Common Causes Of Stress Among College Students

College is a wonderful opportunity to, not only further your education, but experiment with life before it gets too serious. Having said that, college life is not without it's stressful situations. Here are a few common causes of stress amongst college students.

Possibly one of the biggest stressors for some college students is the considerable debt they will have to take on, in order to afford tuition fees, campus accommodation and textbooks. Quite often this is a source of great concern for a kid that is straight out of high school and may not be financially literate.

Stress

Whilst the debt alone is stressful, the need to service this debt can cause the student to over-extend themselves. This might mean that they have to take on a second job or work long hours as an employee and a student at the same time. This could have knock on effects with the ability to concentrate on their studies which could lead to failure of their course. This scenario would prove stressful.

Common Causes Of Stress Among College Students

Another common cause of stress is adapting to the new life they have suddenly landed into. In many ways this new found freedom can be a source of great joy and motivation, but it can also be stressful.

For many it will be the first time they have lived outside the nurturing and protective security of the family unit. Their parents will have provided for them materially and will have set down boundaries on how to live. This no longer applies in college and one of the first tasks a student undertakes is to find an identity and effectively test the rules that were set out by their parents. The uncertainty and lack of identity is a common cause of stress.

As a student becomes more established in college the stresses that affect them are related to succeeding in their educational objectives. There will be particularly stressful periods when they have to complete papers or cram for exams. Other causes of stress could be giving presentations and seminars on their subject. This could lead to spending long hours concentrating on the subject and letting other aspects of their lives slide. This loss of harmony in their lives could be stressful.

As they get to the end of their college careers, the inevitable stress of preparing for the real or adult world is apparent. Such considerations like, finding a job, preparing and taking job interviews, potentially relocating, leaving their college friends can be stressful.

While most of these concerns are well negotiated by most students, they can often create problems for some. A great way to deal with these problems is to have a support structure to help the student through these times. This structure could be part of the college, be a network of friends or be their family. The importance of being about to talk through these issues cannot be overlooked.

Common Causes Of Stress Among College Students

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Stress and Student Success - 7 Key Sources of Stress For College Students

Many new students are quite surprised to discover just how stressful college life can be. The brochures all picture happy young people leisurely chatting in small groups, sitting under trees with open books, and enjoying thoughtful conversations with their professors. Oh, and having fun. But behind all this, there's a lot of pressure, which can cause a lot of stress.

In recent studies of college students around the country, researchers have identified several key sources of stress. While many of the conclusions in these studies were no surprise, the researchers also discovered several new sources of stress. Whether you're a student, a teacher, a friend, or family member of a student, you'll find it helpful to know and understand the things that cause the most stress.

Stress

1. Time Management

Stress and Student Success - 7 Key Sources of Stress For College Students

Problems with time management are among the biggest stressors among students. Many newcomers to college don't have the skills it takes to schedule their time in a way that allows them to fulfill all their obligations. Some of them spend too little time with their studies, while others are distracted by personal problems or other issues that take up their time and interfere with their studies.

2. Setting Priorities

One of the reasons for the time management problems is that many students find it challenging to balance their many obligations. Setting appropriate priorities is something that can take time to learn. Many students have a hard time balancing what they want to do with what they need to do, often leaving little time for academic pursuits. Many of the students in the studies commented that they felt as if they were always "on the run" and couldn't settle into any one thing comfortably.

3. Financial Stability

Worrying about money and financial stability was another key source of stress for many students. The cost of attending college is constantly increasing, which is especially burdensome to students without homes and families to support them financially. Most students found it very difficult to handle all of these obligations without feeling at least a little bit of stress.

4. Family Expectations

A great deal of stress comes from family expectations. Many students are simply attending school to please their parents, while others study subjects their parents don't approve of. Either of these situations - as well as other family-related stress - can add to the burden of coping with a heavy schedule and other pressures.

5. Personal relationships

Intimate relationships, while adding joy to life, can also add stress. It's often challenging to maintain a high academic average while also nurturing a serious relationship - or trying to find one. On the other hand, having a supportive significant other who appreciates all the hard work can actually lower stress.

