Negative Stress In College Students

Mental disorders are as common among college students as same-aged non-students, and these disorders seem to be growing in amount and severity. It is not unusual for undergraduate students to experience varying levels of anxiety, depression, and stress during their matriculation; some college students experience academic stressors as well as non-academic stressors. Non-academic stressors could include seemingly obvious issues like moving away from family for the first time or some issues that may be harder to recognize like private health concerns. Dr. Richard Kadison, chief of mental health services at Harvard University and author of “College of the Overwhelmed” reported that almost 50% of college students are likely to suffer some degree of

According to Lupien, McEwan, Gunnar, and Heim (2009), going off to college involves significant adjustments to their daily routines; sleeping and eating habits, time-management skills, and stress levels will be altered in one way or another. First-year students have to adjust to the new school environment, different social settings, and new schedules, all without the help and guidance from their parents, who have been there for them for eighteen years. Over 30% of college freshman report that they feel overwhelmed (Klainberg, Ewing, & Ryan, 2010), where some students even opt to work as they juggle their class and work schedules. Some students work at a job or study harder than others, but they are all trying to get degrees so maybe one day they will have meaningful and significant lives. It is a constant struggle for everyone who is trying desperately to make him or herself into a success. And every college student wants to be involved in society in a positive manner, allowing contribution of their ideals and values to others.

Regis College’s number one health concern is stress. The problem has come to be, due to the fact that students come from home, where their parents provided them with guidance, to a situation where they are independent. They have personal responsibility and it may not be completely straightforward for some people. Everyone’s experience is different, but each student experiences stress in some way. The competition for grades, the high expectations, relationships, future career choices, and several other aspects found in the college environment, can lead to stress. Going to college requires changes in daily routine. This includes sleeping adjustments, eating habits, time-management skills, balancing of relationships and several other changes.

Many American students who graduate school seeking a higher education through college and or technical school is typically idolized amongst families and peers. Unfortunately, college has become extremely expensive for those living in the middle and lower class households. Many students often apply for student loans to compensate for what scholarships and federal financial aid to do not cover, such as the expenses of tuition, books, room and boarding fee. The stress of financial aid alone often interferes with a student’s ability to successfully learn. College students often face restless nights. They sometimes become over ecstatic about distractions relating to their social status concerning how much income they receive and their interpersonal relationships with their peers. The use of recreational drugs and alcohol often interfere with a college students’ amount of rest. In being in college students often spend their weekends and free time with their peers where they will engage in drinking alcohol to the point of intoxication and smoking marijuana, both substances impair an individual’s mind and body. A college student often experiences educational and person stressors such as, family and relationship issues and effectively completing assignments, which interfere directly with the amount of sleep they may receive. A combination of social pressures and educational stressors to depression and or mental instability can expose a student to depression and or mental

Generally speaking, college requires a lot more effort from students than high school. Once you begin your college career, you will see that student’s are more motivated, professors are more demanding, and the workload is a lot more difficult. These academic standards are even more visible in graduate school. Now, although college is filled with adventurous opportunities, it can also be filled with stress. In other words, as a result of everything going on, it’s more common for college students to experience higher levels of stress related to school, work, finance, and in some cases, relationships.

College students are showing greater levels of stress, anxiety and depression, and signs show the trend will become worse. The bottom line is that college students are already facing a mental health crisis. To quote one source “Statistical trends related to depression are hard to come by, but most experts agree that depression rates in the United States and worldwide are increasing.” (citation). Much of today’s research shows that college students today have greater levels of stress than any time in history. Stress can be good if it motivates, but it's bad if it wears an individual down. Many factors can contribute to the stress that one experiences, and this stress can cause changes in the body that affect an individual's overall physical, mental, and emotional health. The ramifications of this kind of stress are affecting the mental health of college students everywhere. Another social stress that can cause pressure on an individual and cause mental health issues is an unhappy living situation. Families living in poverty can suffer severe mental issues. This social issue is a common one that many people in today's society face. The World Health Organization has described poverty as the greatest cause of

According to The Effects of Stress on the Lives of Emerging Adult College Students: An Exploratory Analysis by Justin W. Peer, Stephen B. Hillman, and Emma Van Hoet, created a study to answer the question of how stress affects college students. In their research they discovered that stress had both negative and positive effects and how the students coped with it.One of the students studied admitted to feeling

