Cerritos College students claim to feel tired, stressed and anxious as midterms are approaching. While some students have taken advantage of the support offered by the college to sustain their mental health, others have not.

According to the JED Foundation, 63% of college students in the U.S. have reported a decline in their mental health since the pandemic started, and about 59% of those students question their ability to care for their mental health.

A majority of the sources interviewed for this article chose to remain anonymous.

“You’re like almost zoned out from the world around you because you’re trying to get that focus,” said a Cerritos College anthropology major. “You almost lose that sense of self.”

Students noted that the emotions that are brought on by school are overcomable. A majority know about the mental health resources that are available on campus but choose not to use them.

“I think schools are doing a good job of supporting our mental health, a lot of students know what is out there but don’t go for the help,” said student Andrew Galvan, who has yet to decide a major. “It’s really up to the student if they want to get help and talk about things.

Students that have used mental health resources that are available to them have said that they found it very helpful. Some students stated they participated in these programs last year when the off-campus mandate was instated.

Due to the hesitance of individuals to seek out help, students believe that education institutions should do more.

“Weekly mental evaluations should be mandatory on campus, there are a lot of students that struggle from different mental health illnesses and especially now with the pandemic,” said a Cerritos College nursing major. “Mental health is really important, it can affect your physical health as well. If the school could bring more awareness and do something weekly or even daily that would be great.”

Many students feel that instructors undergo the same stress they do, and suggested that the school offers services to the faculty on campus as well.

“I think something should be offered to teachers, we are all human. Teachers are just as important as us, They should have some of the same resources we do,” said the nursing student.

Since returning to campus some students have felt their stress levels slightly decrease regarding school work and midterms. Students are stressed, but it does not entirely stem from midterms coming up.

“I feel better coming to campus because I’m away from my own room and I can step out and focus more. The only problem with that is that due to COVID, , I do not know who I can sit next to or not and that stress level comes back.” said the anthropology student.

According to NBC News, remote students are more prone to stress compared to students who have returned to campus.

Hybrid students mention feeling closer to their teacher when they see them on campus, yet not feeling fully confident or comfortable approaching them due to the COVID-19 cases that have surfaced.

One Cerritos College student shared her concerns on how many people’s social skills were affected by the pandemic, adding additional stress to students. Several students mentioned feeling like they can not have a student-teacher relationship with their professors due to remote learning.

Now that some students have returned to campus, they indicated they would like for Cerritos College to do more activities. Encouraging students to socialize and familiarize themselves with their campus.

Students undergoing severe stress are encouraged to find coping strategies to find relief. Other services available to students are the mental health crisis support line and mental health screening services.