Causes Of College Stress (And How To Fight Them)
Have you started to feel fatigued lately? Or perhaps your energy levels have started to drop all of a sudden. You may be suffering from what’s known as college stress. If you are a college student, you may be already experiencing the effects of college stress. The dangerous thing about this condition is that you may not realize what’s causing it.
In most cases, the effects of stress on college students are neglected. Students simply believe it’s something that will pass. Moreover, many people think it has something to do with their sleeping or eating habits. It does not; and the issue should be dealt with immediately. Here is how!
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Some Worrying Stress In College Students Statistics
The effects of stress in college students are serious. In fact, they are serious enough to warrant extensive studies. Unfortunately, these studies have shown that the causes of stress in college are an epidemic among students of all ages. Here are just some of the college stress statistics we’ve analyzed so far:
- The American Institute of Stress (yes, there is such a thing!) has discovered that 8 in 10 students experience from periodic stress.
- Between 2014 and 2015, 30% more students made appointments at counseling centers than between 2009 and 2010.
- Also, studies have shown that over 43 percent of full time students are employed.
- Of part time students, more than 81 percent are employed. A job adds more pressure on the student and stress starts take its toll.
- 45 percent of students replied “all the time” when asked how often they experience stress during a relatively recent poll.
These stress in college students statistics are worrying, to say the least. It’s worth noting that the stress hormone (cortisol) can interfere with memory and learning and it can cause heart disease and increased blood pressure. Yes, college student stress can kill.
First Signs Of College Stress
It looks like there is a clear link between college students and stress. By looking at college students and stress statistics you can deduce that it is quite extensive and harmful. It is very important for you to figure out if you are suffering from stress. Remember that there are some very clear signs that this is happening; signs that should not be ignored. You should care about this because stress can have significant effects on students (we’ll talk about them shortly). Here are some of the signs that you may be suffering from what is known as “college students stress”:
- Your patience is less than normal.
- You start to experience a sense of isolation.
- You can’t seem to enjoy your preferred activities anymore.
- You can start to develop feelings of depression or unexplained sadness. You need to be very careful about depression, as it’s a very dangerous effect of stress in college.
- You are easily irritated by even minor events.
- You feel like you are being overwhelmed.
- You can’t focus anymore and you become lethargic.
Effects Of Stress On College Students
Unfortunately, there is a clear link between stress and college students’ performance. Students who frequently experience stress are not capable of reaching their full performance. In other words, you will have trouble with several things. Here are some of the most important effects of stress:
- College student stress statistics show that stressed students are unable to learn in an effective manner. Elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol are affecting your memory and learning capabilities.
- It has been shown that students who are stressed are more likely to bully others. This does not excuse bullying, of course. However, you should be careful how you treat your peers.
- Stress has been demonstrated to significantly decrease sleep quality. This is most likely why you feel so run-down all the time. It also explains why your energy levels have dropped significantly.
- Stress can cause plenty of physical problems as well. For instance, you may experience frequent headaches, shaking, chest pains, stomachaches, and even frequent colds. The stress college students endure can sometimes lead to serious health issues.
- Of course, stress worsens grades. In severe cases, it can even prevent you from finishing certain courses. Not being able to focus during lectures and not being able to study effectively will have disastrous effects on your GPA.
The first thing you need to do if you think you are being affected by stress is to find the cause. Only by knowing what is causing the condition can you effectively fight it.
Main Causes Of College Student Stress
We have analyzed plenty of things that are causing stress on college students. There are dozens of stress factors that can play a role. However, we managed to narrow down the list of causes to just 5. Here are the most common causes of stress in college students (spoiler alert: you can fight against each one of them!):
- One of the main causes of stress is the workload. Of course, you have too much college homework. You have to write dozens of papers each semester and you also have to prepare for various tests and for your terms. Lectures are taking a good chunk of your time as well.
- The next thing that has been shown to cause a lot of stress is poor time management and poor organization skills. Students tend to postpone various assignments. Let’s face it: you probably procrastinate a lot yourself. When you eventually start working on all the things you have postponed, it’s a disaster.
- Employment is causing a lot of stress among college students. You are basically trying to do too many things at the same time. You are trying to split your – already limited – time between school and work.
- Many students are simply homesick. They miss their family and their friends. In many cases, students who are affected by stress don’t manage to make new friends on campus. Campus life itself may cause stress as well.
- The average public university costs more than $20,000 per year. If you attend a private college, you probably have to pay double that every year. Financial problems are adding to the stress college student has to endure.
10 Best Ways To Fight College Stress
It’s time for some college stress relief! The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to not only alleviate the effects of stress, but even to eliminate stress from your life for good. Here are the best 10 tips and tricks about how to handle stress in college:
- Don’t postpone your school chores. It’s a lot better to get each one done ASAP so you can have plenty of time to work on others.
- No matter how stressed you may be, you need to get a good night’s sleep! When you are tired, stop and go to bed.
- If you are homesick or if you miss your friends, make a video call – or more. Nowadays, it’s extremely easy to video-call anyone, anywhere in the world.
- If you need to work a full time job, search for stress free jobs for college students. Pick one that won’t cause you any stress!
- If possible, move from a full time job to a part time job. It will give you some much-needed free time!
- Engage in stress relief activities for college students. Did you know that physical exercise is very effective at relieving stress? And so is spending time with friends and enjoying your hobbies.
- Student counseling really is helpful. Don’t hesitate to seek help from your school’s student counseling office.
- Meditating is an extremely effective way to fight stress.
- Eat healthy food and make sure you get all the micronutrients and macronutrients your body needs.
- Learn to manage your time and organize your workload. The more efficient you are, the faster you finish all your school assignments.
Don’t Want To Stress? Get Homework Help!
As a last tip, you should consider getting some help with your essays and homework. “Do my class online?” Yes, we can even do that.The college students stress statistics are quire unsettling, and you shouldn’t become part of them. Our writing company can help you with this in no time. Simply by outsourcing difficult academic papers and homework, you can get the free time you need to escape stress. Why don’t you take the next 3 days off school? Just sit back and relax!
