The Pressures Faced by College Students

For first year students coming straight from high school, college life can either be very exciting or overwhelming depending on how well one prepares for it. Some have the notion that college is fun and is all about partying, while some believe that it is an environment in which they can achieve the ultimate freedom thus escape the stringent rules made by their parents at home. Others look forward to experiencing a different learning environment while being exposed to different cultures and sharing different academic knowledge. Successful assimilation into college life is determined by the student’s capability to transform into the new role of a college student. Numerous students face challenges they have never experienced before which can

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.

College pressures dominate our lives. They begin to levitate around us and slowly derail our lives. William Zinsser elaborates about the college pressures that modern generations are facing. He reveals multiple commonalities that the typical college student encounters on a daily basis. Zinsser states, “They want a map-right now-that they can follow unswervingly to career security, financial security, social security, and presumably, a prepaid grave” (12). He is spot on, the pressures demand my attention and won’t take no for an answer. So far I’ve gone head to head with these pressures every day since I started my freshman year in college. For the time that I’ve been here, my mind is overwhelmed and distraught with the amount of stress that gets piled on top of me every single day. I drown in these unrealistic expectations written in those faulty suggestion bars about how to be successful in college and college 101 tips. College pressures surround me like a dull gray cloud. It showers me with expectations and unfinished checklists. College itself is similar to carpooling to hell and back, but with no actual guarantee with a ride back.

The article, “College Pressures”, written by William Zinsser, explores the pressures associated with college and its reflection on student work and attitude. In 1979, the time this work was published, Zinsser was the head of a residential college at Yale University (Zinsser, 437). Emerged in campus life, Zinsser examines the student behavior affiliated with the four sources of pressure he identifies as the symptoms of attending college. After reviewing Zinsser’s article, I can relate certain aspects of economic and parental pressures, as well as peer and self-induced pressures, in my lifestyle as a student attending Columbus State Community College.

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%

The first strategy for coping with my stress is exercise. I try my best to exercise regularly and keep myself in the routine for physical relief.

A college student is either a teen, straight out of high school who attends an institution of higher learning or the non-traditional student who is anyone else. In order to survive the pressures facing both the traditional and non-traditional student, they all need to be a combination of a rugged workhorse and a happy-go-lucky fun-seeker. Whether traditional or non-traditional, a large percentage of college students are pursuing a full time course load and are trying to get an education so that they can get into a good profession and/or a good paying job. Many are working full time and are pursuing an education part-time, and many are working part-time while in school full time. Walk into any food market, electronics, department or drug

Since I have my Bachelors in Commerce, I have already experienced the pressures of college and know first-hand the importance of a well-organized study plan and staying on top of your work. And as a learner my biggest strength is planning from day one and allotting time to fulfill my assignments. My weakness on the other hand is sticking to the plan as life’s pressures come into play. To be successful in this course or any course for that matter is planning and making your own deadlines so that you can avoid being late and not allowing yourself to fall behind this requires a conscious effort and motivation. My plan for MDIA11 is to be proactive and prepare ahead of time especially when I know I will be busy on something else during the week

I chose a video titled 3 Tips for College Stress! By Nicola Mora. In her video, she offered three ways to avoid stress while in college. The first tip to deal with college stress is to prevent procrastination. The second tip is to get more sleep, and the final tip is to find an activity relaxes you.

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

Throughout the day college students, high school students, middle school students and increasing number of elementary school students are constantly found on cell phones, lap tops, ipod, and ipads. They constantly text, email, instant message, instagram, and facebook, looking for anyway to become

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

Modern life is full of demands, frustrations, hassles, and deadlines. Everyone experiences stress as it is a natural part of human life. Our bodies have a built mechanism for responding to stress. However, during a certain period of time, people tend to face more stress than usual. One of such periods is college life. It can be very stressful for some people, especially for those who are not used to carrying out with so many responsibilities. Students spend most of their time balancing classes, projects, tests, final exams, personal life, and work; that is enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed. This stress can cause multiples problems, not just emotional, but physicals as well.

What are the challenges college students are facing today? Students are under a lot of pressure

As I graduated high school, I thought college would just be yet another four years of high school, and I was wrong. College opens many new doors in a young man or woman’s life. There are new responsibilities and pressures that you will have to deal with, and with more freedom these responsibilities and pressures can be difficult to handle. College has changed a great deal over the years and these changes, such as more freedoms, make college a much more challenging experience. You need to start preparing for college now by making yourself more responsible and having more self-control. Although you think college is merely partying with easy classes on the side, I have experienced pressures and work loads that make the experience challenging