October Ushers In Season Of Academic Panic
Novelty of 2003 School Year Wears Off
Dr. Elyssa Hellman, U of M professor of developmental psychology, explains that the month of October often leads students to enter into a new developmental phase, marked by a high level of what the psychological community refers to as "freaking out." "Students progress from the 'My parents are nowhere in sight. I can do whatever I want!' and the euphoria of independence that goes with it to the 'Oh my God I have to do real work.' phase in October," said Hellman. "The transition can be traumatic and often leads to high levels of stress and freaking out." One freak out sufferer, LS&A freshman Aaron Vernon, told reporters about his current work load: "I have two tests and a paper on Invisible Man due next week. In addition to a bio lab report and a Spanish quiz." He added that he is "sooo" far behind in his bio reading and has yet to even purchase Invisible Man. Vernon went on to say, "College was so much cooler in September, before I had to actually study. Do you know where Shaman Drum is?"
Academic workload is not the sole contributor to October freak-out; students' personal lives generate stress as well. "I've been sick all week. All I want to do is sleep, but I still have to haul my ass to French every morning at nine because I already used up my three excused absences when I was hung over," said LSA freshman Gretchen Mills. Also, as Dr. Hellman points out, the beginning of cold season is not the only cause of personal problems. October also marks the end of what sociologists refer to as "the roommate politeness grace period". Typically, roommates are polite and make an effort to get along with each other through the month of September, but by October most pretenses fall. Psychologists say that by the second month of living with a new roommate many students no longer feel the need to be on their best behavior and begin to let their hair down, so to speak, contributing to the heightened stress level. West Quad resident and LS&A freshman Daphne Fairfield described her roommate situation: "When we first moved in together Liz seemed pretty cool. But lately she's really started to get on my nerves. Like she never puts her socks away, and she leaves old issues of The Daily all over the place so she can check the crosswords, and she gets makeup all over the phone. Ewww. I swear if I have to listen to her damn Led Zeppelin CD again I'm going to scream and jump out the window."
October freak out levels are often associated with a decline in care about personal appearance, Dr. Hellman remarks. Students often sacrifice time once spent on grooming and hygiene to devote time to activities such as eating and sleeping. It is not uncommon for students who once got up two hours before class to shower, style hair, carefully plan an outfit and eat breakfast in the cafeteria to abandon such habits in favor of sleeping later, pulling on jeans and a soiled Michigan hoodie and grabbing a Nutri-Grain bar on the way to class. LS&A sophomore Gretchen Mills reflects on her situation, "I used to get up at like 7:30 to take a shower and straighten my hair. Then I'd put on makeup. Now, I roll out of bed and pull my hair into a ponytail and leave. I look like shit all the time. I'll never get a husband by graduation at this rate."
Dr. Hellman remains positive about the outlook of students suffering from October freak out, "By second semester students generally learn to handle things and set the bar a bit lower. Students realize that double majoring in biology and math may just not be possible for them, and there is no shame in a communications degree. Well, maybe a little shame."
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