Moving into college is a major transition in a student’s life and it can bring about a lot of life stressors. Moving in and adjusting to the college lifestyle can be more difficult for some than others, but regardless there is a lot more freedom for students to make their own choices and do as they please. In some cases, students do not necessarily know what to do with this new freedom and can fall into a variety of habits that range from positive to negative such as studying, exercising, partying, or drug use. Research has supported that certain lifestyles, specifically drug use and stress, can have significant effects on how well one performs academically. For example, researchers found that stress had a negative effect on academic performance
It is because of these obligations that many students develop stress related disorders such as anxiety or depression. Current research supports the need for a program such as Fit for 15. Shearer, Hunt, Chowdhury, & Nicol (2016) of the University of Pennsylvania researched and studied the effects of being mindful of stressors on college students. College students undergo a high level of stress, and if it is not properly managed, an individual can have more serious mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, or emotional coping outlets (Shearer, Hunt, Chowdhury, & Nicol, 2016). Effects of depression and anxiety onset by stress can be detrimental to a student’s performance. It is associated with an increase in absenteeism, school failure, substance abuse, and suicide (Hysenbegasi,
For many, the college years are not only to pursue education in your chosen field but also a time to gain independence and practice the decision making process. For some, that decision includes moderate to heavy alcohol consumption. Some students can easily handle the amount of time spent socializing and taking time away from their studies; however, the majority of students’ academic performance suffers greatly from alcohol consumption.
The literature on college binge drinking and student’s academic performance are for the most part; focused on an essential constituent or characteristic that has been revealed. During the past ten months, research has become an essential basis in regards to college binge drinking and the effects said behavior is having on those college students who choose to over-indulge. Given the situation over the literature pertaining to college binge drinking and poor academic grades, it is important to ask if such research is assisting college students in proper alternatives when choosing to consume alcohol (College Drinking, 2005). In order for success; college students must put in the effort; and participate in surveys,
Deans, professors, and those entrusted with the nation’s children tolerate the fraternity rushes and the beer consumption at football games as an inevitable part of campus life (Califano, “Tolerating a Culture of Substance Abuse”, “Why Students Drink and Take Drugs”). Students report that they take drugs to manage stress: “CASA surveyed a nationally representative sample of 2,000 students, who said they did so to relieve stress, relax, have fun, forget their problems and be one of the gang” (Califano, “Why Students Drink and Take Drugs”). Yet, taking drugs to manage stress seems to have the opposite effect. Drug and alcohol use is “linked to poor student academic performance, depression, anxiety, suicide, property damage, vandalism, fights and a host of medical problems” (Califano, “Tolerating a Culture of Substance Abuse”).
It's a time in your life where you have to take a chance. It might set you back or lift you up where you need to be in life. If you don't take that risk you will never know what would've happen and you don't want to live with that. I risked it all when I chose to come to Clark Atlanta University because it's far from my hometown which is Darlington, South Carolina. When I moved to Atlanta I risked being away from my family and having to adjust to a new environment.
Difficulty meeting academic responsibilities is one of the most common consequences of drug use and abuse. The relationship between drug use/abuse and the academic performance of college students rises every year that causes a critical issue on Colleges and Universities campus. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) Task Force on College Drug reports that about 25 percent of college students report academic problems caused by drug use, such as earning lower grades, doing poorly on exams or papers, missing class dramatically, and falling behind. However, the history of drug abuse has been rooted in the early stages of life. Drug use/abuse has been classified as a major problem of students as early as in the fourth grade. Consequently, it
Alcohol use among college students has always been a popular subject among teachers, parents, researchers, and even students. The actual act of drinking alcohol is not necessarily the problem, whether legal or not. The main problem is the act of binge drinking of college students, of age or not. Drinking modest amounts of alcohol may have some consequences, but binge drinking has more negative consequences than normal modest drinking. There are many examples as to the consequences that binge drinking can cause to college student’s lives, but one of the main consequences that students face as a result of frequent drinking is poor academic final grades.
When the health behavior within a population of students has the result of less than desirable consequences, the promotion of behavioral change that will improve this type of conduct must have consideration. The high use of alcohol that has become rooted in college culture, with particular attention to binge drinking, is a destructive practice of concern. Despite this high-risk indulgence being one of the major sources of physical injury among college students (Karam, Kypros & Salamoun, 2007), it would be remiss not to ponder the toll this takes on students academically as well. Through missed study time, absenteeism and poor effort on assignments, course work will invariably suffer. Perhaps worse of all, from an academic standpoint, binge drinking results in cognitive dysfunction (Kotler, 2005).
According to Skidmore, Kaufman and Crowell (2016), “substance use in college students is associated with poor academic performance, unintentional injuries, health problems, heightened rates of engagement in other risky behaviors, legal problems, increased risk of substance use and abuse in adulthood, and mortality” (p. 736). When analyzing higher education substance abuse programs, it is essential to have an understanding of the facts about college student substance abuse, including the dangers of substance abuse, the types of
College represents a form of higher learning. For many, it is also a time for personal growth as we transition into adulthood. This in itself is a stressful situation as one must make drastic adjustments to a new role, environment, and demands. Stress is a major contributor to the development of mental and emotional issues (Rodgers, L., Tennison, L. 2009). Research has been done to determine the impact of depression and anxiety on university students. It has been
Are you an Obstacle to Change? The change for the implementation of moving freshman students in prior to the other students starting their freshman year.
College is a time of extreme stress due to societal and parental pressures. College students have expectations they have to live up to in order to fulfill and satisfy the needs of both their parents and society. Stress is expressed through a variety of symptoms that can be hazardous to student’s physical and mental health. With such high expectations to do well during college, students may become sleep deprived, which impairs mental capacity, but sleep deprivation is only one of a vast array of symptoms. Stress is present in all aspects of life and there are multiple causes of stress, especially, during the college period which may present itself through many symptoms, but with stress, there are also various coping methods to help students
Anxiety and Depression disorders are two of the most common mental disorders in the United States (Falsafi, 2016). It appears that the two disorders are widespread amongst college students and most cannot manage the high demands and stress (Falsafi, 2016). Therefore, they feel more prone to depression and anxiety (Falsafi, 2016). According to the authors Miller & Chung, mental health amongst college students in the United States is a growing public health concern and educators are concerned about the low academic performance of college students and how it influences their mental health (Miller, & Chung, 2009). Research indicates that university students suffer with low grades and poor academic performances, while trying to manage depression and anxiety (Falsafi, 2016). With the consistence of higher drop out rates, it is imperative that colleges and universities create programs that assist students with managing their depression and anxiety to help them through their education.
Over the years many studies have been conducted to determine what creates stress and how college students can cope with stress. Stressors in a student’s life can be created through personal, educational and social experiences. A student faces many experiences while transitioning from high school, to college, and into adulthood. These experiences include: living arrangements, personal finances, important career decisions, experiences of failure, interpersonal relationships, and personal finances. These stressors involved with daily hassles can create an unhealthy high pressure environment which makes stress for college students inevitable. During one study, researchers found that physical activity throughout a student’s life can increase one’s stress tolerance and positively cope with stressors (Bland, Melton, Bigham, & Welle, 2012).
Thus, the college years have developed into a time for finding oneself. Alcohol and drug abuse provide a means to conceal feelings of insecurity that arise from the students uncertainty of themselves. Substance abuse acts as a stress reducer through the beginning stages of college.