The Effects Of Stress On College Campuses

Leaving High School, I thought I was prepared to go into college. I knew how difficult college was going to be. So i told myself I would do my homework the day it was assigned, I would go to the tutors if i needed help, and I would study more to succeed. But one thing I did not prepare myself for was, how to overcome stress and anxiety. According to an article, “Stress in College: Experts Provide Tips to Cope” by Megan Reed, “…30% of students reported that stress had negatively affected their academic performance within the past year, and over 85% had felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do at some point within the past year.”(National Health Assessment) This report really captivated me because 30%

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.

Like many of the questionnaires utilized for research in the articles used for this literature review, it was anonymous, and administered and collected during class. This form of data collection provided high turn in rates allowing researchers to have a wide study scale. According to Hicks, T., & Heastie, S., contrasting levels of stress and coping mechanisms were present in these students. It was noted that traditional college students experience more psychological stress than their nontraditional student counterparts. In addition, during the first year of college, the amount of stress experienced by students is the highest in comparison to stress in the remainder of the years. These results are especially important because it stresses the need for a strong health and wellness center within colleges and universities.

Stress is unavoidable, no matter the situation, location, or time; stress is always present. Stress is found in higher levels during the duration in which students attend college. It is predictably higher among college students, freshmans in particular, because of the extreme expectations set upon them by their parents and, of course, society. The need to please their parents, longing for success in life, and being able to sustain a reasonable income in the future, all of which falls into the hands of college students who are making critical decisions which may decide the outcome for a large portion of their lives. If these students end up hating their future jobs, the stress of having to go back into college to study for a new career

One of the most common issues that affect college students on campus are mental health conditions, such as stress, anxiety, and depression. In fact, the American College Health Association concluded that almost half of the participants in their 2009 study met the criteria for having a mental disorder (American College Health Association, 2009; as cited by Demyan & Anderson, 2012). The high stress environment that colleges and universities provide students with can lead to unhealthy behaviors that can affect class performance and can allow preexisting mental health conditions to get worse. A student going through a mental health crisis may lose their drive to do well in school, lose their desire to socialize with their friends and peers, and lose their motivation to attend class (Brandy, 2011).

Below is a survey conducted by the Anxiety and Depression Association of America concerning college stress for students.

The primary purpose of this paper is to review literature and studies regarding mental health issues in college students and on college campuses. An overwhelming trend of mental health concerns have been raised in this population. There are many variables and factors involved in the well-being of college age individuals. Stressors and triggers often disrupt the optimal daily functioning of this group. The college environment brings unique barriers to mental health wellness as well as an excellent untapped potential for prevention and education initiatives and programming. This review was focused on the complex nature of mental health issues in the specificity of college age students and in the unique college campus environment.

With the pressure of completing coursework, paying for school, and trying to enjoy your college experience, sometimes life can feel a little overwhelming to say the least. Between working, schoolwork, and maintaining a social life, it can seem like a daunting task to get everything done without feeling stressed, and we often have trouble maintaining a balanced schedule.

Stress is no new phenomenon. It’s been around as long as man and has captivated scholars and physicians alike. With the growing demand for degrees in the professional world comes the growth of the number of college students. The relationship between stress and college students has become the subject of on-going research. Several studies show that stress in college students is increasing with time and the authors of those studies are attributing this to an increased number of students. Other research seems to indicate that it isn’t necessarily the stress that is increasing but the awareness of it. Increased awareness of stress, and its unique toll on individuals, allows colleges and students to recognize

College should be the best four years of our lives. Instead studies are showing that students are showing record levels of stress in regards to college. Academics, finances, family issues, and concerns with finding a job after graduation top the list of stressors. The Michigan State University student newspaper, The Independent Voice (Feb. 2013) noted that “more than half of college students reported above average or

Unfortunately, college students experience a vast amount of stress during their semesters. According to New York University, stress takes a toll on a student’s physical health, emotional well-being, and academic success. In addition, “College Students experience stress, related to changes in lifestyle, increased workloads, new responsibilities, and interpersonal relationships.”A student stress survey was conducted by Ross (1999) to further support the claim of stress being a catalyst to the incompetency of a student’s mental and physical health. The results of the survey were astonishing because the top five sources of stress are changes in sleeping habits, vacations/breaks, increased workload, change in eating habits, and new responsibilities. Therefore, stressors that students face throughout college is a new environment, different responsibilities, deadlines, well written work, exams, and time management. Time management can be a crucial stressor in college. For instance, if a student doesn’t manage their time efficiently and effectively then that will lead to low grades or academic failure. Poor grades is a factor that ties with terrible sleeping habits and disorganized time management. Stress can be critical to a student's academic success, according to New York University, “Six in ten college students report feeling very stressed that they couldn't get their work done on one or more occasions.” The outcome is that stress leads to an

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

College can be a stressful time during one’s life. It’s a time of growth and change. Most students have moved away from home and are living on a university campus or on their own in an apartment. During college, many students are learning to provide for themselves, learning how to cook, clean, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Not only are they asked to make these everyday life decisions, but are also asked to make life changing decisions. As a college student, we are often asked to decide what job we would like to have for the rest of our lives and work towards a degree in that area within four years. While learning new things, and trying to decide what they want to do with the rest of our lives, college students are also learning how much they can handle. On top of university classes, most students are also working a part-time job, and maintaining the balance between work and school can be a whole separate job.

Anyone who has taken college level courses knows that it can become extremely stressful, but what are the effects on the human body and mind when under so much stress? According to a mental health study in 2008 8 out of 10 students in college say they have sometimes or frequently felt stress in their daily lives for over 3 months. An increase of 20% from a survey five years earlier. (Wu, 2000, para. 1) It is important to know the signs of being stressed and how to help yourself with reducing the amount of stress you experience. There are many things that can be done to reduce the amount of stress college adds to a student’s life. Keeping yourself healthy and mindful is key to the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. Nurses can play a big role in educating college aged students on the signs of stress and activities that can be done to reduce the feeling of stress.

“Did you finish your FAFSA?” “Is your application finished?” “Did you win the scholarship?” “What is your SAT score?” These are a few of the questions that haunt high school seniors. Senior year is supposed to be one of the most fun and exciting years of high school, but it is overshadowed by the anxiety of having to plan your future at the young age of 18. Most teenagers look forward to being the top dog on campus, senior prom, the good parking spots, and the easy workload, but the amount of stress they are under because of college is taking that away. Whether it is choosing a career path, which college to attend, or how you are going to afford it, these decisions are causing high school seniors to nearly go insane due to stress. There should be less pressure on high school seniors so that they can enjoy their last few months of high school as much as possible.