Violet Howes, 20, music major

“I guess the compilation of homework and parking,” Howes said. “The homework stresses me out because I strive to be a straight A student, so if I forget to do an assignment or I do the bare minimum, I don’t feel great.”

“The parking is stressful because I don’t want to be late to class.”

Does it affect your performance in school?- “If I’m late and I can’t find parking on a day where I have a performance, I’m already stressed out so it affects how I feel before but doesn’t really affect the performance.”

Is stress necessary to get things done? Yes or no and why?- “[stress] is necessary for some things because you have to push yourself. I think in high school you have a bunch of authority figures telling you what to do, but in college you have to tell yourself what to do. Stress provides that outside pressure.”

Darynne Sato, 17, undecided major

“Tests and time management, I’m not a good test taker, and I procrastinate,” Sato said. I probably procrastinate on 90% of my assignments so it’s kind of my fault. I stress myself out.”

Does it affect your performance in school?- “Yes, there’a a cycle of procrastination, stressing myself out, and then not doing as well because of the stress.”

Is stress necessary to get things done? Yes or no and why?- “I won’t do an assignment, usually, until it’s the day before and I haven’t started on it. So the stress motivates me.”

Courtney Veygrasset, 18, communication studies/business major

“Getting everything in on time in it’s best form because I work really hard whether it’s in math, English, or political science. I find that I actually want to benefit from and understand the things I do in school rather than just learning them,” Veygrasset said. “But understanding takes time. I want to make sure I’m able to give my best work. I’m very self-disciplined. If I need it done it will be done. I also have a schedule where I do little bits each day and try not to get behind.”

Does it affect your performance in school?- “Sometimes when I’m taking a test, I get nervous that I won’t do as well if I didn’t fully understand it when I was studying. And even when I study it and understand it, sometimes the test is different than I expected, and that also stresses me out.”

Is stress necessary to get things done? Yes or no and why?- “Stress is necessary for juice to keep you going, but I think too much stress can be really difficult to deal with.”

Lenuka Senaratna, 18, political science major

“The idea that I won’t be able to be the best,” Senaratna said. “The quality of my work too, I constantly wonder whether it’s good enough, even up until the second I turn in an essay I’m going to think it’s not good enough.”

Does it affect your performance in school?- “Not really, I think that stress drives me. Especially because my stress is focused on not being able to be the best, stress drives me to keep pushing myself.”

“There’s nothing like the feeling of having an essay due at midnight when it’s 11 p.m. That’s when I write the best.”

Is stress necessary to get things done? Yes or no and why?- “Yes, stress is your mind’s way of telling you that you’re not finished and there’s room for improvement.”

Rebecca Zeitzew, 18, applied mathematics major

“Time management stresses me out the most, I think,” Zeitzew said. “Getting things done quickly while getting them done well can be hard to balance.”

Does it affect your performance in school? “No, I think that if anything it gives me the extra push I need to get things done.”

Is stress necessary to get things done? Yes or no and why? “Yes! Stress for me plays the role of motivator. There is such thing as a healthy amount of stress.”