Students cope with stress from exams

Each semester, few University students remain untouched by the stress of final exams -- College, Engineering, Nursing and Wharton students alike must deal with this inevitable pressure. But some students are able to deal with the tension better than others. For those lucky few, the stress level does not increase as finals approach. "Stress during finals, to me, is no worse than [during] the rest of the semester," College sophomore Hillary Finkle said. "I know some people who get freaked out and stressed out and get sick, but I guess it gets you going sometimes." However, to most students, finals do represent an increased amount of stress. "[The increase in stress] depends on how many finals, how close they are together, and how prepared I am," Engineering senior Justin Parkhurst said. "[It] ranges from no more to two to three times as much." But even for the most stressed-out students, physical sickness does not usually become a factor. Wharton sophomore Natalie Thompson said she feels stressed "a lot more, maybe about 60 percent more" during finals. "I have never really heard of anybody becoming sick from the stress of finals," she said. Although pressure during the exam period may have negative health effects, in some cases it may be helpful in studying for exams. "Whether stress helps during exams really depends on the person, " Thompson said. "However, I do my best work under stress as opposed to planning everything out and being calm." Student Health is available to students who are feeling sick because of the extra tension. "We experience an increased number usually because of students' stress [from] staying up extended hours," Student Health Associate Director Beth Waterfield said. "[However], I'm not aware of anything being done to prevent this, although some physicians may be providing extra help." However, Student Health Director Marjeanne Collins felt differently. "The total flow, in fact, decreases because many students leave campus.? Being sick during finals means no leeway for illness and as a result, fewer students come in," Collins said. "However, I can say that the illnesses at the end of April and early May are stress-related, such as headaches and stomachaches." Collins also noted that illnesses are also "exacerbated" by Spring Fling and Hey Day.

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