Back to School … Learning and Survival

August 2007 Online Feature

Henry Ward Beecher, a 19th century American preacher, once said, “Learning is not compulsory ... neither is survival.” Another way to say this is that no one forces us to learn, and no one forces us to survive … but none of us would argue that learning and surviving in this world are two things we all need to do!

As summer starts to wind down, the anxiety associated with school, the “world of learning,” can make surviving the daily routine a challenge for some of us. Fall and a new school year is a time of transition and adjustment. Even those of us who aren’t students, teachers or parents experience a sort of indirect, back-to-school stress. The stores are busier, traffic gets a bit more congested and our work commute might take a little longer. This time of year might also stir up a bit of sadness or dread, as we realize that the green and sunshine of summer will soon give way to fall and cooler, shorter days.

Of course, back-to-school stress most intensely affects teachers, students and parents. It affects young children entering school for the first time, and their parents, who must adjust to a completely new lifestyle. Students changing grade levels face a transition—for example, those moving from grade school to the new academic and social pressures of junior high or high school, as well as young adults headed into their first year of college or older people going back to school for the first time in years. School stress also takes it toll on parents trying to manage their kids’ schedules of homework, after-school activities, carpools, as well as teachers who face the anxiety of getting to know throngs of new students, coming up with new lesson plans or lectures and teaching their material in a way that makes sense to their classes.

Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, California, offers some suggestions to survive this seasonal stress. Keeping these things in mind can make “learning and surviving” at this time of year a little easier. And many of the tips make a lot of sense for those of us who might not be directly affected by the new school season but who are transitioning into a new job, city, etc.

• Get familiar with your campus, classroom and other students, teachers or parents before school starts to help cut down the anxiety of the “unknown.”
• Keep your expectations realistic. Try not to pressure yourself to be the best-at-any-cost student or teacher. And as a parent, try not to pressure your children about grades. Doing the best you can is the best you can ask for.
• Eat healthy meals and try to avoid junk food, even when schedules get tight. 
• Make exercise and regular sleep/wake times part of a routine. 
• Pack your backpack, briefcase or satchel well, so that it’s not overloaded or too heavy. Don’t let it become a health hazard for your neck, back and shoulders.

Helpful Resources
“Tips to Reduce Back-to-School Stress.” Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. www.lpch.org/newsEvents/NewsReleases/2006/backToSchoolTips.html

“Helping Kids Manage Back-to-School Stress.” Linda Bearinger, BSN, MS, PhD.
www.healthtalk.umn.edu/healthtalk/topics/backtoschool/home.html

APA’s Stress Smarts Quiz
http://locator.apa.org/quiz/

Previous Monthly Features

January 2007 : Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
February 2007 : Black History Month
March 2007 : The Long Night: Mood Disorders and REM Sleep
April 2007 : Stress
May 2007 : More Than Just Nervousness?
June 2007: A Double Stigma
July 2007: PTSD

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