By Jessica Dillon
Staff Writer
With the holiday season upon us, the university offered tips to help students manage holiday madness.
Christopher Anderson, director of the Center for Student Wellness, and Marie Wilson, career counselor, presented “Surviving the Holiday Madness” to a small group of students in the Doyle Trustees Room Tuesday.
Anderson and Wilson opened the presentation by inviting discussion among the students, who spoke of the pressures of hosting holiday parties, spending extended amounts of time with family members and trying to find the perfect gifts for their friends and loved ones.
Though many are excited to go home for the holidays, students feel the stress that accompanies the completion of a semester, Wilson and Anderson said.
“Anxiety issues are probably the biggest reasons [students] come to us and ask for help,” Anderson said. “Especially with the push for finals and trying to get all the last-minute projects done, with some people graduating and with the holiday madness, everybody definitely feels the added pressure this time of year.”
Kelly Haberstroh, a sophomore journalism and mass communication and creative and professional writing double major, has tried managing her time to avoid excessive stress.
“This semester hasn’t been too difficult because I only have one actual final exam,” she said. “This has freed up my time to work on other projects and presentations. I’m trying to space things out in the hopes that I won’t be under extreme pressure during finals week.”
Wilson offered some of her own tips on how to manage the chaos of finals, grades and the holiday season.
“Some of you might have stellar grades that you can’t wait to tell mom and dad about,” she said. “But if your grades are less than to be desired, it’s best to fill your parents in on the news before the last minute. Let your family know how things are going whether the news is good or bad.”
Wilson also spoke of the necessity for rest and relaxation during this stressful time.
“Make time for yourself. You guys have worked so hard this semester. All the blood, the sweat, the tears, maybe the emotional breakdowns you’ve had—you really need to get some R&R. Catch up with friends. Make sure you guys stay safe.”
Wilson suggested setting aside specific time for family and family functions to eliminate some of the added stress of the holiday season.
Anderson’s portion of the presentation emphasized the giving spirit of the season and the unrealistic expectations students often have for the holidays.
“The biggest thing is for students to not put too much pressure on themselves,” he said. “When we expect too much or our expectations are out of line with reality, we set ourselves up for disappointment. I think that’s why a lot of people don’t like this time of year anymore. Maybe there was a time in their lives when things were going better, or were easier or happier, and then they grew to expect that every single year.”
Anderson suggested that giving to others would help re-shape students’ ideas about the holidays.
“When we get caught up in the commercialism of this time of year and focus on what we’re going to get instead of what we can do to give to others, we set ourselves up for failure,” he said. “Redefine how you celebrate the holidays. Value time. Value people. Don’t spend crazy amounts of money on gifts. This is going to take some practice, but it’s well worth it. It can bring more of the warmth back to this time of year.”
dillonj15@bonaventure.edu
