Stress is a condition that is prevalent in a wide range of people irrespective of gender, age, socioeconomic status, or academic background. However, the problem is even more profound among college students due to their prevailing circumstances. Many college students are faced with a myriad of educational, psychological, environmental, and social challenges in adjusting to the new college environment which consequently affect their general well-being and academic performance. The teaching methods applied at college level of education including the different relations between different faculties and academic requirements present difficulties and challenges to college students. The main source of stress for college students is largely related to the instructions they receive and how they receive it. However, stress may be beneficial because it is an adaptive and healthy response to stressors because it enables individuals to mobilize energy to mitigate against them. It should, therefore, be clear that some sort of stress is good for a student since it compels them to work hard and achieve success in their academic work. It has the ability to improve academic creativity and achievement. However, failure to apply effective stress management strategies can lead to chronic stress which can consequently lead to serious mental and physical problems.
Findings Review
College students have varying levels of stress due to exposure to several types of stressors. A study carried out on a sample population of 249 undergraduate students revealed that higher levels of stress was mainly caused by factors such as lack of time management skills and financial and academic commitments (Yikealo et al ., 2018). These stressors affected the mental health and academic performance of students in a negative manner when they were negatively interpreted. The study indicated that psychological stress is particularly prevalent in college students undertaking certain courses such as engineering and art. In addition to that, there are also other common sources of stress that affect the college student population. These sources of stress include academic, environmental, and personal factors.
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Research indicates that the relationship between academic achievement and stress levels among college students is inverse in nature. These studies assume that students with higher stress levels affect effective performance in their learning. In contrast, some studies indicate that stress contributes positively to college students’ performance and learning outcomes. The studies indicate that students with high stress levels have a higher grade point average. It also revealed that students taking medical courses had better stress management techniques which made them deal effectively with the adverse effects of stress and improve their performance
Diversity Review
According to several findings, diversity plays a critical role on how stress affects the performance of college students. However, research finding have been impacted by diversity in that they are mixed up and often contradictory. For instance, research findings by Sulaiman et al. (2009) indicate that college girls have higher levels of stress in comparison to their male counterparts because their sensitive and emotional nature. Further studies show that female college students are affected more by the time pressure aspect of stress than male students. Other reasons given to higher stress levels in female students include pressure associated with their family as well as student life. They are more susceptible to stress which is self-imposed and exhibit higher levels of psychological responses to stressful situations than males. Males show lower levels of stress because they have been socialized to act in a masculine manner by not exhibiting emotional weakness. However, research also shows that the difference in academic achievement between male and female students due to stress is insignificant. The correlation between gender and stress indicate that many females tend to find themselves in more stressful situations that their male counterparts. The main reason is that they perceive life differently than men because of their social responsibilities and roles. Many instances also indicate that women tend to be more affected by the attitude of other people more than men. This makes them to deal with life situations in a more emotional manner than their male counterparts who deal with frustrations in a more non-emotional and rational manner. This type of response is problematic because an emotional focused manner of coping is ineffective as opposed to a problem focused manner. However, a study by Khan et al. (2015) revealed that stress levels for school boys were higher than that of school girls. The reason given to this situation is that parents had higher expectations on school boys than they have on school girls. The situation makes boys to have higher levels of stress than school girls. Higher stress levels on schools boys can also be attributed on the high standards they have set for themselves to attain their goals.
How to Reduce Stress among Students
Students face a lot of pressure due to the stressful environment of academic life. Failure to check the level of stress can have a devastating toll on both the mental and physical health of the student. It is in this regard that students need to be taught how to effectively manage stress to avoid falling into this abyss. The most important strategy of managing college life stress is to be organized. Students should be able to manage their new found freedom in an effective manner to avoid being perpetually under pressure due to the demands of college academic life. They should be able to balance their activities in such a manner that not a single activity dominates their life. This will help them create free time for themselves which they can use to relax and revitalize. It is also important for college student’s to set up a private space of their own which is quiet and free from constant disruptions. This will help them focus and concentrate with their studies more effectively. Finally, it is advisable for students to a schedule that will organize their activities so as to avoid doing the wrong things at the right time. A schedule will always create free time for students. Leisure time is a necessary ingredient that helps one to unwind and keep the mind fresh and healthy.
Conclusion
Various studies indicate that a vast majority of college students experience stress due to the experiences they undergo in college. However, the main stressors to college students were academic and environmental in nature. In contrast, students showed low levels of stress due to social, psychological and physiological factors. When it came to diversity, there were contradictory findings with some indicating that female students had higher stress levels than their male counterparts while others indicated on the contrary. Moreover, other studies indicated that diversity had no effect on the level of stress especially among female and male college students.
References
Khan, Z., Lanin, A. B., & Ahmad, N. (2015). The Level of stress in male and female school students. Journal of Education and Practice , 6 (13), 166-168.
Sulaiman, T., Hassan, A., Sapian, M. V., & Abdullah, S. K. (2009). The level of stress among Students in urban and rural secondary schools in Malaysia . European Journal of Social Sciences, 10 (2), 179-184.
Yikealo, D., Tareke, W. & Karvinen, I. (2018). The Level of Stress among College Students: A Case in the College of Education, Eritrea Institute of Technology. Open Source Science Journal.
