CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On this road to recovery, students who are doing their best in seeking higher education for a bright future can get hit with many different stress factors as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
Often many students may need to stay up late and wake up early to turn in certain assignments. Some students share the struggles of online learning and not making face to face connections with their professors.
These are just a few stress factors college students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi are facing and counseling services want to remind students that they are here to help.
Dr. Theresa Sharpe with the university counseling center says students’ mental health is crucial when it comes to academic success.
“Taking care of yourself emotionally is very important during the pandemic,” says Dr. Sharpe.
Staff says if students are in need of help when it comes to managing the pressure of their studies during the pandemic, not to hesitate and take advantage of their free virtual counseling services.
“There’s no shame in asking for help, help is available and I think sometimes speaking with a counselor who has expertise in managing stress kinda coping with depression, and just learning some new tools and strategies can make all the difference,” says Sharpe.
“I think it’s really important that you put your mental health first, so getting counseling and getting the help that you need is really important,” said TAMUCC freshman Abigail Holmes.
The 2021 spring semester began January 25th and Islanders we spoke to were able to share how they are managing their studies with higher education during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Taking breaks and just a snack break or just a break to walk around can really help out when you're having to focus so hard on a couple tasks a day,” said TAMUCC sophomore Oliva Bass.
The university also offers free virtual workshops for students covering topics like managing anxiety and stress.
“Professors are pretty understanding given the current circumstances we’re under so they’re not as harsh as they would be if was a regular school year no pandemic so I think that they are very understanding at the same time because they’re going through it too, it’s not just us,” said sophomore Liberty Hays.