College & Stress Are Synonymous
Going off to college is usually the time people grow into adulthood and learn how to be out on their own. The stress of being away from home, coming into college with a newfound freedom, and managing school work can easily lead to feelings of anxiety and deficiency. College students must deal with many stressors during their paths and it is important that we know how to properly deal with them. I wanted to capture the anxiety of mid terms during the middle of the semester in college at Texas State University. I started photographing the behavior of students along with objects involved to depict different ways students cope with stress and anxiety on campus. In my experience, I saw how much students had in common in their behaviors, and I learned some major differences. My photographs of the situation are put into a series in order to compare the differences and similarities I experienced through chosen interactions that illustrate the positive outcomes. In my work I provide a conceptual representation to better represent the state of anxiety and stress in hopes viewers put their focus there. I wanted to include near and far compositions in order to give different positions to viewers that’ll cause them to feel more connected to some more than others. A close distance provides viewers with feelings of involvement and a further distance creates a feeling of separation. Taking a variety of photos will depict how students handle coping, and in doing so I wanted to make sure to capture detail and close-up photos.
The main objective of this exhibit is to capture and depict how college students in our society today survive the stressors of college and anxiety. This project will consist of ten photos that transition from black and white to photos in color. In doing so, I hope to portray the concept of how we start off organized and on track, but when pressure and stress is applied, we all cope and handle our issues in various different ways. I want to make the concepts that are organized in black and white to better illustrate simplicity, showing there’s no complexity involved yet. Applying filters that simply enhance color really show the distinct hues because I think color is key when presenting this specific series. When seeing books, papers, drinks, and snacks all piled everywhere all over the table, most people would become anxious and I think it’s important to capture those colorful aspects that add to it. Each photo represents variety and hopefully when people look back ten years from now, there will be better and healthier ways to deal with stressors and anxiety.
Settling into bed after a long day of class, extracurriculars, and studying is something everyone looks forward to. Things start off strongly with good time management for most students, yet students with a minimal work load tend to stay more organized.
This photo represents the organization and neatness of a student who isn’t stressed or under pressure with school work due to a light load of work for now. I took the photo from a Point of View shot to give my audience a perspective of what the student sees. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes creates feelings of intimacy that cause viewers to feel connected to them.
People who are less stressed tend to have more time to devote when it comes to focusing their attention on their health by drinking water and exercising. Exercise is a great way to work off steam mentally and physically, while also known to be a great stress reliever. In college you definitely learn how important your mental and physical health is.
This photo is presented in black and white to show simplicity. This topic isn’t meant to be deep, so taking it from a wide shot provides viewers with distance between them and the person in the photo. The shot I took it from adds height to the person in the photo and causes insecurity in the viewer, who is psychologically dominated by them.
Naps are held of high importance in college. An average school day requires you to be well rested, yet sometimes sleep is sacrificed to study and that’s where a napping schedule comes in. It is important to rest over staying up on caffeine because it is the healthier decision.
This photo is taken from a wide shot to provide viewers with a feeling of comfort and take them into mind of the character. In reality, letting someone up close in your face typically means we trust them or have some sort of relationship with them, therefore this creates feelings of intimacy toward naps and how much they’re valued.
As things start off, the work load is typically light when managing your time correctly. This photo portrays students studying in the library that come off as being calm and not under lots of stress.
I chose a wide/distanced angle to separate the viewers from those in the photo because they are unaware they are being photographed, causing viewers to feel concerned and really focus more on detail out of curiosity for what is being portrayed in the photo. The black and white filter portrays the simplicity of the moment.
A messy desk is presented here to show how as time progresses, work loads increase, and organizations grow more demanding. It is normal for a student to slack in areas such as organization and prioritizing health before schoolwork.
This photo is taken at an eye level shot to make viewers feel as if they are observing the scene directly. Some people become irritated by large messes and I want those who are to feel that irritation and stress by seeing the disorganization.
Caffeine and college go hand in hand for most students. At Texas State we have the options of Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Cafe’s who sell coffee as well. Sometimes there just isn’t time for that nap during the day and coffee after 2pm becomes a thing. I’ve noticed coffee isn’t just a morning thing here on campus and am a victim of it myself, yet I know that afternoon cup of coffee is the reason for much of my sleeplessness. Sometimes you have to prioritize whether you’d rather stay up late and get your work done just to be tired the next day or not. Most students learn that not consuming caffeine after one improves their sleep quality, yet it’s a risk we have to take sometimes.
I chose an oblique/low angle for this photo in order to focus on caffeine by adding height to it to depict its dominance over people and their use of it. This angle shows powerlessness toward the viewer who is the consumer.
Around exam week in college you’re more likely to find students cramming. The work load is never ending and there is always more to be done, therefore students search for a quick way to get focused easily. When being overworked and over scheduled, it can be hard for some students to focus. Prescription medications like Vyvanse and Adderall have become an increasingly popular result for this problem amongst students. Aside from that, we have students who self medicate as well. Non-prescribed drugs are always dangerous and it is risky that this is becoming normalized in our society. Hopefully, in the future there are better things to result to health wise.
In this photo I took it from a low angle to show that the medication my friend takes it what she relies on to keep her stable and it is dominant. She has prescribed medications, yet I want viewers to understand these things come with risk when they are not prescribed.
Aside from school a lot of students take on jobs to make ends meet to be able to live comfortably in college, and for other various reasons. Typically students work 10 to 15 hours on campus and have more academic success than students who work off campus. The balance of work and school work is a very difficult thing to do and takes a lot out of a person because it is stressful.
This photo was taken through the looking glass literally to depict the idea that viewers don’t know what college students, who juggle jobs as well, go through. The colors really give you the full scenario of anyone who’s walked into Starbucks. Now viewers may think twice about what the person making their beverage goes through.
Work hard. Play hard. Partying in college is something that is viewed as positive and negative in different students perspectives, yet doing something you enjoy is important to your happiness. Being happy is important for your mental health. Whether you find happiness in staying in watching Netflix, reading, playing games, or partying on the weekend, it is important that you do it. Treat yourself for working hard and balance your life out. It is just as important to make time for yourself as it is for your school work.
This photo represents students at a student organization getting their mind off of school and having some fun. This puts viewers on the outside as they see a room full of smiles and want to put themselves in the students shoes.
