College life is not at all a bed of roses as many students tend to think even though it is a step forward to achieving their life goals. Many a student have a feeling that once they begin college, they are going to experience their greatest moments of life. They tend to think that college life will be fun, with new acquired freedom, meeting new friends with culture diversity, and new social life. But that is not entirely true as they try to deal with homesickness, culture differences, and still striving to work hard to excel in academics, they may end up being quite overwhelmed. On the other, students set their own goals to achieve good grades and when this doesn’t happen they get stressed up. Parents’ expectations can lead to stress as they may push their child without considering his capabilities. Below are some of the common reasons for stress in students:
1. Academic stress
The workload of college is more involving than the high school and many students get weighed down by it. In high school, they got lots of assistance and support from teachers and parents, but once in college, they have to do most of the work by themselves. In the college, a student is faced with totally different subject that may take long to understand and this may increase anxiety. Exams and tests also contribute to stress in students. A lot of students get worried about getting good grades and many create time to study when there are upcoming tests. Test stress does not affect the struggling students only, it also affect the high achievers too as they are under a lot of pressure to maintain their grades or even do better. Others are worried of losing their scholarships in case they do not pass their exams, which is reason enough to give them stress as they may end up losing the once in a lifetime chance.
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2. Parental expectations
Some parents put a lot of pressure to their children to agree to their preferences without respecting their children’s interests, capabilities and choices. Obviously, the sole burden of trying to live up to the parent's expectations will take a toll on their academic life and will definitely increase their stress level. On the same note, parents are likely to put pressure on their kids on the grades they expect from them without considering their capability and IQ levels. The pressure to deliver the required grades to their parent will lead to depression as they try to please them.
3. Homesickness
A lot of students are overly excited the first time they set a foot in college and be away from the prying eyes of their parents. They think they have all the freedom to do whatever they feel like without worrying about their parents. But once they settle in a faraway location or country with different cultures, new environment, and stange food they begin to miss the warmth of their family which makes them unable to settle down and study well. They may feel saddened by separation from their family and familiar environment they were used to and this may lead to stress.
4. Financial Burden
Financial burden can cause stress in a student. With lack of college fees, a student is not certain whether he will be able to finish college. Generally, college life is not cheap and it gets more expensive with each passing year whether it is a public or private college. A part from tuition fees, there are other expenses to worry about such as the cost of books, boarding room, food and over all maintenance which can be staggeringly high. Unless one is under full scholarship, college can be a huge burden and many students are forced to take part time job to help them cater for college expenses.
5. Social Anxiety
For most students, the first few months of college could prove to be very intimidating. Some people are naturally outgoing but most of us have to really work hard to create connections and make friends in new places. It is not easy to make friends with people from different background, cultures, and social life. Some students will prefer to isolate themselves for fear of being rejected and this can trigger stress.
6. Unhealthy Competition
Everybody loves healthy competition, but what will happen in case we cross line to unhealthy? The obsession of getting good grades and being on top of the class can cause additional stress to the student. College grades are capable of impacting the future life of a student, whether negatively or positively as a lot of job offers depend on your college grades. Some students are called to college where they begin with pre-requisite in their first semester which can be stressful as the exam determines whether they remain in college.
7. Handling Roommates drama
Not every student get to have a roommate, but majority of them end up sharing a room with one or two persons. Depending on personal habits and personalities, there could be a conflict waiting to happen at some point. Being suddenly made to live in the same room with a total stranger can be very frustrating, more so when they do not get along and have nothing in common. There are roommates who do not respect the other’s properties, are too noisy, disorganized and others do not observe proper hygiene. All these are bound to create a crash between roommates making them have an uncomfortable and stressed life
It is evident that college life is not easy and one may take a considerable amount of time in order to adapt to it. But with necessary help and support, they are able to pull through and attain good grades. Students can form a support group whereby they are able to assist each other during college life. Parents should never push their kids to study courses they are not interested in, instead, they should choose to support their choices and help them throughout college life. This will go a long way in boosting their confidence and wanting to make their parents proud as well as excelling in their studies. Instead of taking part time jobs, students can be advised to take loans leaving them with more time to fully concentrate in their studies. Students can also seek help from professional counselors or professors to help them cope with stressful college life which makes it hard to concentrate a hundred percent on studies. College life need not be stressful as proper help and tips can help the student have a fulfilled life and accomplish his goals.
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