Sarah Goodman
Ms. Redden
ENG W233-12
11 November 2014
Stress With College Students “How am I going to get all of this homework and studying done by Tuesday?” I said to my freshman-self as I sat at my cluttered desk on a Friday night after finishing a shift at work.
I felt so inexperienced and immature. “I won’t always feel like this…” I thought while looking at five assignment sheets at once, “surely I will get used to this workload eventually.” Little did I know I would experience this same overwhelming feeling of stress that filled me in my first year of college, almost every day of my college career. The type of question I asked myself that night is one that I still often find myself asking throughout the span of each passing semester. Constant thoughts of assignments, exams, work schedules, countless deadlines, and not to mention, when I plan to sleep, fill my mind every minute of every day. I felt, and still frequently feel, so overpowered by negative emotions regarding all of the responsibilities that come with being a successful college student. I am not alone with these negative feelings toward stress. Among most college students that I know and have been in contact with, all say that they endure tremendous amounts of stress that are related to their college careers. Most times, this stressful feeling that students experience is the result of factors such as, overcrowded schedules due to work and classes, as well as all of the work that must be completed in order to do well in college courses. For most college students, stress is something that is inevitable and is difficult to treat or overcome. Today, more and more students attend college universities and with this, arises a significant increase in stress among this generation of college attendees. With today’s college students being plunged into very intellectually and physically demanding courses, majors, and classroom atmospheres, stress has become a common idea that is associated with everyday college student life. When facing this ongoing stress almost everyday, students do not often realize the negative effects that can influence them mentally and physically. While students do not always consider these adverse consequences, they still exist, and have been researched widely by many concerned academics and specialists. The past research done on this topic has shown that stress and its negative effects are both increasing problems among college students and the means of treatment for stress are widespread and still significantly unused. Although research has touched on many elements of stress with college students, not all results stemming from the research is clear in answering certain questions. Can college students actually treat their stress? What are the best ways to treat stress for college students? Can college students turn stressful factors into positive ones? Do different demographics of people including gender, age, and race; have different ways of treating stress? In this generation of students, the issue of stress and its negative effects is relevant to everyone attending college and to the families and friends of those attending college. These unfavorable outcomes can considerably impact students’ overall health and wellbeing. It is important for everyone to be aware of the increasing problem of stress in college student lives and how the negative effects of it may impact their health. In order to actively support and improve the health and knowledge of college students, this issue must be considered. There are several key terms that will be used throughout this argument that have a specific meaning linked to the topic of stress. Stressors are closely related to the negative aspects of stress in that they are all of the people, things, and situations that cause one’s stress and the negative effects from it. Stressors can vary from things such as schoolwork, relationships, jobs, and pressure to do well. Coping