APRIL

What’s Going On this Month Stress and Pressure - Final Exams Responsive Programming Activities in Residence

What’s Going On this Month:

Mixed emotions surrounding the pressures of final exams, leaving residence, saying goodbye to friends, excitement over the end of the school year and anticipation of summer make April one of the most challenging months of the year for students. The residences have 24-hour quiet hours this month as students are studying for exams. Smaller social events are organized to help students take a break from studying, but the major residence events are now over. This adds to the anxiety over leaving friends and residence life.

Some additional challenges faced by students this month include:

• academic pressures at their peak
• summer employment pressures
• social pressures: everybody is bidding for your participation at parties, farewell gatherings, etc.
• anxiety develops because of the realization that the year is ending and they may have been unsuccessful in a number of academic areas
• depression over leaving friends and facing conflicts with parents
• distress for those unsure about their academic or career path for September
• apathy about residence life
• coordinating a moving out schedule

Stress and Pressure - Final Exams:

The onset of final exams represents the culmination of a year of hard work and academic pressure. For some students, it is a relief to be finishing their first year of university and they are looking forward to writing exams so that they can have their year behind them. For others, it is an extremely difficult month, where any academic problems or concerns, if they have not yet been attended to, can be suddenly overwhelming.

What you can do as a parent is recommend that your student take advantage of the study resources available in residence and on campus. Throughout the year, there are many workshops that are being offered on honing study skills, writing multiple-choice exams, time management and more. Continuing through the April exam period and the summer months, Learning Skills Services offers confidential, one-on-one counselling appointments, where help is tailored to a student's individual needs. Have your son or daughter contact Student Development Services or the academic programmer assigned to his/her residence for more information.

This is also not the time to admonish your child if his/her good study habits have slipped. You can be sure that s/he is most keenly aware of any missed opportunities to face his/her problems that might have relieved the stress s/he’s currently facing. Your encouragement and support are most needed now. You might reassure your son/daughter of how s/he has successfully handled challenges in the past. You may also offer to call again at a prearranged time if s/he wants to talk some more.

Responsive Programming Activities in Residence:

• Study relays are held on each floor.
• Floor stress relief breaks are organized.
• Salvation Army drop boxes are provided to help students clean out their rooms.
• Floor yearbooks are distributed.
• Summer phone and address books are offered to residents.
• Final floor socials are organized.

	Please note that all italicized text throughout this site has been reprinted by permission from St. Martin’s Press. This book can be purchased through Western’s eBookstore. Just click on the book cover to order.
	Copyright © 2000 by Helen E. Johnson and Christine Schelhas-Miller From: Don't Tell Me What To Do, Just Send Money by Helen E. Johnson and Christine Schelhas-Miller. Reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Press, LLC.

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