College initiative: Student life is often portrayed as an endless round of partying, interspersed with the occasional lecture and exam. But college can be a very stressful environment.
Academic pressure is an obvious source of anxiety. However, students, often living away from home for the first time, must also come to terms with the anxieties of adulthood.
This is reflected in the increasing numbers of college-goers seeking medical and psychiatric assistance, according to Dr David Thomas, director of the student health service at Trinity College Dublin.
To help students deal with the pressures of life at third level, Trinity College is hosting a college health week. Running until April 22nd, it is the first such event held in a university in the Republic. It aims to raise awareness of stress and to offer practical assistance in coping with it.
There will be regular "stress busting" and relaxation classes in Trinity's New Square while students will be encouraged to eat more healthily. And at information stands in the arts block, advice on contraception, travel health, giving up smoking and on ways of improving posture will be provided through the week.
"Stress is often thought of as a negative thing that should be avoided. However, at exam time stress cannot be avoided and is harmful only when handled badly. The proper handling of stress in fact improves performance," said Dr Thomas.
One of the most important steps in overcoming stress was learning to recognise the symptoms, he said. These are often physical, including muscle tension, tiredness, irritability and poor concentration.
There were simple ways of dealing with pre-exam flutters, he said. Cutting back on caffeine and alcohol may be of benefit, while exercise often helps lift the mood as it releases endorphins.
The number of students seeking medical assistance in Trinity had risen by a factor of six over the past two decades, Dr Thomas said.
Stress will seriously affect one in five students. At Trinity, about 1 per cent experience severe psychiatric problems during the academic year.
One event of health week will be an 800m "run and fitness" trail in the college park. Classes in t'ai chi and yoga will also be held. The Trinity website has been updated to include relaxation and breathing exercises and advice on eating properly.
Trinity College Health Week is organised by the College Health Service, in association with the Departments of Sport, Catering, Counselling Service, Students' Union and the Peer Support Group. Further information at www.tcd.ie/collegehealthweek