6. Campus Crime

While not directly related to academia, crime on campus, whether real or hypothetical, can also add to student stress. Many students fear for their belongings as well as for their lives in unsafe neighborhoods and campuses. Living in a place that doesn't feel safe can make focusing on academic work very challenging.

7. Future Uncertainty

Uncertainty about the future also adds a great deal of stress to students' lives. Changing career prospects and shifts in personal interests make many students question their choice of majors. Coupled with potentially high student loan payments after graduation, this can add quite a bit of pressure to an already stressful student experience.

Stress and Student Success - 7 Key Sources of Stress For College Students

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Stress Management For College Students

Change of environment, juggling subjects with other workload, coping with deadlines, family expectations, over-commitment, expenses, etc. are common issues that often put pressure on college students. It goes without saying that attending college is in itself inherently stressful. However, mild amounts of stress for college students can be advantageous or necessary to challenge them. Stress can motivate or stimulate, which may actually improve performance. However, too much stress begins to interfere with their functioning. Stress levels tend to build over time that when not managed effectively can result in various physical illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Only in identifying the stressors and conquering them can students maximize their opportunities and college experience.

Common Causes of College Stress

Stress Management

In order to identify an effective stress management technique, the stressors specific to college students should be determined. It's also important to distinguish between sources of stress that are within your control, and those that are not.

Common college stressors:

1) Academic stress - increase in workload over insufficient time, new responsibilities, difficult exams, challenging classes, low grades, deadlines to meet, scheduling issues to coordinate and a more independent nature of the college learning structure

2) Social stress - creating a new social network, separation from home and finding less parental support, living with a roommate, balancing school work with friends or part-time jobs and dealing with the demands of young adult relationships

3) Other stresses - daily hassles (commuting and waiting in line), financial crisis, studying long, hard hours and waking up early for classes, logistics of living independently (i.e., laundry) new students deal with abrupt change from high school and more seasoned students wonder if they're in the right major

Tips for Managing Stress

There are a number of techniques to help college students minimize the stress they are feeling.

1) Time management: Develop a schedule to manage your time indicating your goals and priorities. Learn to plan ahead and avoid procrastination. When you're stretched too thin and running behind, it's hard to stay calm and focused.

TIPS: Create a 'To Do list' or a planner and keep track of deadlines and schedules and learn to say 'No'.

2) Get Organized: Have a system of organization for note-taking, keeping track of assignments, and other important papers. Create a good study environment where you can concentrate, focus and get things done. Being organized can bring you the peace of mind that comes from knowing where everything is, remembering deadlines and test dates, and clearing your mind of some of the mental clutter that disorganization brings.

TIPS: Keep a calendar, a schedule and a filing system for your school stuff.

3) Exercise, Nutrition and Sleep: Eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep. If you want to perform at your best, you need to be well-rested. Physical activity is also a great stress reliever.

TIPS: Work your schedule so you get enough sleep or exercise.

4) Don't sweat the small stuff: Always be conscious if the issue at hand is worth getting upset about. If it isn't affecting your goal achievement, it may not be worth fretting over.

5) Develop Optimism: It's been proven that those who more easily shrug off failures and multiply successes -- are healthier, less stressed, and more successful. The habit of optimism and positive thinking can bring better health, better relationships, and, yes, better grades.

6) Maintain your sense of humor and positive thinking: Laughter is one of the best stress-busters there is.

7) Communicate: Talking to a person who you trust like a friend, family member, or professor about issues of concern is helpful. Although most college student related stress is self-manageable, there are situations that may be serious enough to require counseling. If the stress in your life is overwhelming and/or you feel helpless, ask for help or share your concerns with a counselor or your teacher.

TIPS: Use the phone or email to stay in touch with family and friends at home and get involved with groups and clubs at school can be an excellent remedy for college loneliness.

College students who can deal with stress effectively maintain their health and well-being, are able to focus during classes, and get better grades! Remember, college is supposed to be enjoyed, not endured -- it's important to keep college stress under control.

Stress Management For College Students

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