Stress increases problems, health risks for students

By Neda Raouf
Staff Writer

Are you suffering from headaches? Have you been experiencing chest pains? Do you have a feeling of panic at the pit of your stomach? Has insomnia become a way of life? If so, the signs are all there: it's midterm time.
As the pressure begins to kick in, USC students have developed different methods to cope with this period of strain.
"I go out to smoke between study sessions," said Oscar Cheng, a junior majoring in electrical engineering.
"I stay up as much as I can bear and and just keep drinking coffee," said Luis Hernandez, a sophomore majoring in business, who said he finds continuous studying is the one thing that pacifies his anxiety.
Coffee is one thing that can become life's blood in these high-pressure times and Trojan Grounds specializes in this. Having experienced a "surge in consumption," Trojan Grounds provides students with a caffeine fix from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m, said Tony Gonzales, a crew leader and an undeclared sophomore. This is the energy boost that many students need to prepare for what can often be a stressful experience.
Part of this experience is finding out how stringent the standards of professors can be and hopefully acclimating in time for finals.
"I find that over the years, students improve and meet my standards," said Ed Cray, a journalism professor. "I think that what happens is they tend to stress in class, which hampers their performance."
With the potential to become an all-encompassing experience during midterms, the stress factor is not just psychological, but also physical.
"Stress can cause a headache; it's a real physiological response," said Dr. Lawrence Neinstein, executive director of the Student Health Center.
Neinstein said health problems related to stress include insomnia, chest pains, anxiety, abdominal pain and headaches. While these may be related to other underlying conditions, the source can also be stress, he said.
"The Health Center has always noticed an increased number of people coming in (during midterm time). Minor medical problems are exacerbated by stress," Neinstein said.
He said students should get as much sleep as possible, in addition to getting plenty of exercise, which is an effective stress reliever and energy booster. For those who react to stress through increased eating, fruit can be a healthy alternative and herbal teas can provide some relaxation, Neinstein said.
"I'm having real problems because (my midterms) are all in the same week," said Lena Atutoa, an undeclared freshman. "I've been to the doctor twice in the past two days because of fatigue, and...I'm already thinking about finals because these midterms are killing me."
For students who need more relaxation and stress relief than a cup of tea can provide, the Health Center offers a program of relaxation and stress management.
"We see students on a one-on-one basis or in groups and review stresses, lifestyle choices, and cover relaxation exercises," says Paula Swinford, director of Health Promotion and Prevention Services, which serves as a service provider. and accepts students on a walk-in basis. Relaxation exercises consist of breathing exercises and progressive relaxation, a muscle relaxation technique.
The Resource Room in the Health Center provides research resources for students not interested in counseling.
Another stress relief resource can be the Center for Academic Support, which offers academic tutoring and learning assistants.
"We always have tutors available, and we also have learning assistants that work with learning strategies, writing skills and the development of the writing process," said Janet Eddy, director of the Center for Academic Support, located in Student Union, room 301.
Time management, strategies for notetaking and exam preparation are some of the techniques that learning assistants focus on, and they are available by appointment. Tutors cover chem-istry, biology, mathematics, physics and business, and they are available on a walk-in basis.