The Problem of Experiencing Stress During College Life

Stress is a major problem for college students throughout the United States, which can be caused by several different reasons. Even though we may not realize it, the symptoms of stress can affect our health both physically and mentally. I believe that it is very common for college students to experience stress which prevents us from fully succeeding. It would be best for us to become stress free so that we can perform academically to the best of our ability and to have a healthier lifestyle overall.

The problem is that many of us experience stress, and if it is not managed as soon as possible, it can affect you in a negative manner both mentally and physically. All of these negative effects causes us to not do our best academically. It’s stated in an ABC news article, written by Italo Brown, on September 6, 2018 that, “Three out of every four college students reporting at least one stressful life event within the past year — involving everything from social relationships to personal appearance to problems with family.” In another article titled, “Top College Stressors”, written by Randall Hansen, on an unknown date, includes some examples of academic stress which mentions, “Attending classes, completing the readings, writing papers, managing projects, and preparing for exams all put a heavy burden on students.” This problem of stress can bring harm upon all of us towards our academic success, and it even states in an article titled, “The Impact of Stress on Academic Success” written by an unknown author on December 31, 2016 that, “Physical, emotional and intellectual stress can drag us down. A number of researchers have discovered that psychological stress affects the thinking skills and brain development of even the youngest student.” Some students may argue that as we attend college we should not stress because our campus has a lot to offer to help relieve our stress. Those offers incorporate being able to speak with counselors, petting service dogs, and many other events held on campus that can help with stress relief. But the truth is that many students during their college life may not have time to do such things because they are busy with their own schedules that include going to work and keeping up with academic responsibilities.

My proposal to be relieved from stress is that we should get organized, exercise regularly, take care of your body, and lastly to find support. As we get organize we can do things such as create a space, create a schedule, set priorities, and manage our time wisely. It’s important that we make sure we set away all our distractions and really focus on what we have to do and get it done. Then we can make a list or schedule and order it into what’s most important to least and do it in that matter. It’s also good to try our best not to procrastinate, and get things done as quickly as we can. It’s good to exercise regularly. Some ideas would to be walking as much as we can, trying yoga, take physical education classes that are offered on campus, or even going to the gym. The main purpose of this is to get our blood flowing, and just the idea of being physically fit that can lead into greater things. We also need to take care of our bodies by making sure we are eating right and getting enough sleep. We shouldn’t skip any meals in the day because all of them are important in their own ways. It’s also good to get all the nutrients we need by eating healthy such as fruits, vegetables, protein, and etc. The thought of enough sleep can be different for everybody, but just as long as we are well rested for our day and have enough energy. As we are looking for support we should just be connected to others whether it is our family or friends. Just knowing that you have someone who cares for you and supports you is good and allows you to feel more comforted. According to an article titled, “How to Reduce Stress in College”, written by Elizabeth Scott, published on October 5, 2018 it states that, “Now is the perfect time to explore new stress relief techniques that you can use throughout your life. This can enhance your health and happiness for decades to come.”

If my plan is implemented, we will be able to stress less and excel academically. We will also be able to stay focused and accomplish what we need to do. Dr. Isaac Eliaz agrees with the matter in his article titled, “Why Stress Management Is So Important for Your Health” published on March 1, 2019 as he proclaims, “Reducing stress in your everyday life is vital for maintaining your overall health, as it can improve your mood, boost immune function, promote longevity and allow you to be more productive.”

The idea I had in mind to help college students would to raise some money to purchase stress balls, in which we can hand out to students to help them be relieved from stress. We can start with our campus, and see how it goes, and depending on how it goes maybe we can go even bigger. I would come up with a plan on how we would raise the money for these stress reliever items, and I would prefer to pass these out to students during finals week. Considering the fact that we tend to stress the most as it is the last thing we are doing as the quarter is ending and as we are trying to pass all our classes. What I would ask of people to do to immediately make a change to our stress, is to pick up a stress ball from us who are handing them out to students. It can be very effective into helping students reduce their stress. When we're stressed out, our bodies tense up and we physically clench. The stress ball prompts you to squeeze and release, which can leave you feeling less tense than you started. The benefit of squeezing is that it releases some kind of energy and it also allows you to relax. As I close I want to leave you with a quote from Benjamin Franklin that says, “Do not anticipate trouble or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.”

Works Cited

• Brown, Italo M. “3 Out of 4 College Students Say They’Re Stressed, Many Report Sucidal Thoughts: Study.” ABC News, ABC News Network, 6 Sept. 2018, abcnews.go.com/GMA/college-students-stressed-report-suicidal-thoughts-study/story?id=57646236.
• Eliaz, Isaac. “Why Stress Management Is So Important for Your Health.” Mindbodygreen, Mindbodygreen, 1 Mar. 2019, www.mindbodygreen.com/0-2557/Why-Stress-Management-Is-So-Important-for-Your-Health.html.
• Hansen, Randall S. “Key Study Skills Tools to Achieve Academic Success.” MyCollegeSuccessStory.com: Top College Stressors, www.mycollegesuccessstory.com/academic-success-tools/top-college-stressors.html.
• Scott, Elizabeth. “How Students Can Make College Life Less Stressful.” Verywell Mind, 5 Oct. 2018, www.verywellmind.com/college-life-how-to-reduce-stress-3145176.
• “The Impact of Stress on Academic Success.” Evoke Learning, 31 Dec. 2016, www.evokelearning.ca/the-impact-of-stress-on-academic-success/.