Staff Editorial
We are all accustomed to panicked looks as students walk down the halls reviewing their study guides one last time before their finals, which account for a large percentage of their grade.
Finals week is next week, and student stress is naturally increasing. However, during this stressful time, it is important to prioritize mental health and provide outlets for students to decrease their stress levels. According to the Mental Health Foundation, one of the most significant ways to preserve your mental health is to openly talk about and express one’s feelings. Students can reach out for help, take a break, and take care of others to help preserve their and others’ mental health. These methods have been proven effective at reducing stress as well.
As the semester comes to a close, sometimes teachers are teaching new material until the last week before finals. This naturally increases student stress as material is not completely finished before finals rolls around, often making it more difficult to study ahead of time.
Considering the amount of students at Mira Costa who take a zero period, it should be expected that there is a set time to take zero period finals. In some cases, students are taking their finals a week before students in a later period. Considering the order of their classes is not within their control, this is a stressful disadvantage for students taking a zero period.
However, Costa does provide options to alleviate stress during finals. Link Crew has traditionally made the Monday of finals week a Pajama Day. This effort to create unity across the school, and to recognize that everyone is going through this hard time, is an effective method at curbing student stress and should continue to develop. As a reoccurring tradition, students should know they are not alone during the finals and that there is always help available on campus. Costa has a full-time psychologist, a stress room and multiple counselors readily available to provide an outlet for your stress. One such organization is Challenge Success, a research-based program that has shown measurable success in helping schools reduce student stress and support their physical and mental wellbeing.
It is important for students to be aware of all that Costa has to offer. In 2015, Costa created the SEW Committee to discuss the social emotional wellness of its students. In the past, the SEW Committee has hosted a teacher fishbowl event to discuss student stress. In 2017, SEW members discussed the root of stress with Challenge Success coach Paul Franz. As a group, they concluded that over scheduling and college admissions were the two main root causes of stress for students at Costa.
This coming Monday of finals will be Pajama Day again. It is important for students to be aware of these events that are put in place to reduce student stress. Costa students should utilize the services of organizations to ease student stress during this time, considering they have been proven to be effective in reducing stress.
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