...STRESS IN COLLEGE STUDENTS It wasn’t but just a few years ago I myself was someone that was looking forward to going to college. All that I had ever heard were the good things that college provided and how fun it can be. It was only a few weeks after I had started that I began to see how stressful college was going to be. Through my personal experience, observation and conversing with others I then realized how big of a factor that “stress” is in college. Stress is something that can literally beat you up physically, mentally, emotionally and psychologically. When people start to think about college, lots of the time stress is something that is overlooked. A lot of people soon find out that stress will overwhelm you if not dealt with properly. It’s not surprising that college is a huge jump and a big life change. I have found that some of the hardest things to deal with in college are friendships, independent living, life situations and self-doubt. These are only a few of the stressors that people run into, but these seem to be some of the major stressors. Not to mention that all these stressors can lead to illness and disease. All of the mental and physical problems that stress can cause are unbelievable. For example, 16% of 20-24 year olds are hypertensive which relates to apoplexy that can be caused by stress. “Cardiovascular disorders, of which apoplexy is one, kill more Americans each year than any other disease” (Bakris 2007). This shows that stress does not discriminate...
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...l l e g e S t u de n t Many people experience stress as they combine busy lives and the demands of study and or work while trying to also save time for friends and family. For some people, stress becomes almost a way of life. We all experience episodic stress – getting ready for a major exam, completing an important paper, perhaps getting ready for an important interview. However, a continuous “state” of stress should not become a way of life. We know that stress – over a prolonged period of time – can have increase certain health risks, to say nothing of the wear and tear that happens to relationships and general wellbeing. This simple guide uses materials adapted from several college campuses with active stress reduction programs. It explores the origins of stress and provides some basic ways to assess the level of stress you may be feeling and then suggests some easy-to-incorporate ways to decrease the level of stress. WHAT IS STRESS? Stress is simply the body's non-specific response to any demand made on it. Stress is not by definition synonymous with nervous tension or anxiety. Stress provides the means to express talents and energies and pursue happiness; it can also cause exhaustion and illness, either physical or psychological; heart attacks and accidents. The important Thing to remember about stress is that certain forms are normal and Recognizing Stress The following are indicators that you may be experiencing stress. ^ General irritability ^ Elevated heart rate...
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...of Stress in College Students Tracy Thomas Professor Evans ENG 115 March 20, 2014 "The World Health Organization (WHO) Global Burden of Disease Survey estimates that mental disease, including stress-related disorders, will be the second leading cause of disabilities by the year 2020" (World Health Organization: 1990). In today's fast paced society it is common for people to experience stress in various aspects of their lives. Due to the ever evolving and increasing amounts of responsibilities the average college student has to manage on a daily basis, there is an urgent need for appropriate stress management skills in the following main causes of stress in a college student’s life: personal, academic, and financial. Let's further clarify these areas. Personal - balance of family and social life; academic - challenge of maintaining mandatory GPA; financial - stress of the cost of education and the need to garner and maintain gainful employment to cover these costs. Academic success is contingent upon the student's ability to properly manage these top causes of stress by implementing a regiment of academic time management, dietary and social health wellness routines, and by consistently harnessing available resource networks. Let’s consider how the effects of stress impact the economy. Although the term "stress" is used in a wide variety of contexts, it has consistently been proven that individuals with stress and...
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...Stress is not something strange to our daily life nowadays. According to Grohol, you cannot escape stress because it is normal in everybody’s life. Everybody may feel stress when they are facing bad situation. Generally, in social science research, the word stress has been used since Selye, a well-known medical expert pioneered the research for psychological stress in 1950’s. According to Cox & Brockley (1984), stress is a perception phenomenon which exists from a comparison between the command given and ability of a person to execute he task successfully. Unbalanced situation in this mechanism will lead into stress experience and ultimately into stress reaction. Stress level is the level of tangential or hoop stress, usually expressed as a percentage of specified minimum yield strength. College students cannot escape stress. If you think about what many college students are going through, you might possibly say that it is really a big thing. Stress is the individual’s response to the demand for change. When you are already in a college campus, you are continually bombarded with demands to change your behavior, academic performance, values and major choice or career. Stress is not bad, in fact, it is also essential in learning. There is one study or research which shows that learning takes place under conditions of moderate stress. So, your goal is to maintain this stress at a moderate level (Landino, 2006). Many students were able to control or keep their stress at a moderate...
