Stress Facing Students in Higher Education
Attending college is with no doubt a major milestone in a young adult's life. The journey that most students will embark on and the decisions made during that time will help to shape a person's personality and outlook for the rest of their life. During this time college students will be faced with many challenges, both financially and socially. As competition in the world becomes more intense, modern college students are burdened with more work, and the constant need to keep up with the times. Meeting the high demands imposed by our ever progressing society, dealing with the pressure to perform well in college, and maintaining a healthy and exciting social life takes a toll on the average college student, leading to stress.
In fact, most people have their first brush with stress during their college years. Possibly the biggest change in a college student’s life is independence. It’s almost like being given the key to ultimate freedom and there are countless doors to be opened. Imagine the euphoria of a freshman, tasting the forbidden fruit of adulthood. When college life starts to kick in, some students may begin to feel homesick because it’s the first time that they are away from their family. Homesickness may cause some level of stress and discomfort as adjusting to change can be difficult for students.
It’s also true that many people form lifelong friendships with their college friends. College represents a great training ground to enhance your socializing skills, which would serve you well when you enter the real world. Tempted with peer pressure, college friendships can also lead to other problems if you are not careful. Many people develop unwholesome habits like smoking, drinking, taking drugs, and gambling while they are in college. As young adults, college students would naturally be highly interested in sexual experimentation. When young people gather together, they tend to feel a certain rush of invincibility, especially when they are drunk and high often acting on impulses, only to regret their decisions later. This can cause serious accidents, accidental pregnancies, or other unwanted outcomes, all contributing to an already stressed college student's worries.
It’s not to be forgotten that the main goal of a college student is to earn that college degree. Other than countless tests and exams, the modern college student also has to be informed about technological developments because most fields are tied to these advances. Indeed, college life is very demanding. To be successful, the college student has to learn how to manage stress. If stress is left unchecked, it can affect their mental and physical health. Here are some comprehensive links to help college students control stress.
Common Problems
- Note Taking Skills: Learn the skills to take good notes in lectures and readings.
- Cornell System: Possibly the most efficient note taking systems in the world.
- Study Skills: A series of instructions to help college students with case studies, reading, report writing, numeracy, and more.
- Test Taking Tips: Excellent tips to help college students with tests.
- Time Management: The secret to a fruitful college life.
Out of Control
- College Gambling: The policies of the NCRG to curb college gambling.
- Smoking: Be motivated to quit smoking before it is too late.
- CESAR: Official site of the Center for Substance Abuse Research.
- College Drinking: A great place to learn how to control drinking.
- College Alcohol Study: Detailed study on the problems of college drinking.
- Money Management: Find out why some college students always have enough and some college students always have not enough.
Depression and Anxiety
- College Student Suicide: Provides information on the second biggest killer in colleges.
- Depression in College: A good guide to help you deal with depression.
- Dealing with Test Anxiety: Shows how to reduce the stress of test taking.
- Overcoming Public Speaking Anxiety: Excellent tips to turn your fears into your strengths.
- Shyness and Social Anxiety: Learn how to overcome these social barriers.
- LGBT Sources: Great resource center for LGBT college students.
Loneliness
- College Socializing: Some ideas to help you improve your college social life.
- Self Assessment: A model of self assessment practiced by Alverno College students.
- Loneliness and Homesickness: Discusses how loneliness and homesickness can affect a college student’s well-being.
- Overcoming Loneliness: Provides tips on dealing with loneliness in college.
- Homesickness: Shows how to overcome homesickness in college.
Abuse
- Healthy Relationships: Forming healthy relationships in college.
- Campus Dating Violence: A fact sheet with statistics of dating violence in campus.
- Sexual Assault: A study on the problem in colleges.
- Emotional Abuse: Provides information on emotional abuse at all levels.
- Internet Addiction: An article about how Internet Addiction can affect college students.
Health
- Eating Tips for Busy Students: Learn how to maintain your health even when you are busy.
- Meal Planning: Essential tips to eating well in college.
- Death & Grief: Some advice for college students on how to deal with grief.
- Anger Management: Discusses anger and the importance of managing it.
- Security on Campus: Dedicated to the safety of college students.
Additional Info
- Help Guide: Offers useful advice on relieving stress.
- Stress Management: Shows college students how to manage stress.
- Culture Shock: Explores the stress of international students in a foreign environment.
- Education USA: Excellent resource center for international students by the U.S. Department of State.
