6 THE VOICE, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 2013 EDITOR NIALL SHANNON lewpoints Don't fret get help was a perfectionist in high school. ; Convinced I would never do well enough, I’d leave assignments until the last possible moment because they made me so anxious. I’d have panic attacks in the morn- ing when my assignments weren’t done. Eventually my parents forced me into counseling because they could see how badly I was hurting. Thank goodness they did. With that help, I managed to push through and graduate at the end of the year. I started my undergrad away from home full of hope, positivity and a sizable chunk of delusion. While being optimistic wasn’t wrong, my mistake was telling myself anxiety was a thing of the past, some- thing I had “gotten over.” Eventually T returned to self-sabotage. I was so afraid of failing I couldn’t even try — and so I failed three classes. I barely passed others. It seems backwards that I failed because I was afraid of failing, but that’s what happened. Thit rock bottom. I was depressed, sleeping all day, barely eating and never leaving my room. I knew I needed counseling again. It was through the help I got there I managed to get back on my feet and gain some perspective. Anxiety and depression resulting from school stress are nothing to be ashamed of. So many students feel being anxious or depressed means they haven’t been able to hack it, that they’re disappointments. Seeking help when you feel like that is an incredibly brave thing to do. Admitting you’re in pain is strength, not weakness. Getting over school stress once doesn’t mean it won’t come back again, and that’s OK, too. Counseling can help you realize your stress triggers and signs and find effective ways of dealing with them. You don’t have to be at your worst before you seek help. There is no required amount of stress you have to feel before it’s acceptable to get counseling. Even regular check-ins when youw’re feeling fine can keep you balanced. Allow yourself to acknowledge that your stress is real and meaning- ful, and you'll come out the other side a more self-aware and happier person. OPINION VANESSA SZPURKO We want to hear from you Did we get a fact wrong? Tell us. Got a different point of view? Write to us. Problems with something we've said? Let us know. Journalism instructor Ethan Baron oversees The Voice. Email him at ebaron@langara.be.ca Do your own damn essay all-nighter: staring desper- WW: all pulled the odd ately at a blank Word document at 2:35 in the morning next to a lukewarm cup of coffee. Even the most vigilant student has felt the pressure of writing a 3,000 word essay about something as obscure as 18th Century French literature. So something like Perfect- essay.ca seems like the most ideal service: a plagiarism-free, expertly written, customized essay for a discounted price of $13.45 a page. What a dream! It’s also incredibly dishonest. An education isn’t simply about passing; it’s about growing yourself as a person, being chal- lenged by challenging experiences. The stress, the worry, the pressure, all of it is unpleasant but ultimately very valuable to you not just as a student but also as a person in general. Services like this offer the easy route, just put some cash down and get a passing grade. However, life does not offer such easy options post-graduation unless you want to get into the illegal and unethical world of bribery. No matter how much they describe their services as “authen- tic” and plagiarism free, sites and services like Perfectessay.ca are still inherently dishonest and encourage laziness Don’t get me wrong, I’ve turned in some awful essays under the pressure of a deadline. However, even in that negative experience we can learn about managing our time, the consequenc- es of slacking off. AS well, don’t forget that there are places on campus that can help you with writing your essays; our own library has seminars that help the struggling student both research and give writing tips for their essays. So, chug that coffee, rack your brain, and write your essay. It might feel like hell on earth, but it will keep you honest, and help you in the long term. “x OPINION NIALL SHANNON WITH SOMEONE ELSE WALTING NOUR PADER. VWOOLL HAVE uote TIME TO @MATY DON’) LET USADLENES BANE. SOU MAKING DEALS WITH THE OENTLL : Adisten Pa Harpula Students: cut your debts before you sink e’re told Millennials are YY esiccnsaes self-indulgent and lack work ethic. They have irrationally high job expecta- tions and are optimistic to the point of delusion. They anticipate a starting salary twice the national OPINION TAMARA ENGLISH average upon graduation and paying off their student loans ~— averaging $34,886 in B.C. — in a few short years. Of course they do. They’ve been sold a bill of goods. Education debt is good debt they’re told — by governments that have steadily shifted the funding burden onto students. Since 1985 the portion of university operating budgets funded by government has fallen from 81 to 55 per cent. Government loan programs have been similarly gutted. Just 20 years ago, 40 per cent of my student loan was a bursary, not to be repaid. Banks went from refusing students credit cards to targeting them as a lucrative demographic. Employers became risk-averse. No longer willing to train a freshly- educated graduate, they want the finished product. Unpaid internships have become the norm. Entry-level jobs, which baby boomers say Millennials must do to “pay their dues,” are an endangered species. Margaret Wente in a recent Globe and Mail column touted her first $28,000 a year job as the example of what today’s graduate must be ready to accept. A job she admitted is now extinct because technology has made it so. And the parents and grandpar- ents telling youth to pay their dues? They’re probably still in the work- force. Mandatory retirement is a thing of the past. None of which young people can do much about. Except this: Do whatever possible to minimize debt. Borrow the absolute minimum needed to pay for school — not a lifestyle. And when you graduate, go where the work is. If you’ve chosen a path for love not financial rewards, respect. But it’s much easier to sustain that love when a collection agency doesn’t have you on speed dial. The Voice is published by Langara College's journalism department. Editorial opinions are those of the staff and are independent of views of the student government and administration. We welcome letters to the editor. All letters must be signed. They may be edited for brevity. Names may be withheld in special cases, but your letter must include your name and phone number. HOW TO REACH US PHONE 604-323-5396 FAX 604-323-5398 E-MAIL thevoice@langara.be.ca DROP-IN Room A226 Langara College There is a mailbox at the entrance to the journalism rooms. SNAIL MAIL The Voice 100 West 49th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. VSY 226 WEBSITE wwwilangaravoice.com EDITORIAL STAFF THIS ISSUE: MANAGING EDITOR/ PAGE 6 Niall Shannon PAGE EDITORS PAGE 1 Brenna Brooks PAGE 2 Deanna Cheng PAGE 3 Warren Jane PAGE 4 James McLaughlin PAGE 5 Kayla lsomura PAGE 7 Angela Holubowich PAGE 8 Marie Del Cid WEB EDITORS Jesse Adamson Dana Bowen Ben Bulmer Patrick Colvin Garin Fahlman Kristen Harpula Brian Horstead REPORTERS Bill Everitt Amy Jones Tricia Lo Andrea Anthony Nick Eagland Tamara English Tyler Hooper Jesse Lam Jenny Peng Nadim Roberts Vanessa Szpurko Glen Truax Kendra Wong Copy Editors Quin Mel-Cobb Jana Minor Kelci Nicodemus Photo Editor Puneet Dhami Contact us: Online at langaravoice.com Twitter at @langaraVoice