Students Turn to Gaming for Relief from Midterm Stress

By Kevin Myers

Reporting Texas

“Sophomore Finance Major Bratt Dircio plays Tomb Raider during Video Game Day. The event was an event run by the Latinx Pop Lab as a study break for students.”

As students trudge through projects and exams at the height of midterms season, The Latinx Pop Lab hosted Video Game Day for students to take a break from their studies.

The Latinx Pop Lab , located on the fifth floor of Patton Hall, was organized by Professor Frederick Luis Aldama, known to his students as Professor Latinx. While it primarily focuses on Latinx representation in media, Aldama has also created a space for students to escape the pressures of college life. In addition to Video Game Day, the lab hosts a weekly “Unplugged” series aimed at combating tech addiction.

Professor Aldama was out of town during Video Game Day, but one of his teaching assistants, Rose Padilla, helped organize and run the event.

“Video games are always good escapism,” Padilla said. “Combining the gaming and the socialization aspect, by just playing games together, I think it really helps build community while also relieving that stress at school.”

The event was small in scale. There were just a handful of students around a table playing games on a classroom projector, but for those who came, it appeared to make an impact.

“As soon as I got here, I said hi and it felt inviting,” said Bratt Dircio, a sophomore finance major who attended the event.

Dircio doesn’t typically turn to gaming for escapism but approaches it like his studies – by practicing and studying the material. Still, he finds gaming to be therapeutic.

“It’s more relaxing,” he said. “You don’t have the external pressure of, oh my God, am I going to get a horrible grade on this?”

Experts say that reaching out for help when stress begins to feel overwhelming is important.

“Students have a lot that they’re balancing,” said Laura Kich, the Associate Director of Communication and Marketing for the UT Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC). “It’s important to get help because you’re not alone.”

The CMHC offers a range of services including a 24-7 crisis phone line to help students with mental health challenges. During the 2022 school year, over 46% of students who sought care at CMHC reported experiencing academic stress. 

For some students, relief can be as simple as connecting with others through a shared interest like gaming.

“We’re really just all about building community here,” Padilla said. “Having this type of open forum where people can come by for as long as they’re able to . . . I think it’s a really cool way to showcase the affordances that games have, which is, again, to build community.”