Prepping for my most dreaded 8:30 usually involves silencing my alarm and performing my morning scroll through social media before stumbling out of bed. My first instinct is to throw on a pair of shorts with a somewhat stylish t-shirt, slip on my flip-flops and make a break for class. But today’s lackadaisical approach is met with a challenge. Little do I know that Durham’s ever-changing weather will defy my immutable façade. I am instantly drenched from head to toe, shaking from my sodden garb, and shuddering from my apprehensive anticipation for the moment that I will feel safe again indoors. I arrive to every single class trailing a stream of rainwater and plop down in my seat only to be flooded with reminders of upcoming tests and swamped with unending coursework. And like a roller coaster’s nauseating loops, the day’s climate rises and falls, and somehow I always wind up immersed in the mayhem of my midterms. So I must stop (in a dry spot) and ask myself: is it this doomed downpour that’s causing my gloomy exam anxiety?
Anxiety has gained much popularity on college campuses, now classified as the most common mental health diagnosis among college students. Originating from academic pressure at an early age from excessively concerned parents, this mental health issue has grown into an all-encompassing developmental cycle. Not only are students experiencing radical spikes of this behavior in their first year of college, but they are also seeking professional help. The extent to which therapists can treat anxiety is also dependent upon the student’s effort to handle mild or intermittent cases. Simply sitting down, taking a few deep breaths, and identifying the cause of stress can help resolve any early signs of anxiety.
Thus, similar to the fluctuating outdoor conditions throughout the course of the day, your midterms looming overhead must generate worry followed by studiousness. In the questionable moment of whether you’re standing in a puddle of water or a puddle of tears, remember the lucid feeling of acing an exam and rising up above all your peers. Getting stuck on that one ambiguous exam question because the cloudy overcast coincides with your cloudy judgment can only be improved by imagining a sunnier day in a brighter future. Instead of being dragged down by the rain, make use of its infinite benefits. Being forced to stay indoors and study can easily be paired with putting forth maximum effort to plan for the following day’s unpredictable climate, in order to start the day off in the right mindset and essentially avoid any sticky (wet) situations.