The night before an exam I lock myself in my room for hours, only to emerge convinced I am going to fail and be kicked out of school.

My calendar haunts me. I look at it, and my eyes are drawn to the date marked "exam." I think about the unread chapters, the notes I have yet to copy from a friend and the seemingly incomprehensible subject material.

A very real fear sets in. My heart pounds. My breath comes too quickly, and my hands turn to ice. I throw open my bedroom door and yell at my roommates to turn down the T.V. that is suddenly too loud.

Things are getting out of control! I can't take this anymore!

Most publications that educate people about stress say these often distressing emotions have healthy aspects. They challenge us, make us work hard and perform our best.

While this is true to an extent, those emotions are sometimes so forceful they lead to serious physical and mental problems. Stress is just as much a part of the college experience as notebooks, professors and parties.

Grades, extracurricular activities and other responsibilities are important, but we must realize that stress is dangerous and help is available.

Stress has been linked to migraine headaches, respiratory disease and heart disease, according to Priorities for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, by Gerald C. Hyner and Christopher L. Melby. Sleepless nights or even thoughts of suicide clearly outweigh the healthy aspects of stress.

The majority of hospital beds in the United States are occupied by people being treated for diseases or accidents directly related to stress. Eight to 10 million Americans suffer from ulcers of the stomach and intestines as a result of stress, according to the book.

Last semester, I spent a week in the hospital because of stomach pains. As soon as I was admitted, my doctor ordered a series of tests to determine if the severe pain I had been experiencing for the past weeks was the result of an ulcer or other stress-related disorder.

Luckily, it wasn't, but that night, my father sat on the edge of my bed and said in the most serious tone I have ever heard from him, "If this is a result of stress, we're going to have a serious talk. There is nothing you have to feel pressured about."

I disagree. College students have plenty to stress out about.

Stress often results from an overload of responsibilities, ranging from demanding class schedules to extracurricular activities to part- time jobs. We worry about our GPA's and our social lives at the same time. With too many demands, we spread ourselves too thin.

Consequently, no task receives enough attention and no final product is the best it could have been. This leads to depression, guilt, frustration, anger and anxiety, according to the book.

Those feelings can be compounded by parents and students who expect good grades in every course. This extra pressure can lead to the more dangerous stress-related health risks.

Good grades are important. A high GPA may lead to greater employment opportunities after graduation.

But what good is done if a student is hospitalized because he or she worked too hard to achieve a 4.0 GPA? Nothing, neither a bad grade nor the threat of a bad grade, is worth getting physically ill.

Talking to someone, either a professional or a friend, can help relieve stress. When I came to the decision last week to drop my toughest class, I called home and talked to my mom and dad.

I told them I was unhappy and under a lot of pressure to do well in that class. I was spending so much time on work for that class, I was neglecting the others.

The effect of that neglect showed when I got my exams back from those "less important" courses. I began to worry about how I could bring up those grades and still put enough work into the "important" one.

My mom and dad told me what I already knew -- drop the class. All I really needed was someone to tell me everything was going to be alright.

Stress, pressure and anxiety may be a part of the college experience, but it can be dealt with before it leads to hospitalization.

I will always remember my dad's very true statement: "You're going to school to get an education, not prove you can maintain a 4.0."