Stress in College Students

After reading many of my classmates’ blog posts, I can certainly resonate. For many of us, not just the effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic, but the workload for many of our classes have been oftentimes “too much to handle.” Personally, it feels as though all professors increased the amount of coursework being issued trifold. Nonetheless, I often worry that too much work is programming us to just complete the work, but the rapid pace and switching of subjects does not allow new-learned to completely grasp the concept or ideas being presented. I wish more professors would be understanding that students do have their own personal lives outside of their class. For many, students have families to tend to, they have a job, they are taking several other classes, extracurricular and internship opportunities, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, all while trying to succeed and become an all-around better person in life. For many young adults, especially those in college, there is a growing crisis leading affecting mental health, including suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression. In fact, “Suicide is the second most common cause of death for college students, right after accidents. In the period between 2008 and 2017, stress levels have grown exponentially. Consequently, 47% more young adults were having thoughts about committing suicide” (Jacimovic, D., 2019). I have done some research and would like to share below my findings with all of you- my fellow college colleagues of mine. Most importantly, however, if any of my readers ever feel a desire to self-harm themselves, please know that there is 24/7 confidential and free support by calling 1-800-273-8255, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. 

Findings:

Maryville University argues that one should prevent stress in college through establishing a support system of family, friends, or professors to provide their advice. Secondly, is to understand your triggers.  This means that you assess and understand what causes stress in your life, and you make those adjustments in your life to avoid stressful situations. Managing your time is also a key to managing stress, and this will allow you to balance a number of things you may deem necessary to attend to. Furthermore, saying “no” is a key responsibility when you feel placed in a stressful situation, such as when you don’t have time to take up another responsibility (Maryville University). 

Moreover, mitigating the effects of stress, according to Maryville University, can be done through getting enough sleep, eating healthy, exercising, partaking in a hobby to distract your mind from stress, having a supportive group, volunteering, meditating, understanding your limitations and being realistic, being organized, and staying optimistic (Maryville University).