About three days before midterm season unofficially began a little monster called Stress crept onto campus and took up semi-permanent residence in the corners of dorm rooms and shelves of Payson creating difficult new situations and aggravating pre-existent ones. By the time mid-semester exams made their rounds Stress had worked its magic on pretty much every single Wave and then promised to stick around in the shadows until finals when it will emerge again in full force.
We won’t sleep we’ll eat popcorn for dinner and we’ll consider our 10-page papers good enough when they hit the second line on that 10th page with size-14 periods. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again; welcome to “Stress Season” at Pepperdine University.
College students are masters of amassing and working through stress and despite the beautifully calm environment in which we go to school Pepperdiners are all too familiar with that little monster. We’re no different from the average group of collegiates in that regard; our classes can be rigorous and work schedules hectic. Dozens of volunteer opportunities study groups research papers Bible studies and— dare we say it?— recreational activities clamor for our time and attention of which there’s only so much to go around. Stress happens.
Of course we also get “stressed” by accidental pen marks on our Prada purses and the sub-par offerings of the Caf that leave us grumpy. In reality most of the situations in which we make offhand comments about stressful frustrations would be considered blessings by a majority of the world’s population. Not only do we have Prada purses we have things to put inside those purses. We are by no means obligated to starvation and most of us were somehow able to pay for a meal plan. Our cups overflow and we often don’t even notice the blessing of that for the “difficulties” excessive blessings can bring.
That’s not to say that Pepperdine students don’t also struggle with legitimate stressors. For every few statements like “I don’t know whether to go to Cabo or Aspen for spring break there’s a My dad lost his job today” or “My mom has cancer.” Health issues money problems and spiritual difficulties can seem larger than life and often are. Piling even one extra outside factor on top of our constant low-level stress is enough to overwhelm any college student.
At a school like Pepperdine where performance expectations are high and the real world of business and law is imminent legitimate stress is a serious issue. However to keep things on an even keel it’s important to realize that we’re at Pepperdine where there is so much to be thankful for in the first place.
We live in one of the most beautiful famed places in the world. We are blessed with the opportunity to receive an education beyond what most of humankind could ever dream of. Our school challenges and simultaneously nurtures our intellect and spirituality asking questions providing answers and encouraging us to find our own. We are surrounded by close friends and faculty who desire to see us succeed. Opportunities are fairly thrown at us to travel the world and serve others thousands of miles away from home. At Pepperdine we are safe cared for and loved. These reminders are hackneyed yes but they form the basis of our lives here.
Even apart from the blessings of the Pepperdine community what we call “stress” can be small compared to the blessings that the world gives of its own accord. Regardless of your GPA the sun will still set over the Pacific; no matter where you decide to spend spring break children will grow up laughing and playing. When papers are piling up what we need to remember is that we’re alive with air in our lungs in an incredible place with incredible people.
Keep your pens capped around your Prada purse and spend the energy you would have wasted on stress to serve those around you instead. Remembering how much you have to be thankful for will give you at least some of the strength you need to power through Stress Season at Pepperdine this year.