Days of class left: one. Outside temperature: 16 degrees. Number of laps to run around the quad: undetermined. Number of pages to write before next Friday: 46. Number of flashcards to memorize before final exam: 92. Number of holiday parties to attend: seven. Average number of hours slept per night last week: four.
Can winter break come a little sooner, please? The seemingly never-ending rat race of the semester is morphing into a sprint to the finish line as finals loom with potentially dire consequences. The borderline unhealthy tendencies of the average college student can become a way of life when magnified by the serious pressures presented by finals.
Lack of sleep, overuse of caffeine, heightened stress levels, depression, anxiety -- they're all present during finals period, and they can leave students feeling physically and emotionally distraught when all is said and done.
In light of finals week, the Daily has compiled some statistics of the issues that plague college students most.
A fall 2007 survey conducted by the American College Health Association (ACHA) surveyed students to determine the most influential factors impeding their academic performance.
32.9 percent of students polled listed stress.
25.4 percent listed sleep difficulties.
24.8 percent listed a cold, the flu or a sore throat.
18.1 percent listed concern for a troubled friend or family member.
15.5 percent listed relationship difficulty.
15.5 percent of students listed depression, anxiety disorder or seasonal affective disorder.
15.1 percent listed Internet use or computer games.
7.0 percent listed attention deficit disorder.
6.2 percent listed alcohol use.
2.1 percent listed drug use.
Within 30 days of the ACHA survey:
40.7 percent of female students surveyed reported dieting to lose weight.
22.4 percent of males reported dieting to lose weight. 5.0 percent of male students reported not eating fruits and vegetables.
2.9 percent of female students reported not eating fruits and vegetables.
28.1 percent of total students polled reported never exercising vigorously for 20 minutes or longer.
12.1 percent of students polled said they never felt as though they got enough sleep to feel rested in the morning.
16.0 percent of students said they had been diagnosed with depression.
54.0 percent of students reported being single.
