They were surprised by the nearly 25% of students polled in the National College Health Assessment that said they experienced poor grades or dis-enrolled from a class as a result of stress. (College Students Report Stress Affects Academic Performance, 2011). Lauren P Womble (2010) from the University of North Carolina states that college students have many obstacles to overcome in order to achieve their optimal academic performance. Womble also says that it takes more than studying to achieve a successful college career and different stressors like time management, financial problems, and some students have children can even pose a threat to student academic performance. When conducting the current on the levels of stress impacting academic performance the independent variable will be the level of stress and the dependent variable will be academic performance.
The Cause and Effects of Stress on College Students The chief academic officer Dr. Jacqueline McCray here at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) is very concerned about the major causes and effects of stress on college students here at UAPB. It is a fact, that administrators at colleges all over the nation have some of the same type of concerns. “Stress is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” according to Oxforddictionaries.com. This means stress can be very dangerous to the student and potentially to all those around them. For a number of students stress is the main cause of most of the issues they face including their emotional and physical well-being.
In fact, stress is inevitable. Sometimes stress forces students to reach their goals and get their tasks done like studies and homework. But when stress is too much, it may stop students from working properly, and accomplishing things. College freshmen suffer from stress due to adjusting their completely new college life. A survey done by American College Health Association National College Health Assessment in 2012 spring shows that over 50% of the college students reported that their stress levels are above average (Moran, 2013).
However, freshman and sophomores students had higher reactions to stress than juniors and seniors (Misra, 2000, 1). This variation is caused by the underclassmen’s’ lack of strong social support networks, and their underdeveloped coping mechanisms needed to deal with college stress due to demanding school work and tasks. Academic stress not only stems from the physical workload of classes, exams, papers, projects, and assignments, but also from psychological factors. Most of the pressure and stress students face is self-imposed. “Students’ perception of the extensive knowledge base required and... ... middle of paper ... ...a, 2000, 4).
A majority of college students have reported experiencing different levels of stress throughout their college careers. From entering a new school and environment to becoming independent, maintaining high grades and beginning a new life, students deal with a tremendous amount of pressure. Throughout their college education, college students experience stress that affects them psychologically, physically, and socially. This, in turn, requires college officials to introduce a variety of programs on and off campus to help college students overcome the stress that they encounter. College students, generally 18 to 24 years old, are vulnerable and the most likely of all the demographic groups to experience stress.
Many first year college students face problems as they enter a new educational environment that is very different than that of high school. However, the common problem is that many first year students become stressed. For many students, college is supposed to be the most fun time of their life; however, their fun can be restricted if it is limited by stress and other mental illnesses. According to the National Health Ministries (2006), stress is caused by “greater academic demands,” the feeling of being independent from family, “financial responsibility,” homesickness, being exposed to meeting new people, peer pressure, “awareness of one’s own sexual identity,” and the abuse of drugs and alcohol (p. 2). However, the causes to first year students’ stress mainly include academic demand, parents, finance, and peer pressure.
The significance of the understanding of this study is to show that there is indeed a relation between the two factors. College students were the primary focus to emphasize that there this an elevated amount of pressure put into the focus of thei... ... middle of paper ... ...es are felt in the atmosphere around campuses around the nation. Students feel the overwhelming burdens of stress from various different implications on their everyday lives whether it be from parental acceptance, financial burdens, and the idea of being a role model for their siblings. Works Cited Joo, So-Hyun, Dorothy Bagwell Durband, and John Grable. "The academic impact of financial stress on college students."
Study groups can help students to study and receive high grades, because college classes are definitely more difficult than high school classes. Students might have more freedom and time to finish the corresponding work, but at the same time professors expect more from students. Many professors would expect you to have all the time in the world to finish up your work. High school to College is a big milestone in student’s life, because they are required to learn to manage their own time; to find what the best schedule is for themselves. During the two week course, we’ve talked so much about the transitioning into college.
“Depression and anxiety are the most prevalent mental health problems college students confront” (Businessweek, 2012). College is meant to be a new chapter in a persons life, for it is a time when people truly find themselves, the kind of crowd they wish to be involved in, their own interest, and how they want to perceive the world in whole. There is a high level of self-freedom and expression that comes with college, however those qualities come with a price. Freshmen who aren’t use to personal management and independence can cause struggling to adapting to college, which leads to feelings of failure, anxiety and depression. Emotional instability can severely tarnish the overwrought mind-set of freshman, creating a darkened atmosphere of negativity.
Advanced educational like universities, where work load is high and allocated and based on deadline and unable to perform well in the exams are more likely to suffer from stress. Smith & peters, (2000). Friends and Family can be the best reason to relieve stress but they can also become the reason behind stress. Choose the friend that motivates and supports constantly in tough times. Keinan and Perlberg ,(1986) pointed out that the level of anxiety experienced by college students may differ from non-student peers and from one school year to