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...literature and studies from other researches relevant to the present study. Related Literature Many researches have been conducted to know what stress is all about and its effects to human if it exceeds beyond our control. Selye as cited by Berry (1997) defined stress in physiological terms as a non-specific or generalized bodily response. This response results when any demand is made on the body, whether it is an environment condition that we must survive or a demand that we make ourselves in order to accomplish a personal goal. Selye distinguished between two forms of stress. Distress is the response to negative events and eustress (euphoria) is the response to positive events. Stress is good and will motivate people to succeed, but too much stress can affect one’s performance (http://www.chow.com). Greener as cited by de Jesus (2010:p.22) opined that most people can cope with and even need a certain amount of stress to perform to the peak of their ability but when demands for dealing with it outstrip resources, strength or time, it becomes dangerous. Feldman (2005) said that stress is a normal part of life and not a necessary a bad part of life. However, it is also clear that too much stress can take a toll on both physical and psychological health. According to Stuthers (2000), stress is what people feel when they are worried or uncomfortable about something. This worry in the mind can make the body feel bad. They may feel angry...
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...Physical Activity and Stress in College Students Shaye Sedotal University of New Orleans Abstract The purpose of this study is to measure the relationship between physical activity and stress levels among college students. The sample comprised of 27% males (N=18) and 73% (N=48) females with a mean age of 23.6 years and an age range of 19 to 54. 51% (N=34) of the participants were Caucasian, 22% (N=15) were African American, 9% (N=6) Hispanic, and 7% (N=10) were of other ethnic backgrounds. 0% (N=0) were freshman, 8% (N=5) were sophomores, 36% (N=24) were juniors, and 56% (N=37) were seniors. Participants completed questionnaires about stress and physical activity. Results indicated that the relationship between physical activity and stress levels among college students were significantly correlated. The benefits of regular physical activity have been shown to positively affect wellness by reducing stress in college students. This research contained limitations such as small, non-random sample size and limited amount of questions pertaining to the study in the survey. The Association of Physical Activity and Stress in College Students The transition into young adult hood, which is often marked by beginning college, can be a particularly stressful time. Having to balance classes, test, projects, extra curricular activities, and work can increase stress levels in any student. Stress that is caused by college is unavoidable but there...
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...Cluster Analysis of College Students Coping With Stress Jeanette Meadows Professor: Guy Vitaglione Psychology of Adjustment March 3, 2013 The article I’ll be discussing is Coping Profiles and Psychological Distress: A Cluster Analysis which was written by Chris Eisenbarth a professor at Weber State University. Professor Eisenbarth used cluster analysis which is a statistical method used to group variables or observations into strongly mutually related subgroups. The purpose of the article is to explain how college students deal with stress and how combining coping skills can be useful in reducing stress. Coping is all of the different things we do to try and manage the stress we deal with from problems and issues that happen in our lives. People cope with stress in their own way. Some people focus on what is causing them to be stressed out while other people may express how they feel rather forcefully and then others may deal with the stress by finding someone to talk to. Eisenbarth used college students because there is no denying that rising tuition, class workload and worrying about finding a job after graduation can be pretty stressful. Both male and female subjects were used in this study. The majority of the subjects in the study...
