Holiday healthcare encouraged for physical, spiritual well-being
Carolina Evans
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: News
With the end of the semester approaching and students cramming for finals, student health may be forgotten or neglected.
Dr. Chris Smith, associate professor and coordinator and family nurse practitioner in the school of nursing, said she does not advise anybody to pull all-nighters to study.
"If you don't know [the material] the night before an exam, there's no point in staying up all night," Smith said. "You don't retain the information."
Smith said: "Time management is huge. Students need to be preparing for their finals well before the day [of the exam]."
Tom Bissonette, counselor with the counseling and career center, said one issue for students during the holidays is the change from a hectic schedule to having a lot of free time.
"Of course [students] want to catch up on sleep…and relax, but it's better if they can have some balance and include some kinds of activities," he said. "Anything that helps them to be physically active."
Chris Smith said she thinks students have the option to eat healthy around the holiday since their parents would be doing the cooking for them.
"It would be more like a normal meal: fruits, vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates and limited fats and 'fast foods,'" Smith said.
"Students also have the opportunity to get some good sleep, because the stress of finals will be over," Smith said. "They're also not in close quarters with someone else…who is sick, so that's a good thing."
Bissonette said it is not unusual for people to get depressed over the holidays. He said students need to try to avoid extremely stressful situations.
"If you are having difficulties during the holidays, it's very important to talk about it with someone," he said.
"[It is important] just to have a friend or family member to confide in," Bissonette said.
For some students and faculty, the holidays mean much more than having a break.
"Thanksgiving is a great time for self-evaluation regarding the ways in which my life has been blessed," Steve Roper, Baptist collegiate minister at the Baptist Student Center, said.
Dr. Chris Smith, associate professor and coordinator and family nurse practitioner in the school of nursing, said she does not advise anybody to pull all-nighters to study.
"If you don't know [the material] the night before an exam, there's no point in staying up all night," Smith said. "You don't retain the information."
Smith said: "Time management is huge. Students need to be preparing for their finals well before the day [of the exam]."
Tom Bissonette, counselor with the counseling and career center, said one issue for students during the holidays is the change from a hectic schedule to having a lot of free time.
"Of course [students] want to catch up on sleep…and relax, but it's better if they can have some balance and include some kinds of activities," he said. "Anything that helps them to be physically active."
Chris Smith said she thinks students have the option to eat healthy around the holiday since their parents would be doing the cooking for them.
"It would be more like a normal meal: fruits, vegetables, proteins, carbohydrates and limited fats and 'fast foods,'" Smith said.
"Students also have the opportunity to get some good sleep, because the stress of finals will be over," Smith said. "They're also not in close quarters with someone else…who is sick, so that's a good thing."
Bissonette said it is not unusual for people to get depressed over the holidays. He said students need to try to avoid extremely stressful situations.
"If you are having difficulties during the holidays, it's very important to talk about it with someone," he said.
"[It is important] just to have a friend or family member to confide in," Bissonette said.
For some students and faculty, the holidays mean much more than having a break.
"Thanksgiving is a great time for self-evaluation regarding the ways in which my life has been blessed," Steve Roper, Baptist collegiate minister at the Baptist Student Center, said.
