According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), 85 percent of college students reported they had felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do at some point within the past year. Between essays, group projects and important deadlines, some students can feel stretched too thin. Oregon State University has resources for students to take advantage of, in order to balance their stress in school.

One resource that is free and available to all students is a wellness coach. A wellness coach can be a valuable resource for students suffering from stress. OSU currently only has one wellness coach on campus, her office is in Dixon Recreation Center.

Danielle Caldwell has been a wellness coach for almost a year, and has worked with several students that need help with their stress level now that they are in college.

“I get students all the time that are dealing with a lot of stress. Understandably and expectedly,” Caldwell said. “[But to deal with the stress] it really depends on the individual.”

Since each student that Caldwell encounters is different, she makes sure to ask them questions such as ‘what do you enjoy doing?’ and works from there. Identifying what makes a student happy and stress-free is just the beginning when it comes to stress management.

“It’s easy to say ‘I want to go hiking’ or ‘I want to practice my instrument’,” Caldwell said. “It’s very easy to plan to do that, but it’s much harder to actually do it.”

For students, stress can be something that holds them back from doing the activities they enjoy. Metzin Rodriguez, a freshman pre-chemical engineering student, learned how to say no in order to avoid overwhelming herself.

“This year, I’m learning that sometimes it is OK to say no. That maybe right now is not the right moment,” Rodriguez said. “It’s OK to step back and do whatever you feel like you’re going to be the most productive, and that you’re going to give that your everything.”

Rodriguez believes the most harmful thing a student can do is underestimate themselves.

“When I do bad on a test, I’m also thinking about my scholarships and GPA and I’m not going to be able to go to grad school.”

Whatever their concerns may be, OSU students do not need to handle their stress alone. Besides wellness and academic coaching, OSU has services within the Craft Center and Dixon Recreation Center that are free and available for students to relax and destress.