RunningHead:AcademicLearningCenter

AcademicLearningCenter
KirstenWaline
UniversityofNorthernIowa

AcademicLearningCenter

InasurveydonebymtvUPressin200960%ofstudentsreportedseverestress
thatinterferedwiththeirabilitytocompletetheirschoolworkmoreoftenthanonce(The
JedFoundation).Everyonehasexperiencedstressintheirlife.Asyouagethetriggers
ofstressstarttochange.Atsixyearsoldyoucanrememberhowstressedyouwere
whenyoulostyourfavoritetoy.Nowthatstresshasturnedintosomethingbigger.
Freshmenincollegeareincreasinglyexperiencingseverestressmorethanever.
Friendships,homesickness,andfinancesaresomeofthebiggeststressors.But,the
biggeststressorofallisthepressuretosucceedinacademics.Whileitsnearly
unavoidabletododgestress,ifleftuntreateditcanturnintoabiggerissue.Thosewith
depressionandanxietyreporthavingseverestressbeforetheystartedfacingproblems
(StudentGuide,2016).Ascollegestudentsweneedtolearnhowtoimproveourselves
topreventstress.Eventhoughstressisinescapabletherearewaystolessenit.The
skillstoavoidstressarehardhabitstoform,butluckilyattheUniversityofNorthern
Iowawehavetheresourcestohelp.Ivelearnedthroughexperiencethatusingthe
AcademicLearningCentercanhelpimprovegrades,lowerstress,andtakeadvantage
ofourtuitionmoney.Utilizingtheuniversity'sresourcescanhelpyoumanageyour
stresswhileimprovingyourgrades.
Stresshasmoreeffectsonyourbodyandmindthanyoucancountonall10
fingers.Notonlycanstressaffectyouemotionally,butalsophysicallyandcognitively.
Stresscanloweryourimmunesystemmakingyoumoresusceptibletocoldsandother
illnesses.Italsoleadstomusculartension,highbloodpressure,indigestion,ulcers,
difficultysleeping,fatigue,andbackaches.Stresscanalsoleadtoearlyagingby

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damagingDNAcells.Cognitivelystresscancauseyoutoforgetsimpletasks,have
unwantedorrepetitivethoughts,anddifficultyconcentrating.Theemotionaldamage
thatstresscancauseittheworstofthemall.Emotionallyyoucanexperienceanger,
moodswings,andthefeelingofbeingoverwhelmed.Themostdamagingeffectof
stressisanxietyanddepression(StressandCollegeStudents,2010).Whileearly
stagesofstressarenormalandsometimesevenavoidable,nottakingcareofitcan
leadtobiggerissues.Takingcareofyourselfandfindingwaystomanageyourstressis
thebestwaytotreatit(StressandCollege,2010).
Thetwomaincausesofstressincollegefreshmenareacademicworkloadand
timemanagement(Misra).Transitioningfromhighschooltocollegemakesstresseven
moreprominent.Inhighschoolyoureusetoasetschedule.Yourparentsmakesure
youhavegoodgradesandyourschoolevenhassettimesforyoutogethomework
done.Onceyoureincollegethisallchanges.Yourelefttryingtobalanceajob,new
friendships,activities,andaninfiniteamountofhomework.Yourparentsarentthereto
helpyouwhenyouneeditmostandforthefirsttimeinyourlifeyourelefttodo
everythingonyourown.U.S.Newsreportsthatstudentsspendupto17.5hours
workingonhomeworkoutsideofclassperweek(Howard).Accordingtomost
universitiesstudentsshouldbespendingtwohoursstudyingtoeveryhourofclass.Soif
youretakinginclassforfourteenhoursaweekyoushouldbespending28hours
outsideofclassstudying,thisisnotincludinghomeworkassignedforclass.With28
hoursofstudyingand17.5hoursofhomework,youreleftwith45.5hoursofoutofclass
work.Withallofthisworkhowcanacollegefreshmennotbestressed?

AcademicLearningCenter

Moststudentshaveheardoftheacademiclearningcenter,butfewhaveactually
usedit.Accordingtotheacademiclearningcenterwebsite
TheAcademicLearning
Center(ALC)offersanaccessible,supportiveenvironmentforUNIstudentsatalllevels
ofpreparationandachievement.Professionaleducators,advisors,andtrained,certified
peers,andfulltimestaffareavailabletoassistUNIundergraduateandgraduate
studentstobecomemoreefficientandeffectivelearners.
(AcademicLearningCenter,
2016)DidyouknowUNIoffersfreetutoringservices?TheALCisstaffedwithtutorsin
mathandscience.Whenyourefeelingstressedorunsureaboutaclassyoucanbring
youworkintothetutoringcentertogetallofyourquestionsanswered.Thetutoring
centerhaswalkinhourssoyoucancomeinanytimefrom8am4pm.Whenyoure
feelingstressedforupcomingexamslikethePraxis,CLEP,andGREyoucangointo
thetutoringcenterforassistedstudying.Ifyourenervousaboutanupcomingpaperyou
canbringitintotheALCforgreatfeedback.Twocommonthingscollegefreshmen
strugglewitharetimemanagementandstudying.TheALCoffersmanyfreecourses
thatteachyouhelpfulstudyskillsandpropertimemanagementstrategies.Therealsoa
programavailablecalledStudentSupportStrategies(SSS).Tobeacceptedintothis
programyoumustcomefromalowincomefamily,afirstgenerationcollegestudent,
andstudentswithdisabilities.Onceacceptedintothisprogramyouaregivenapersonal
advisorthathelpsyouwithacademicprogressupdates,financialcounseling,study
skills,educationalactivities,andgraduateschoolplanningandenrolling.Utilizingthe
programsprovidedbytheALCwillhelplowerstressbyteachingyougoodhabitsand
makingyoumorecomfortablewhenitcomestoyourschoolwork.Somestudents

