As midterm week approached, the Honors community wanted to give students the opportunity to learn helpful ways to deal with stress while enjoying a sweet treat by hosting their event in the Honors dorm on Friday, Feb. 21. It served as a way to remind students of the resources they have available to them and to connect.
About the event
Midterms can be a very stressful time for students, and not everyone knows the best ways to deal with stress. There are many different things you can try, although the same mechanisms are not going to work the same for every student.
The purpose of the Stressed is Desserts Spelled Backwards event was to encourage students to come find the best way for them to prepare for the stress of midterms.
Athena Armstrong, one of the Resident Advisors, or RAs, for the Honors dorms had the idea for the event and put it together herself.
All campus groups, including clubs, organizations, sororities and fraternities and housing communities have a set budget every semester for events and other necessities. It is up to the leaders of each group to figure out what events they can do.
Through Residence Life and Housing, RAs are able to run smaller solo events for their individual floors, which is what Armstrong did with this event.
“This event is dedicated to de-stressing. Most students in my dorm are freshmen, so they might not know all the right services to go to on campus to help them with midterms. To some extent, I try to push them outside their comfort zones,” Armstrong said.
How to de-stress
RAs are in charge of keeping dorms in order, but a big part of their job is simply supporting students. Midterms and finals weeks are always the most stressful, and the times students need support the most.
They can also offer academic support. Even if they might not have all the answers, they will be able to point students to the right services.
At the event, Armstrong shared some tips with students that she has learned over her time at Wright State University.
“Some of the best ways to de-stress are simpler than people think, such as taking breaks. It works well if you set up a system for yourself, after a certain amount of work, you get some kind of reward. It is crucial to focus on self-care as you go through the week,” Armstrong said.
Another thing that can help relieve stress is by spending time with other students. As simple as it may sound, there are real benefits to interacting with other people in a low-stress environment.
BetterHelp, an online mental health service, took a deeper look into the effects of friendship on the body.
“Support from friends can lower levels of cortisol, the hormone associated with stress. This can mean that friends aren’t just good company; they may help your body handle stress more effectively,” the article reads.
This is why it is so important to find community here at WSU, whether it is from hanging out with your friends, joining an organization or attending events such as this one.
Ian Back, a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, shared how being a part of a campus organization has had an impact on his college career.
“Being involved on campus really makes the college experience. Especially as a commuter, it gives me more opportunities to be on campus and see more people,” Back said.
As a general reminder, do not forget to take breaks and be kind to yourself. Do not be afraid to reach out if you need help, as there are so many staff members at WSU who are here to support students.
