Robin Jones has to make a 95 on one of her finals next week to receive a B in the class.

The senior in health care management from Murphysboro said she is stressed about the final and has just finished a paper that was due. And now she has to give an oral presentation before she can look ahead to finals week.

Jones said she will usually, watch t.v., take naps or go see a movie, to get her stressful situation under control.

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Jason Phillips, a senior in computer science from Murphysboro, said My God, yes, he is under stress this week, because, lots of things are due at once.

But Phillips is much like many students in that he does nothing to relieve the stress he builds up during this week and next.

Both of these students depict versions of the extreme stress that most students suffer in the two weeks left of the semseter.

Annette Vaillancourt, assistant coordinator at the Wellness Center, said the average number of stress-related cases on SIUC’s campus is at about 200, up 50 percent from last year at this time.

The top three stress factors for college students are anything related with school, relationships or money, Vaillancourt said. But good things can be stressful, too, such as graduations or weddings.

A lot of stress is what we put ourselves up to, she added. Those coulda, shoulda, woulda’ things seem to build up. Then we need to examine our expectations and beliefs around why we put pressure on ourselves.

She said people tend to take similar strategies towards reducing stress, but sometimes their choices are short term and ineffective.

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Procrastination solves the problem for a short time but becomes ineffective, Vaillancourt said. Sometimes people use alcohol or drugs to solve their problem.

Sometimes not finding relief from stressful situations can cause health problems such as migraine headaches, raised blood pressure, depression, rashes and loss of sleep, she said.

Vaillancourt said some suggestions for stress relief include performing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, mental imagery and positive expectations while studying

People are unfamiliar with the power of the mind to help with stress relief, Vaillancourt said. The mind can create the stress, but it can also help relieve it.

Laughter is also a wonderful stress reliever, she added. Go to a funny movie or talk to someone that you know will make you laugh.

Info graph:n Avoid tight fitting clothes

n Use time wisely

n Say no more often

n Simplify meal times

n Take a bubble bath

n Avoid negative people

n Stop a bad habit

n Pay attention to your appearance

n Practice breathing slowly

n Get up 15 minutes early

Source:SIUC Wellness Center, 101 Ways to Cope with Stress