Academic Stress: Introduction to the Topic

Stress is a universal phenomenon and burning concerns which disturbs all people in all walks of life. It bothers physical as well as psychological domain on the person and create hindrance in the development of the personality and performance. It also pothered research scholars in terms of academic demands, conflict with the research supervisor, submission of papers, financial problems, work-life balance etc. associated with depression. It also leads to the destructive emotions, such as anxiety and depression. This depression can affect their research performance such as lack of concentration on the research plan and process. As per the WHO there is an increase of suicidal thoughts among the research scholars due to failure in the academic achievements. At the same time one cannot deny the fact that positive stress enhances subjective and behavioral performance. This is academic stress introduction essay in which an author gives short explanation-introduction of the nature and role of academic stress in students' lifes. 

Sources of Stress

All people are undergoing the agony of stress throughout the life time. The research scholars face variety of stressful situation in the Universities and higher educational institutions due to the high demand of the research progression, career excellence and planning for the future. The major area of stress can be group in to the following categories:

• Family
• Occupational/ Educational
• Personal
• Environmental

The research scholars are experiencing more Stress in adjustment of these above areas which resulted in physiological and psychological distress and problems.

Long-Lasting Societal Sources of Stress

Pressures

Pressure is a situation wherein a person is compelled to do a thing in a given time with high quality performance irrespective of their ability and environmental demand. In the case of research process the scholars are required to do more work within the limited time. They will undergo adequate denial and experience continuous force of meeting target for finishing high standards and quality output. The feeling of non-accomplishment and the failure of maintaining work-life balancing make them worthless. This is the outcome of our cultural inheritance which emphasis only victory and gives negative connotation to failure as shame. Besides, the worry and uncertainty of the future also gives enormous pressure to the research scholars.

Frustration

Frustration is a feeling that results in forfeiting the achievement by somebody hindering the way of success. The world today is competitive. The people are ready to do anything and pulling the other down to achieve something in their life. Five sources of frustration are:-

• Delays
• Absence of resources
• Lack of support system
• Fear of failure, Guilt feeling, etc.
• Discrimination in the name of sex, age, relation, caste etc. irrespective of aequate qualifications and qualities.

Pressure and frustration will give some chemical changes in the brain and it may cause lots of health hazards.

Consequences of Stress

Psychological Consequences

Stress is having extensive implications on the physical and psychological aspects of human. It produces the fear, anger, dissatisfaction, frustration, guilt, disgrace, worthless, depression so on. Besides it also stuns the growth and leads to low self-image, feebleness, loss of identity, sickness etc.

Physiological Consequences

Common physical risks connected with stress are peptic upset, diarrhea, constipation, chronic breathing complaints, high blood pressure, severe headaches, goiter, muscle spasm, rheumatoid joint inflammation. It may also cause eating disorders such as loss of appetite, increase eating, obesity, stomach ulcers and high cholesterol.

Although the impact of both psychological and physiological stress have been well-known since ancient times, only recent rapidly emergent literatures on stress and health have made evident the complete significance of these early observations. Stress is likely to be present, when problems are not easily resolved. There is no denying that stress takes a toll on students. Stress faced students when they enter a totally new universe of expert and professional education.

Academic Stress

Academic stress is a mental distress with respect to some anticipated frustration associated with academic failure or low level of performance and even an awareness of possibility of such failure or lower level of performance.

It is the product of a combination of academic-related demands that exceed the adaptive resources available to an individual. Academic stress is a concern which must not be taken for granted as it adversely affects the overall development of students. Academic stress is a product of a combination of academic related demands that exceed the adaptive resources available to an individual. Bisht cited in Krishan defined academic stress as a demand related to academics that tax or exceed the available resources (internal or external) as cognitively appeared by the student involved. According to her, Academic stress echoes individual’s perception of academic frustration, academic conflict, academic pressure and academic anxiety which are synonymous with the components of academic stress.

Academic frustration is a state caused by harm of some academic goals. Academic conflict is the result of two or more equal but incomplete response tendencies to academic goals. Academic pressure occurs when the student is under heavy demands of time and energy to meet academic goals, and academic anxiety is an apprehension of harm to some academic goals. The levels of excessive academic stress have their own consequences. Despite increases in undergraduate college student enrollment, low academic achievement, and high attrition rates persist for many students. Academic stress can diminish students’ self-confidence; cause physical and mental health problems and impact students’ academic accomplishment and can affect learning and memory. The prolonged stress is likely to reduce the efficiency of a person and can interfere with a student’s preparation, concentration and performance.

Stressors refer to any internal or external source causing stress to an individual. In academic field, stressors include poor time management, coursework, setting unrealistic academic goals, adjustment during the transition period, high competitiveness among students, information overload, requirement to meet assessment deadlines, high self and others’ expectations, college admission procedures, lack of proper study strategies, improper motivation and uncongenial study environment. Various researchers have identified stressors as too many assignments, competitions with other students, failures and poor relationships with other students or lecturers. Academic stressors also include the student’s perception of the extensive knowledge base required and the perception of an inadequate time to develop it.

Conclusion

To sum up academic stress essay, introduction shows that students  experiencing academic stress at predictable times each semester with the greatest sources of academic stress resulting from studying for exams, grade competition, and the large amount of content to master in a small amount of time. When stress becomes excessive or is perceived negatively, students start experiencing physical and psychological impairment. Various stress-busting methods used by students include effective time management, positive reappraisal, social support and engagement in leisure pursuits.