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strugglewithgoingtoALCoutofembarrassment.Personally,thefirsttimeIwentitIfelt
ashamedtoaskforhelp.AftercontinuingtogoIfeltcomfortable,andIlearneditsokto
needhelp.
LikemanyotherstudentsIstruggleinmath.InhighschoolIconsideredithard,
butstillgotbywithdecentgrades.GoingintocollegeIwasespeciallynervouswhenI
foundoutIhadtotakeastatisticsclass.Ivealwaysheardfrompeoplethatthiswasan
especiallyhardtopic.Alsohearinghowmuchhardercollegeclassesweremademe
evenmorenervous.BeforeevenstartingstatisticsIwasstressed.Thoughtsranaround
inmymindremindingmehowterribleIaminmathematicsandtheimportancetogeta
goodgradeinthisclass.AftertalkingtomyadvisorabouthownervousIwasshe
suggestedIgotothetutoringcenter.RightawayIstartedbringinginmystatistics
homeworktomakesureIkeptupwiththeclass.Aftergoingtothetutoringcenterclass
startedtobecomemoreunderstandableanditwaseasierformetokeepupwiththe
professor.IendedupdoingbetterintheclassthanIeverexpected.Goingtothe
tutoringcentermademefeelmorecomfortableandloweredmystress.
Asifloweringyourstressandgettingbettergradesisntenoughincentivetogo
totheALC,didyouknowyourepayingforit?Likemanyotherthings,liketheuseofthe
WRC,youmaybelievesomeoftheservicesoncampusarefree.Inourtuitionthereare
manydifferentcategoriesourmoneygoesto,servicesbeingone.Thismoneyistaken
outofourtuitionsotheuniversityhasmoneytopaythetutorsandotheremployeesof
theALC.Wepay$112.50ayearonservices.Overthecourseoffouryearsthats
$450.00.Essentially,notusingtheALCisawasteofalmostfivehundreddollars.

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Imaginewhatelseyoucouldbedoingwiththatmoney.UtilizingtheALCisgooduseof
the$4,029werespendingontuitionperyear.
SomemayarguethattheALCisawasteofourtuitionmoneyandthatweshould
beputtingittowardssomethingelse.WhilethepricetagoftheALCseemsbigits
actuallyagreatdeal.IfyouwouldchoosetouseatutoroutsideoftheALCitwouldend
upcostingyoumoreinthelongrun.Plus,themoneythatwereinvestingintheALCis
putbackintoUNIstudents.TheALChiresUNIstudentsgivingpeerslikeyouan
opportunitytohelpotherstudentswhilemaintainingajob.Theresnoexcusetonotgo
totheALC.Evenwithabusyscheduleyoucanmakeiteven.TheALCisopenfrom84
withwalkintimes.Withsixtutorsonstaffatalltimesthereshardlyeverawaittime.
Utilizingtheuniversity'sresourcescanhelpyoumanageyourstresswhile
improvingyourgrades.Withseverestressincollegefreshmensteadilyrisingeachyear
wemusttakeaction.Ascollegefreshmenitwashardenoughtoleavethecomfortof
ourownhome,family,friends,andcommunity.Steppingoutintotheworldofadulthood
putsyouunderalotofstrain.Withthepressuretochooseamajor,maintainahigh
GPA,andmanageajob,howisacollegestudentnottobehighlystressed?Theeffects
ofuntreatedstressarealarming.Withtheriseindepression,anxiety,andothermental
illnessesoncampusitsmoreimportantthanevertolearnhowtohandleourstress
(CollegeStudentJournal,2000).Thebestwaytotakecareofstressistofirstlearnhow
tocopewithit.Inhighschoolwewerenttaughtthisnorarewetaughtthisinourcollege
classes.ItsuptoyoutomakethefirstmoveandtryouttheALC.Learninghowto
manageyourtime,studyinadvance,andseekhelpforyouracademicswilleasethe

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effectsofstress.Withmorethan60%ofcollegestudentssufferingfromseverestress
itstimetoteachourselveshowtomanageandavoidit.

AcademicLearningCenter

Bibliography

Misra,Ranjita,etal."Academicstressofcollegestudents:comparisonofstudentand
facultyperceptions."

CollegeStudentJournal
34.2(2000):236+.
AcademicOneFile
.Web.5Apr.2016.

"StudentGuidetoBalancingStress|BestColleges.com."
BestColleges
.N.p.,n.d.Web.
05Apr.2016.

"TheJedFoundationNewMTVuAssociatedPressStudyExaminesCollege
Students'MentalHealthandRelationshipswithTechnology."
TheJedFoundationNew
MTVuAssociatedPress
StudyExaminesCollegeStudents'MentalHealthandRelationshipswithTechnology
.
N.p.,n.d.Web.05Apr.2016.

"StressandCollegeStudents."
UFCounseling&WellnessCenter
.N.p.,May2010.
Web.10Apr.2016.

Howard,Beth."CollegesTakeonStress."
USNews
.U.S.News&WorldReport,n.d.
Web.05Apr.2016.

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"AcademicLearningCenter."
AcademicLearningCenter
.N.p.,2016.Web.10Apr.
2016.