The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

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The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

The Student News Site of Gannon University since 1947

THE GANNON KNIGHT

College shouldn’t be as stressful as it is

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As college students I feel like we’re becoming more and more stressed. We have to do more and more to excel and make ourselves stand out from the sea of other college students who have the same credentials.

The world has changed; it has almost become the norm for people to have at least completed a two-year degree, if not a four-year degree.

There was a point in time where you could graduate from high school, get a normal 40-hours-per-week job and comfortably live and support a family. In this day and age, if you don’t have some sort of higher education, chances are you won’t have a high-paying job.

More and more people are striving to get college degrees and while that might sound like a good thing (who wouldn’t want to live in a well-educated society?) it’s significantly decreasing the value of a college degree.

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Students – myself included – are being pressed for time more frequently because of this need to stand out amongst a sea of resumes, which is leading to a greater number of students being stressed out beyond their limits.

I can attest to this personally. I have a full schedule this semester. I am taking five classes and attempting to do well in all of them. I’m still working about 15-20 hours per week at my part-time job, which helps to pay off loans that I have already accrued and anything else I need to buy.

I am the news editor for The Gannon Knight, which comes with its own set of responsibilities and enjoyable, but time-consuming elements. I also work as an intern for a small, privately owned event décor and apparel company, which is like another job in itself.

I also hold an air-shift on WERG, record and mix music news for WERG and somehow still find the time to put aside weekends to spend time with my long-distance boyfriend, sleep, eat and breathe (occasionally).

I know I am not the only college student who is busy and stressed out because they have taken on a lot of responsibilities in an effort to make themselves appealing to future employers.

We have created a college culture of stress and worrying instead of learning and self-actualization.

I love what I am going to school for – don’t get me wrong. I have a packed schedule, but I love every minute of it.

I just wish that I had a little bit more time to myself, to focus on whatever I want to focus on, whether it be rereading the “Harry Potter” series in a desperate attempt to relive my childhood or curling up in my bed and binge-watching seven seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy.”

I think what we all need to remember is to take a break sometimes. We need to learn how to balance the struggles of today’s expectations and our own personal sanity.

I know that is something I have and will continue to struggle with throughout the rest of my time at college. So, yeah, maybe I will paint my nails instead of reading those 43 pages that were assigned, but hey – life is short.

 

SAMANTHA GRISWOLD

[email protected]

 

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