College offers tips for 'managing election stress'

Colleges are preparing American students for the porential emotional aspects of election results.

Point Park University sent out an infographic to students on "managing election stress."

Around the country, college students’ emotions are running high with Election Day finally here. 

Some universities sent messages to students, providing resources and tips on how to properly handle the 2020 election results.

Point Park University in Pittsburgh, for example, is preparing its students for “election stress.”

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An email sent to students from the university’s Counseling Center showcased numerous methods to manage Election Day stress. 

The message, obtained by Campus Reform, suggested that students “unplug” in an effort to calm electoral anxiety. 

“Try restricting news consumption, or assign periods of the day to election-free zones,’ one of the school’s suggestions reads. 

The school also provides potential actions a student can take to manage election stress, including one that suggests students “find ways to engage in your community through advocacy in ways that fit for you.”


Students attending Penn State-Behrend, a commonwealth campus of Penn State University, also received an email regarding the upcoming election. Dean Ralph M. Ford sent an email to students at the college with the subject “A Week That May Test Us,” warning them that “this week could be difficult for our country and even here at Behrend.”

“Whatever the outcome of tomorrow’s election, we can expect opinions and emotions to be all across the board,” Ford stated.

Ford asked students to remain peaceful and respectful in the email. 

[RELATED: VIDEO: College students defend looting, say riots ‘justified’]

“Whether your candidate for President wins or loses, I’m asking that you be calm, respectful, and civil in your interactions with your fellow students and others-in person and on social media,” Ford wrote. “We’re better as a community when we seek to listen and understand not argue and attack”

“Please do your part to make this a peaceful, productive week,” Ford concluded.

A student at Penn State-Behrend, who requested to remain anonymous, shared thoughts with Campus Reform about the email and post-election expectations. 

“I thought on the surface it [the email] sounded good, but I kind of know he is doing it to cover his butt,” the student said. 

“If Trump wins, there will be riots like no other. If Biden wins, I don’t think there will be riots right away. But if he starts taking away our freedoms, I could see conservatives being fed up and starting to fight back.”

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @logandubil