Midterms. Whether it is during the scheduled week the university specifies or a couple of weeks before or after the official date, every student deals with them.

Some have to write papers, others have extra worksheets and many have exams. An unfortunate few have to handle all of those together. However, Grand Valley State University has a toolset to help all students deal with any level of stress.

The most important thing to remember about stress is that it is normal. However, communication is key: if stress becomes overwhelming, one needs to understand that it might be necessary to contact someone. That contact could be a friend, classmate, professor or your resident assistant.

Milton Ramirez, a resident assistant at the Robinson Living Center, said RAs learn about the higher level of emotional crisis in midterm season during their training.

In situations where students may be too stressed out with school, work or personal issues, Ramirez said resident assistants work to refer students to resources that can best help them.

One resource that is specialized to work with students is the GVSU Counseling Center. Located in the second floor of the student services building, the counseling center is a free service that all currently registered GVSU students can use.

Students have access to an unlimited number of group counseling sessions, where they can meet with five to 10 group members. Here they can discuss various issues that they may need help with in a safe environment.

The center also offers individual counseling for students who are looking for a more confidential approach. These counseling sessions can be scheduled by visiting or calling the office.

While visiting the counseling center can prove useful to many students, it can be a daunting option. However, it is not the only option.

Christian Yap, a resident assistant at the VanSteeland apartments, said helping students with time management usually helps lower stress. He said a way to do this is by directing students to a tutor, or someone who can help them better manage their schoolwork.

Academic support is offered through a variety of options at GVSU. For general, class-to-class tutoring, students can request a tutor from the tutoring center. Tutors are available for most 100 and 200 level courses.

For help with papers or essays, the Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors can help students in any stage of the writing process, whether it is brainstorming or working on citations.

The Math and Stats Center also offers walk-in support for students who need aid with any level of math.

Besides academic and emotional help, students can also help lower stress by getting involved in programs in the community.

Yap said that the programs that he assembles for his residents are designed specifically to help them meet each other. If they have someone to talk to, they will feel much more comfortable. This is the first step in ensuring students have a safe place to decompress.

“It is our number one priority to make sure the residents are not stressed out to the point where they feel uncomfortable in their own homes,” Ramirez said.

Connecting with other students helps deal with many difficulties one may encounter, Yap said. Having a connection with other students that you can communicate with can help alleviate your problems, he said.

“You’re connecting with someone that feels the same stress as you,” Yap said. “We’re all in college, we’re all going through the same stress. If you can connect with someone, it makes you feel better.”