There are several stress causes of college students. While the years one spends in college can be both educational and enjoyable, they are often quite stressful.
Numerous Stress Causes of College Students
Academic Performance Pressure
The pressure to perform academically is one of the primary causes of teenage stress, particularly for college students. Coursework can be very demanding and the competition for earning top marks can be very fierce. Students who want to do their best and who are planning to apply for admission to graduate school can be under a great deal of pressure as they struggle to excel in school. The same is true for those who are seeking scholarship funding or who must keep their grades up in order to keep existing scholarship awards.
Financial Stress
Many college students experience financial stress. This can involve the struggle to find sufficient money to pay for tuition, as well as securing the funds needed to cover the costs of living while attending school. Even those students who are able to qualify for sufficient financial aid to cover immediate college costs have to cope with the financial stress of knowing that they will have to face paying back a large sum of money following graduation. The debt associated with student loans can be a source of stress, even long before finishing school and entering the job market.
Multitasking Stress
College students often engage in multiple activities outside of school. In addition to taking several classes at one time, students may also be juggling jobs, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, family responsibilities, and more. While figuring out how to handle multiple simultaneous responsibilities can be excellent practice for adulthood, doing so is certainly a cause of stress for many students.
Facing the Future
While some students have a clear vision of the lives they want to enjoy as adults, many feel overwhelmed by the idea of trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. College students feel pressure to make educational and career decisions that can impact the rest of their live. Choosing a major can be stressful, as can making choices about where to live, which relationships to continue to pursue, and more.
Increased Responsibility and Independence
The college years are characterized by quite a bit of change. Dealing with change is a major stressor for most individuals. For many people, attending college is the beginning of the process of becoming independent. Leaving home to go away to school and start taking on additional responsibility can be very stress inducing. Being faced with making important decisions about one's life and schedule for the first time is something that can be very stressful for college students.
Peer Pressure
During the college years, peer pressure can be quite fierce. Coeds often face pressure from their classmates to experiment with drugs, sexual activity, and other potentially harmful behaviors. For those who choose not to participate in such activities, resisting pressure can be a source of stress. Individuals who do venture into behaviors that might better be avoided also experience stress, typically both emotional and physical in nature.
Dealing with College Student Stress
It's important for students to realize that feeling stress during this time of life is normal, and it is all right to reach out for help when they need it. Because college students face so many stressors, it's not unusual for people to need help dealing with the pressures of everyday life while they are in school.
Most postsecondary institutions offer free counseling services to members of the student body. Students can seek assistance from academic advisors, career counselors, or the school's health services office. Additionally, many schools offer life skills classes designed to help students adapt to college life and prepare for life beyond school. While search courses are typically not required, they can be helpful for those seeking assistance coping with stress causes of college students.
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