Author: Dana Parsons

Stress in College Students

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Student   Every year, students worldwide feel burdened by stress.  Stress is a part of everyday life in general.  A little stress is necessary to keep us aware and alert of our surroundings, however too much stress can lead to serious physical and emotional health problems.  Some of the leading causes of stress are job pressure, money, relationships, and sleep deprivation (stress statistics).

Many of the leading causes of stress affect college students.  One statistic shows approximately 9.1% of college students face anxiety disorders and it is the most common mental health issue on college campuses (Hoxworth 2012).  Many students have jobs as well as attending school full time.  Most students have to maintain living within a budget while money is tight and balance relationships.  In general, multi-tasking my tasks during the day make it difficult to get the recommended amount of sleep required.

I wanted to specifically point out the effects on college student stress because it is a common issue nationwide.  All over campus you can meet many students who are carrying a considerable amount of stress on their shoulders.  Also, college is known to be a time where important decisions are made that can truly have a long term effect on an individual.  Important decisions such as career goals, relationships, and living on your own for the first time usually happens during the college-aged years (Hoxworth 2012).

My own experience with college has been stressful at times.  I have noticed keeping a routine can be helpful with prioritizing what has to get done during the day.  Early this year I had a job where I had to balance my time and priorities even more.  It had gotten to the point where I was working too many late hours and did not have the time and energy to finish my homework on time.  Therefore, I had to make an important decision to put in my two weeks and only focus on school.  This decision was not easy because having a job and making money was helpful while attending school, but when one thing interferes with something more important, you have to make a decision.  I can relate to the stress other students feel while working and going to school.

For some students, a long term problem with stress can lead to other anxiety disorders.  Kelsey a student at The University Nebraska-Lincoln is an example of one anxiety leading to another.  Kelsey had a long term disorder with stress and eventually led to an eating disorder in college (Hoxworth 2012).  This is one example of how it is important to speak up and get help with on-going stress because it can spiral into another kind of anxiety.  Many students do not realize they have a serious problem because stress is often overlooked in society.  There is no magical formula to figure out how much is too much stress, but in general look into how much of your day is impacted by stress.

In conclusion, my main focus is to bring awareness to stress in college students.  College can be a fun time with many wonderful memories, but it can also be a challenging time for students.  Many students have to balance time and priorities during a hectic schedule.  It is important to remember if one is dealing with a significant amount of stress, there are ways to cope and get help.  Some examples include keeping a journal, organizing a planner, maintaining good nutrition and frequent exercise, and speaking up to talk about stress to a trusted friend.  The best thing is to speak up and talk about stress while helping others who may be dealing with the same thing.  Bringing awareness to this issue can help many students worldwide dealing with stress in college.

 

Work Cited:

American Psychological Association 2013.  “Stress in Statistics”. Accessed April 20. http://www.statisticbrain.com/stress-statistics/

Hoxworth, Laura 2012.  “How Much is Too Much? Managing Stress in College”. Accessed April 20. http://www.hercampus.com/health/mental-health/how-much-stress-too-much-managing-anxiety-college

Marshall, Cecelia 2012. “So Stressed? Shingles Among Stressed College Students is not Uncommon”. Accessed April 23.  http://cecemarshall.wordpress.com/2012/05/05/so-stressed-shingles-among-stressed-college-students-is-not-uncommon/

Stress Awareness for College Students

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Do most college students agree that stress is often overlooked in today’s society?  How many college students do you know that feel consistent stress on a daily basis?  It may be safe to agree many students around the country have personally felt or know someone who has felt a great deal of stress sometime in their college career.  The college age group is often known as the “tender age”, because it is an important time where young adults take responsibility over their lives, make important career goals, develop long term relationships, and may experience independent financial responsibility for the first time (Benac and Tompson, 2009).  Some students even have to more difficult getting married or having children during this time.

Statistics show us that a little stress is actually healthy for the body; it keeps us alert and focused in our environment.  On the other hand, too much stress can have negative side effects to the body and can make one feel isolated and alone.  The harmful effects makes stress awareness important because many students are dealing with a significant amount of stress and it is often not talked about.

A survey conducted by MTVU for college students around the country showed, “four out of ten college students report they feel stressed often.  One out of five say they feel stressed most of the time.  One out of four students report experiencing daily stress and one in ten report thoughts of suicide”, (Shuder, 2012).  These statistics dramatically show a general idea of students around the country dealing with consistent stress.  You wonder how some students are still able to balance life with everyday tasks, pass exams, and get good grades in school while are feeling such a burden on their shoulders.

Statistics show any college students are feeling consist stress on a daily basis, then why is it not talked about more among peers?  A poll shared by AP-MTV showed that many students do not get the help needed why feeling consistent stress (Benac and Tompson, 2009).  One student interviewed believes many students do not get the help they need because “they seem less cool or something like that if they do go.  It’s like a sign of vulnerability” (Benac and Tompson, 2009).  This interview shows one way bringing awareness to stress among college students is important to talk about because too much stress can lead to serious health problems, or even suicide.

Stress has been linked to multiple problems in the body.  Studies show how stress overtime can lead to, “headaches, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression and anxiety” (Goldberg, 2012).  Stress related conditions do not happen on an instant, all these conditions happen overtime in the body.  An average student spends at least two to four years in college (if not more).  If a student does not seek help during their college career, they have a chance of having one or many of the symptoms for consistent stress.

College is a long process, therefore it is important to find ways to cope with stress or seek help by a friend or a professional.  If our society brings more awareness and openly talks about consistent stress among college students, there would be more light directed on this issue.  In the end, maybe we can create a society where students feel less burden, more hopeful, and start speaking up about stress.