STUDENT WELLNESS
Stress

College can be an environment filled with excitement, anticipation, enjoyment, and fun. It can also be stressful. From moving away from parents, home, and close friends, to entering into a new environment, making new friends, and taking on an increased academic workload, students often find themselves feeling anxious and stressed. Your child's living environment can also influence his or her stress level. Residence halls, Greek houses, and off-campus housing can occasionally be noisy, and lack privacy. Under these circumstances, he or she may find it difficult to find a place to be alone and unwind.

Top 5 Impediments of Academic Performance

• Stress
• Being sick - cold, flu, sore throat, etc.
• Sleep difficulties
• Concerns about family and friends
• Relationship difficulties

* From the American College Health Association Web site, www.acha.org.

Physical, Emotional, and Mental Signs of Stress

• Insomnia, or sleeping too much
• Headaches, stomachaches
• Increased or decreased appetite
• Boredom, fatigue, withdrawal
• Excessive procrastination, inability to concentrate
• Urges to cry, run away, or hide
• Anxiety, confusion, anger, frustration
• Yelling, blaming others

Many college students experience stress. In fact, in the spring of 2005, the American College Health Association surveyed over 54,000 college students and asked them what they felt impeded their academic performance. Stress ranked number one. Developing ways to manage stress will enable your child to endure the transition from high school to college and will help him or her succeed at Purdue.

Coping strategies include regular physical activity, adequate sleep, time management, and healthy eating. In addition, yoga, massage, deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and journaling are also popular methods of relaxing. For more information on stress coping strategies, contact Purdue's Student Wellness office at (765) 494-WELL, or at www.purdue.edu/studentwell.

If your child ever feels chronically stressed or overwhelmed, Purdue's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) is available. CAPS offers eight confidential counseling sessions per semester (fall and winter) to every full-time enrolled student without charge. During summer semesters, students can receive up to two counseling sessions per semester at no charge. For more information regarding CAPS and the services they offer, contact them at (765) 494-6995, or at www.purdue.edu/caps.