My Piggy Bank Bites

By Megan Patiry on September 24, 2012

Beware: I’m Empty. Photo courtesy of krynsky via Flickr.

… and then injects, from it’s copper fangs, a compound much more toxic to our brains – and education-  than we give it credit for. A recent article featured in Scientific American Mind reviews how stress, specifically stress due to low income or monetary struggles, can impact how we develop and how it significantly hinders our performance in school:

“Stresses that accompany low income directly impair specific learning abilities in children, potentially setting them back in many domains of life.”

A potential case against the recent budget cuts at colleges? Possibly. Combine stressed out students who are reportedly, according to various campus counselors, already on prescription medication for anxiety and depression with less funding for financial aid and you have a recipe for emotionally distressed, unfocused students.

“‘This fits with what we’re all seeing,’ said Brian Van Brunt, director of counseling at Western Kentucky University and president of the American College Counseling Association. ‘More students are arriving on campus with problems, needing support, and today’s economic factors are putting a lot of extra stress on college students, as they look at their loans and wonder if there will be a career waiting for them on the other side.’” -”Record Levels of Stress Found in College Students” by Tamar Lewin.

Change is a major factor in recent campaigns – people are craving it more now than ever and this was proven during the election of President Obama – his name was tied to the theme of  “A Change We Can Believe In”.  What the government may fail to realize, however; is that budget cutting through education is creating a negative change and a rocky future as far as the next generation is concerned. Of course no one can predict the future with absolute certainty; but we can be certain that with the level of stress placed on students, the supposed leaders of our future, we are creating a generation that may be considered unstable or uneducated due to not finishing a degree.

So what can you do as a student suffering from high levels of anxiety and stress due to monetary issues involving loans or if you are feeling the pressure of not having enough time to both work and complete assignments? First:

Create a budget. Make sure to be specific, even if it means factoring in that twice – a – week latte; seeing things laid out on paper in an orderly fashion can make them seem less chaotic and overwhelming – and therefore easier to manage – than if you randomly estimate figures.

Build and stick to a schedule. It might be the last thing you want to do while in college; after all, this is supposed to be the adventurous time of life. So, set a schedule for school, then work; making sure that schedule coincides with your budget. Again, being detailed about how many hours you will spend on certain projects or assignments makes the tasks seem less overwhelming.

Apply for aid – get creative. Apply for need-based and even non need-based grants related to your major. Have a talent? Research loans that are given based off of that talent – more than likely, you’ll find one. Your school should have various grants listed under your major but if not, grants.gov lets you search for grants based on key words.

Rockabye Baby. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, even if you have to nap at random intervals. Nothing is going to add to a stressed out situation more than lack of zzz’s; you will feel less desire to deal with problems or homework due to low tolerance and irritability.

Jam. At home, in the car, during a walk … using music as a stress reliever has become extremely popular. Elizabeth Scott, M.S. and writer for About .com states you should listen to music even while paying your bills,

“Playing music while you write your checks can help take your mind off of financial stress you may be feeling, and make the task more enjoyable.”

Oh, and don’t forget to vote. While politics themselves are a source of stress, as future leaders we need to make our voices heard and not sit idly back while our education is disrupted from outside forces that cause internal damage. The only way to have the correct change we need is to not give up on our education due to money issues and budget cuts, but to use the stress it induces to act for change.

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