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...How Do Students Cope with Stress: Stress Factors, Source of Stress, and Effects of Stress Introduction The issues pertaining to a student's stress status is extremely important due to the devastating consequences it may have. Students who experience a high level of stress may experience drug or alcohol abuse, perform poorly in school, or suffer from depression. It is important to address the issues of depression as it is a mental illness that can be both financially costly and harmful to the sufferer's personal health. Depression often leads to increased work absenteeism, temporary disability, and overall decreased productivity. It can also have harmful effects on the course and outcome of common chronic conditions, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, diabetes, and obesity. According to the National Institution of Mental Health, depression can also be a major risk factor for suicide. (NIMH 2007) Therefore, it is crucial to analyze the consequences that depression may have on a student, as it may not only affects a student's current health condition, but may also result in a student having suicidal thoughts. According to the CDC 2009 report on the twenty leading causes of death among those of age 10 or above, suicide is ranked as the tenth leading cause of death in the Unites States, accounting for 36,891 deaths (CDC 2009). In a more narrow and specific research, the National Institution of Mental Health reported that suicide was the third leading...
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...The situation that caused I stress most often is my study in college. I’m from Vietnam, and I have been here for two years. I speak Vietnamese, and I’m not very good at English. Everyday in college, I always try my best to learn English and the new knowledge in different classes from my teachers and friends. Language now is my most troubling hurdle that I need to overcome. There are too many new words, slangs and idioms that I do not know; therefore, I sometime do not understand what my teachers is teaching and what they want me to do for homework. It also takes me more time to read books and do my homework because of lack of vocabulary. I often feel stress when I confuse the lessons and when I don’t know how to do my homework. I usually have headache. Sometimes, I feel exhausted or sick when overworking. The situation that caused I stress most often is my study in college. I’m from Vietnam, and I have been here for two years. I speak Vietnamese, and I’m not very good at English. Everyday in college, I always try my best to learn English and the new knowledge in different classes from my teachers and friends. Language now is my most troubling hurdle that I need to...
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...Essay 1: College Stress College students are one of the biggest groups of people that are suffering through a deep stress in their daily life. They are having many difficulties in college that they are not used to it because college is just example of being a responsible adult in a real life which is challenge for them especially when they finish high school. The first years students are the ones that are having the hardest time dealing with stress in college because they live in a new environment which they need to get used to comparing to those who have attended college for years. The conditions of depression that college students put in through their daily life are their personal life, living in a new environment and responsibilities. College student’s personal life is a way that can cause the majority of them to have a difficult time in class and cause stress because occasionally they don’t have time to study that much and they need to do their daily tasks such as going to work, or going to a mechanic to fix their car or picking someone specially if they have kids. College students who are parent have even a hard time to focus on class because they need to take care of their kids. This caused many of them to overload since they are doing more work than what they need to do which cause their bodies to pass their limits. The outcome of college students to overload is deep depression, tired, and change of attitude. Living in a new environment is tough for college students...
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...My Stresses of Attending College Attending College was never on my list of things to do, now that I am attending college it is extremely stressing at times. I sure did not know it would be so much homework when I enrolled at Strayer. I have to balance my personal life with school; I have house work, helping kids with homework, and dinner that must be done. I'm often left sleep deprived because of the amount of homework I have as a full time student, I may get 5-7 hours of sleep a night. The lack of sleep has affected my performance in college and adds more stress when I do not do well in my classes. I often have to prioritize the work based on the teacher and the grading schedule. If I do not do an assignment can I still get an A; last semester I had to choose to miss two assignments that only had 5 points combined. I now manage the situation by following a schedule. I have started making schedules for doing everything, and anything that does not get done has to wait until another available time. As a result my level of stress has decrease substantily Who Am I Who am I u ask, I am Pauline Dodd and I’m a single mom. I live in Washington D.C. and I attend Strayer University as a fulltime student, I’m studying for my Bachelor Degree in Business Administration. Prior to starting college I worked for an engineering company that was a FEMA contractor. I never knew I would have a chance to attend college, but here I am. I have goals and...
