The anticipation for homecoming season runs high around the beginning of October at Florida A&M University. At the first feeling of brisk weather in Tallahassee, the expectancy begins for the renowned tradition celebrated by students and alumni alike.
With much excitement and anticipation comes many other side effects. In the age of social media, students are exposed to the ideologies and lifestyles of their peers with different mental conditions, financial circumstances and social statuses. These are the catalysts to an array of mental and emotional stresses that any student can succumb to.
Students deal with these stressors differently through prior experience, employing tunnel vision to stay focused on their academic responsibilities.
Kajari Sa-ra, an engineering major, said, “I have not even acknowledged homecoming yet. I have just been stressing about my tests. Once I get past those hurdles, maybe I will start thinking about homecoming around Thursday.” When asked about his excitement for the season, Sa-ra said, “I don’t think I will enjoy it.”
Camille Crump, a mechanical engineering major, said,” I only plan things after all my exams are done. During the week I prioritize my schoolwork and I love my eight hours of sleep, so I’ll probably just go to the game and maybe something else if I’m up for it.”
Unlike some students with optimism for the week after handling their school priorities, others are not looking forward to this week and are feeling the weight of their school schedules overshadowing their homecoming experience.
Samantha Sherman, a computer engineering major, said, “I am honestly not excited about homecoming this year. My teachers decided to schedule all of my mid-terms this week knowing that we have homecoming. It is also hard financially alongside all of these quizzes this week.”
Ryan Benn, a first-year biomedical engineering major, says he feels more stress than excitement this week.
“I am just constantly stressed. Every time I walk around, I realize there is so much more that I need to do right now. Even when I finish the tests that I am currently prepping for,” he said, “I know that I still have more work to do, specifically writing this English paper due at the end of this week.”
Homecoming has been known for its celebratory energy and nostalgia, but the pressures to balance the attention that their studies demand can create a very conflicted experience for some students. This trend is nothing new to the student body at Florida A&M and is seemingly a mainstay for FAMU culture.