsibilities that come with being in college.
Having assignments thrown at you, balancing a family life, working to support your education, and maintaining a social life can be hard to manage all at once. One concern the board agreed on was the stress taking multiple classes can lead to. A student may find their class easy or enjoy doing their work, but finding the time to do it is what makes things difficult.
“I started out with 5 classes, 2 of them being 8 week online courses. However, I already had to drop one. Though it is very early in the semester, I could already see myself struggling to balance so many things at once and becoming burnt-out again,” expresses one board member.
Feeling “Burnt-out” is a term that has circled around SXU’s campus. Students end up feeling like they are drained of all the energy left in them from trying to manage their responsibilities in a short amount of time. A board member mentions, “There is so much to do but sometimes there isn’t enough time.”
Some members of the board shared that their class assignments are typically due on the same date, leading to turning stuff in past-due. With professors having the same due dates for assignments, it can be hard to manage the responsibilities of making sure they are done with maximum effort and thought. Due to the struggles of time constraints, assignments are done with little thought just to get them in on time.
Tutoring is a resource that SXU offers students in order to help with assignments and better your time management skills. However, because students have so much to do, they are unable to even make the time to see a tutor and get the help they need.
Another stressor that the board expressed, other than time, was lack of communication in group settings. “Besides the workload I’ve chosen, working in a group environment is a struggle.”
Whether it be a lack of communication or a difference in schedules, trying to constantly coordinate with others is stressful and exhausting,” shares another board member. Due to these time issues each student struggles with, they aren’t even able to communicate with each other properly and lose that sense of connection with their peers.
With all the chaoticness of a college life, it would be beneficial for students to have a space outside of their classes to relax and destress. “If students had a space on campus that wasn’t work-orientated, outside of the residence halls, I think students would have more time and space for recreation,” states a board member, “This space could host events and be used regularly for leisure between classes.”
There are many locations available for students. Some include The Wiseman Lounge and Scholar’s Den, however students may feel anxious entering those spaces.
Being able to feel like you have a place to escape all your responsibilities and connect with your peers for even just an hour is extremely important for the mental health and well-being of our students.