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...College Student Stress Steve Cameron ENG115 Evanita Wallace-Lewis Abstract When it comes to the subject of stress, most people have encountered it in some form or fashion. Some people do not realize they are under stress but show every sign and symptom of being stressed out. Stress is a condition that can come about from a vast amount of causes and can effect everyday life. Stress can start at a very young age, depending on the situation. For college students, stress can start almost instantly, as soon as the school year starts. The main causes for a college student to stress out would be finances and academic performance; and these causes can have personal and even an economic effects. Stress is not a good condition for any one person to have because it can effect themselves, others around them, and even on a global level. Going to college is an experience that can never be forgotten. Most people go to college fresh out of high school, thinking it is going to be a fun and joyous experience, which it is; but it can also be a very stressful and a somewhat problematic time in life, also. A major cause of stress in college students has to do with finances. Most students who first enter college are just entering into a state of independence that one may never have thought they would have entered into. They may be used to their parents fully supporting them financially and getting what they need with no hassle. Most colleges have a very high cost to attend. Things that are expensive...
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...Causes and Effects – College Stress There are many different things that seem to cause stress on college students. College students do not seem to get a break from the workload. Even when they are not physically doing the work it still happens to be on their mind. Many college students have to battle with work, school, and even children at home. It may seem like it isn’t a lot to deal with but it can be very stressful. Increased Responsibility and Independence During college change is a very big factor in a freshman’s life. Deal with change for many people can be very difficult. For many people leaving home and going to college is a sign that they are now on their own. They are now adults and have to make decisions for themselves to better their future. Being faced with making very important decision that could affect the rest of your life can be stressful. Overachieving Other college students are stress out because simply because they are being pushed by their parents to be the best that they can be. They are pushed to get into the finest schools so they acquire the best career. Even though it is not a bad way of thinking it can cause a boat load of stress. Students seem to take on more than they can handle. Many try to maintain a certain grade point average. Trying to please themselves, their parents, and professor can be extremely overwhelming. Organization . Stress can be caused by many...
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...Immigrant College Student Stress Immigrant College Student Stress Mario Velasquez Teacher: Gorge Castillo Miami Dade College 04/01/2010 Abstract The primary purpose of this exploratory investigation was to determine disadvantages related to stress which are some of the characteristics of immigrant female college students in the Miami Dade County area. Some questions related to the theme were answered through direct interviews with immigrants and American female college students. These questions were the instrument used to find out the truth about immigrant experiences and their disadvantages related to stress, such as acculturative stress and coping style as well as psychological functioning adjustment in comparison with American female college students. According to the interview results, psychological dysfunction and high stress level is affecting the academic efficacy. Keywords: Acculturative stress, coping styles, immigrant female college students Psychological functioning adjustment. To become a successful immigrant female college student in Miami Dade Florida individuals have to learn how to master stress, however, it is not enough the desire to become a successful student. Research studies have demonstrated that immigrant female college students in Dade County experience disadvantages related to stress like acculturative...
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...Stress amongst College Athletes & Non-Athletes Jeff Bennett University of Mount Union Abstract Athletic participation and academic stress has been a challenging topic and one that has made many question about. With all the extracurricular activities that students have, they don’t realize that their stress could be affecting them more than they may know. This study examines the stress level results amongst 10 college student athletes and 10 non-athletes. The results present a rare finding regarding stress amongst the students. Stress has become an on-going issue that has affected the college satisfaction of a student. Many people don’t realize that they have stress and it’s affecting them in some sort of way or some may know they have stress but don’t want to take any type of action towards getting help. Possible explanations for the findings and implications for stress amongst athletes and non-athletes of the University of Mount Union are provided. Introduction Stress has been a rising issue concerning not only college students but also college athletes. With all the extracurricular activities the students take on in college along with the academic part of it have led to very high stress level. Controlling time and having an organized schedule is the main fix to this problem. Whether you’re a college athlete or just a normal college student, everyone has stress or has experienced stress. The purpose of this study was to figure out whether or not there is a significant...
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