Life is stressful

 

Course Objectives: 1,2,5,6,10,11

Assignment Objectives: My goal for this post is to explore and explain the different types of stresses first-year college students experience and how to control that stress.

According to Webster dictionary, the definition of the word “stress” is a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc. As the years progress the amount of stress levels in the general public keep steadily rising. You would think in the 21st century with all the technology that is made available to us stress levels would be lower than the were in previous years. However, this is not the case. I think the main reason for the high levels of stress is how competitive society is. With the economy being like it is today the job market getting harder and harder, the expectations for an individual keeps increasing. These demands cause pressure for all individuals in the education system.  From Kindergarteners to college students the expectations are higher then they have ever been before.

Everything is being taught at an accelerated pace. Kindergarteners today are kept to higher expectations compared to previous classes of children that were allowed to play and nap. Now a day’s kindergarteners are expected to read, and even do math. This is something I could never imagine doing at that age.  Children in grade school are being taught how to critically think and think at a much higher level of complexity than kids that age ever had to think. High school is becoming more rigorous offering more AP classes.

In high school, it’s no longer enough to just have a good GPA to get into a good college. An individual must have a good GPA, write a well-written college essay, demonstrate participation in many extracurricular activities. Some of these activities include sports, clubs, or at most times both, and somehow stand out from the student next of you who basically resembles, all the same, characteristics. I think all of this pressure children face growing up is carried all the way to those college years. Once a student finally figures out their major and what college they will be attending in the fall and they finally have a chance to catch their breath, the cycle of stress begins again. That newly accepted student must figure out how to pay these thousands of dollars for the school they plan on attending in the fall, and what dorm they will live in and whom they will live with. Once at college, a whole new set of stressful things start to occur.

Most of us begin college when we are 18 years old. At 18 years old you are so young, just barely old enough to vote and drive, too young to drink. College is the first time in our lives where we are finally independent. We don’t have our parents telling us what and what not to do, our teachers making sure we do our assignments and our comfort of our home which we know so well. This is a total culture shock to many individuals including myself. I was so dependent on my parents for so many things, it was weird not having them around me to help me. It was also weird being 6 hours away from a place I called home my entire life. Living in a dorm and sharing a room with another person, eating in a dining hall instead of at my kitchen table, having to make all new friends, and having to wear flip flops in the shower were totally different than anything else I ever encountered in my life. It definitely took time to get used to (well the food I am still getting used to), but with time you grow to like it. You begin to make friends, and as weird as it sounds this place becomes your home.

Another aspect of college that causes stress for many students especially incoming freshman is the course load. High school is set up much differently than college is. In high school teachers will remind you when an assignment is due in college it’s up to you. Your professor doesn’t care if you go to class or study for an exam. It’s all up to you and how well you want to do. The course load is much lighter in high school; you have a lot longer to complete an assignment. In high school I would be able to finish most of my work for the week early on in the week. When I got to college I soon realized this wouldn’t be the case. In college, there is only so much you can finish in a day. You have to be efficient with the time you have. For example, you want to spend enough time on assignments, but you don’t want to spend the entire day doing work. You still need time to be human.

Spend time with friends, work out, relax. I think time management is one of the hardest lessons to learn, but as soon as you learn it college is a piece of cake. I think everybody needs balance in their life. A student can reduce their stress levels drastically if they have a balance between work and play. I think it’s also critical to eat healthily and exercise and spending time with people who bring out the best in you. If you have this balance the level of decrease substantially. I think college could be enjoyable to any individual who is able to adapt to the new way of life and change and grow as an individual. You spend four years of your life at this place so why not make it the best as it can possibly be?

CCBY CHUA https://flic.kr/p/iDCRU3

 

“Stress.” Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-campus/201110/stress-in-college-students