By Deanna Fraser [1]
BELLEVILLE – Although many students at Loyalist College [2] have Christmas break on their minds, some aren’t in the holiday spirit yet because they’re stressed about exams.
When you’re tryna study for finals but you just want to put on a Christmas movie and make gingerbread houses instead pic.twitter.com/EyurqnJB4V [3]
— Madison Walker (@Madison1294) December 9, 2015 [4]
First year pre-health student Mckaila Elliot was one of many students who chose to take a break from studying Wednesday and relax with the help of the St. John Ambulance therapy dogs.
A big shout out to our Therapy Dogs out servicing Loyalist College today 🙂 Great work guys!! #Volunteers [5] pic.twitter.com/P4y3h76Fid [6] — SJA QUINTE (@SJAQUINTE) December 9, 2015 [7]
When Elliot was asked if she was feeling stressed she replied “all the time.”
“Stress is a big issue especially for our age group,” she added. “I have a lot of exams coming up. English, math, chemistry, and biology.”
Although it was her first time seeing the dogs, she said it really helped calm her down and vowed she would never miss another opportunity to come see them.
For many, the schoolwork continues late into the night.
Residence assistance and student government president, Jillian Robinson, said there are a few changes around residence during exam time to help people stay in and get work done.
“We are a little bit more strict with the quiet hours at this time of year because a lot of students like to get their sleep and want to study, so parties seem to calm down at this time of year.”
How can it be that after spending all that time in class, I still come home to this?!?! I just want Christmas 😩 pic.twitter.com/tEgRBdJFqt [8]
— Lauren Ward (@Lohanator) December 10, 2015 [9]
However, some students are lucky to have no exams standing between them and Christmas break.
Stephanie Young says although she has had a pretty busy semester in the Business and Sales Marketing program, she is happy to be done.
“It’s been stressful the past two weeks. I’ve definitely been a lot busier this year than last. It’s been hectic.”
When asked how she deals with stress, she shared that she makes sure to stay organized and plan out how she can get her work done efficiently.
Many students deal with stress in different ways. Fitness centre employee Kaylee McLean says exercise is the best way to channel stress.
“Even if you just come and walk on the treadmill for fifteen minutes it’s an output and it’s a way to relieve stress. And it helps you sleep better. There’s a bunch of benefits.”
“Surprisingly the number of people drops around this time. Like normally Wednesdays are our busiest days but there’s barely anyone here. You’d think it’d be the opposite,” she added.
Students are reminded that it is important to meet deadlines, but it is also important to stay healthy. The college’s Student Services Hub offers support and resources for everyone.