The Runner Staff

Responsibilities outside of school are causing many higher education students to suffer from stress. When those responsibilities include caring for others that depend on them, the stress is even greater.

“Just knowing that you’re here and you are doing this to benefit your life and hers, but knowing that you’re not spending as much time as you’d like to and not getting to see her grow on the day-to-day basis, that’s the hardest part,” said CSUB senior communications major Michael Hernandez.

Hernandez is one of many students on campus who are also parents.

He said being a student makes it difficult for him to be away from his daughter while he attends his classes.

“Now that she’s older I realize that I would rather get an education and spend a few hours away from her to give her a better life,” said freshman liberal studies major Guadalupe Duran.

After taking some time off to take care of her daughter, Duran decided to return to school, although she recognizes that there are stressful times where it’s difficult to control her patience.

“Sometimes when I’m trying to study and she does ask questions I do seem to get a little irritated, but I remind myself that she’s little and she doesn’t know,” said Duran. “I just try to slightly tell her, ‘oh let’s go and do something over here,’ to distract her from asking me so many questions so I can do my work.”

To help relieve stress, Angela Hupp, health psychologist and professor at CSUB recommends that all students, regardless of their responsibilities as parents and students, set time aside for entertainment.

“Children are very good at playing. That’s their jobs,” said Hupp. “I would encourage student parents to listen to their children more about that if the child wants to play to find a little 20 minutes in the day you could actually break away from what you’re doing and play and just really find that inner joy and positivity within you that will carry you through the day.”

Duran said she recommends to those students, who are also parents, to utilize their free time adequately.