Deciding to go to college is the hardest decision a student can make and the most stressful. Caused by many reasons, the stress is present whether one is in their first year of college or their last. Deciding to attend college is frightening for students; this is because it means going into the world and growing up. Along with the decision come a number of stressful responsibilities and changes that a student has to put up with. The reasons for so much stress fall into one of three categories: academic stress, which has anything to do with studying for classes, financial stress, which has to do with paying for school, and personal stress. Many students experience stress, and they have to combine their busy lives and the demands of college and still make time for themselves. We all experience stress in college getting ready for exams, completing papers, or adjusting to college life. We all know that being stressed for a long time may cause health issues. Although stress can be harmful at times, it can also be good and stimulating. Stress can also be good, because of facing new challenges helps students grow up and learn new things. Dealing with academic and personal stressors is the hardest part about college, and it will interfere with personal life and help experiment life’s options.

There are numerous stress factors college students encounter while striving to complete their educational goals. Their grades may be affected by daily life situation stressors that accumulate throughout the semester. Students’ financial needs, lack of social support, family drama, and other various circumstances can all mount up to a tremendous amount of stress and may result in poor grades and lack of collected credits. In fact, stress continues to be a constant issue in people’s lives, (Holmes & Rahe, 1967; Viner, 1999) and these “life demands stressors” are unavoidable and can be overwhelming which directly or indirectly relate to individuals underperforming because of psychological and physiological symptoms

It is quite evident that the life of a college student is rigorous to say the least. Getting acclimated to college is a challenge. Being surrounded by many opportunities of academic excellence as well as social atmosphere and temptations out of this world can cause major conflicts. At the tender age of 18-24, one may experience the most amount of stress possible in a lifetime. Many studies have shown that the mental health of college students is analyzed due to the high expectations of society, and the constant competition that is life.

According to author Micheal F. Shaughnessy, one of the biggest stressors for college students is school related. The transition for a freshman student moving away from home for the first time can be stressful especially if it is their first time away from home or if they move to another state where they do not know anyone. Student may have trouble managing school, work and managing

Having considered the seriousness of stress, there are many solutions that must take place in order to allow students to feel relieved from the issue. One solution that a university in North Carolina has taken is to promote social networking. Beth Howard from the U.S. News reported that Wake Forest University aims to have successful students, minus all of the inessential stress. The quad at Wake Forest University allows students to enjoy each student’s company and ease their mind from school, according to Beth Howard. Activities that students can partake in at Wake Forest University’s quad are Frisbee, football, reading magazines, and engaging in music, as stated by Beth Howard. In addition to the fun activities, the quad also offers a

Students’ state of mental and emotional health will contribute to the way that stress manifests and presents itself, once he or she enters college. “The emerging categories related to sleep and health problems could be a manifestation of a general increasing level of stress and psychopathology” (Murphy and Archer 26). There are a great number of studies, both past and on going, of stress and college students which have mainly focused on academics, personal relationships, finance and family status. A more in depth look has revealed that students with emotional disorders or those of poor health are even more ill equipped to

The impact of stress among college students may have a negative impact on the student’s psychological health. Research indicates that depression rates in college students have been increasingly rising over the years. In 2012, a study was conducted by the National Survey of Counseling Centers which resulted in 91% of the researchers found an increase in students with psychological needs. To resolve college students’ stressors, Surgeon General and additional research studies propose that students who are more active exhibit a decrease in stress, anxiety, and depression. In order to improve and retain a healthy lifestyle, physical activity

Stress is a part of everyone's life. A certain amount of stress is to be expected in daily life, but too much stress may be harmful. The stages towards adulthood have been characterized with many transitions and challenges. For some young women and men, a challenge that poses a possible stressor is attending college, which has been linked to increased stress for emerging adults. It is argued that emerging adults' entrance into higher education includes both opportunities and risks. It is argued that emerging adults' entrance into higher education includes both opportunities and risks. The topic of stress effects on the brain seems the most interesting to me because of how much stress a college student, as well as others, can endure. Stress affects a person both mentally and physically. Your mind perceives a situation and decides whether that situation is a threat. If it seems threatening, it becomes a stressor. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, stress is simply defined as the brain’s response to any demand and can take a variety of different forms. Although the concept of stress is individualized, stress plays a role in everyday life and can stem from mental, emotional, and physical activity. In an article written by Grant S. Shields and George M. Slavich (2017), the history of stress and its methods and mechanisms of research were provided. In the mid 1800s, a French physiologist named Claude Bernard came up with a concept called “milieu interieur”,