Case study
Second-year student Carolien looks tired and defeated. Soon there are exams that she dreads like hell. I ask why. She has many deadlines for the subjects she wants to pass. She clearly sets the bar very high. Meanwhile, she suffers from sleepless nights, finds it hard to start studying and no longer knows how to relax. How does she break this vicious cycle?
What is stress?
What is stress anyway? There are lots of different definitions of stress. The Student Support Centre’s training Stress Lesson(s) uses the following definition:
Stress is a form of tension that occurs in the body of humans or animals in response to a (threatening) physical or mental stimulus.
Stress is actually something of all times. Our bodies react the same way to stimuli. Over time, only the stimuli have changed. In today’s time, we mainly deal with mental stimuli, a process that activates our stress system. We enter an alert or action mode. This is not bad, as long as it does not last too long and relaxation follows that action.
Is stress bad?
A preconception is that stress is inherently bad. This is not so, a little stress can help you bang on an exam, or give a good performance at a sports competition. A life without stress, is often a boring life. In summary, then, a little tension helps for good focus, and stress only becomes negative when it no longer works in one’s own interest. This is the case with Carolien. Students with these questions suffer from tension.
DO!
Help students with recognising stress, understanding their energy balance and making a study plan.
It often helps to make students aware of their own ‘stress signals’. How do students notice they are stressed? For example, they get headaches, sweaty hands, start fretting and have a shorter fuse. The important thing is to learn to recognise stress:
Step 1
Developing awareness of what is happening to them is a first step to being able to do something about stress.
Step 2
The second step is to see what the student can do when stress builds up in them. This will be different for everyone.
Energy balance
It is also important to look (together) at energy balance in the student. Handy questions to chart energy balance are:
- How much time does the student spend studying?
- How much time is left for other things?
- What does the student do all the time?
- What gives energy, what takes energy, and is that balance right?
Perhaps the student wants to change something about the energy balance . This does not have to be something big. What (small) action/activity can the student do in the short term to make the balance a little better? Is there something that takes a lot of energy, but which the student does not have to do. Or what someone else can do for him. Often this offers insight and, in addition, these small actions already give a bit of air.
Overview and/or study plan
It also helps to get an overview of the study tasks when many deadlines.What is expected? And how can the student tackle it and get an overview? Eisenhower’s matrix can provide insight into this. A study plan also helps to limit study time and schedule time for relaxation.
Studying together
Can students start up with difficulty? Then studying together with fellow students is a good way to start on time. Often the start is difficult, but once started, it is also easier to keep studying. As a tutor, you may also be able to refer these students to a support group at the Student Support Centre, or, for example, the Study Support Room.
Extra support
If a student still needs extra support and attention, there are also options externally. From someone who has enough time to listen. Someone who can provide extra support.
In that case, besides contacting your slb’er or learning team supervisor, the student can call on a former HU lecturer. This person has time for the student and can support with personal attention.
These former lecturers like to stay involved with the HU and its students; they are all members of the association of former employees, Oud Goud, and it is from that association itself that they have taken the initiative for this voluntary support for HU students.
Job Krijgsman is the contact person from the Oud Goud association for this extra support. After registering, he will first invite you for an (online) intake interview and on this basis will look for a good match for you.
Extra information
Awareness, energy balance, creating overview, studying with fellow students: it’s easier said than done. How do you do it?
*The Student Support Centre’s masterclass Stress Lesson(s) teaches students how to work through assignments/exercises. It looks at how they can use these while studying. So you can refer them to this.
*The councellors can engage with the student. Sometimes a referral to the student psychologist is necessary.
*E-health modules can also help students (and tutors). Consider:
- Stress in students
- Work stress
- Pickling
- Concentration & procrastination
Links
Eisenhower’s matrix
Support Group of the Student Support Centre
Study Support Room
Masterclass Stress Lesson(s)
Student Counsellors
E-health Modules