College is innately stressful regardless of if this is your first experience with it or you are a seasoned student furthering your education. While some of the things that can stress students out are the result of predictable growing pains, they still need help dealing with them and navigating this new normal.
The implications of the college experience alone can create mental strain. With people inquiring about what type of profession you want before you even register for your first class, feeling caught up in a whirlwind is terribly common.
Causes of Stress in College Students and How to Overcome
Thankfully, advocacies for mental health and a priority on individuals having an overall work/life balance are two hot topics right now that have arguably more social visibility than ever before. This is an exciting development for college students because their first impression of the working world will not be the traditional rat race that previous generations experienced. Instead, students will be introduced to professional settings in a way that combines a high priority on both workmanship as well as personal development and well-being.
Identifying Stressors in College
Knowing how to identify the common symptoms of physical and emotional stress is the best defence against experiencing it. It is important to note that college is a unique time in a person’s life and the factors that can cause stress will be as well. Listening to your own body and mind in a new way is a good way to keep your finger on the pulse of your overall well-being.
Some indicators of stress that are commonly ignored and categorized as part of the experience are restlessness, irritability, and physical fatigue. While it is true that these occurrences can all be a part of what to expect from this transition there is where your personal internal gauge comes into play. Having a solid understanding of your own habits should be your guide towards determining if some of these stressors are incidental or require a more dedicated attention and remedy.
New and Unprecedented Demands
Prevention is a powerful tool, and although students might not know specifically what will cause them stress during their tenure, there are some common triggers to be aware of and take a proactive stand against. Academic stress holds the top billing in this category.
The demands of attending classes, completing coursework, managing projects, preparing for exams, and earning a specific grade to have it all count is one big game of dominos. If you already hold an undergraduate degree and decide to go back for your MBA, add in an extra set of dominos for having to balance a job to the mix.
Finances are a close second. Most students are responsible for not only their own education but their own living costs as well. There is little chance you will enter college with the bank account balance to cover all of these bills, so you’ll need student loans. Students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels will probably turn to student loans to help them pay for their education. To estimate when you will be able to pay off your student loan in full, you can use a student loan debt payoff calculator.
If you have undergrad loans already you know that research is essential for selecting the right options for student loans and graduate loans are no different. By making a well-informed decision regarding your loans you are taking a proactive stance against post-grad financial stressors.
Simply living away from home can be transition enough to cause stress in anybody, even more so in college students who are likely experiencing this for the first time. The abrupt switch from living in a manner where you had a collaborative effort towards your day to day (help from someone else cooking your meals, doing your laundry, paying your bills, etc.) to living independently and having to manage all of this on your own is jarring.
Being separated from familiar surroundings, the comfort of family and siblings, and an established network of support will undoubtedly take its toll in some capacity.
Find Help on Campus
Your school of choice likely already has an established network for stress management resources and help and assistance that students can take advantage of. Many of these programs and policies are both free of cost, and readily available.
Administrators and educators are working together to reduce the stigma surrounding students who need or want extra support. One major way to help with this reduction is virtual support. Not everyone has the capacity to walk into a group of people and discuss their vulnerabilities, remote counselling has made huge strides to remedy that.
For students who might not be experiencing a major concern but rather are simply not adjusting to this new lifestyle as they would have thought or hoped, college campuses provide support and guidance for that too.
Productivity is essential for a successful and positive college experience but many students struggle to develop and maintain a routine to support that in what is essentially a structure-less environment. Opportunities like study groups are a great example of ways that students can find help on campus to acquire solutions for a variety of needs.
Beat Stress in College
One of the most misrepresented aspects of stress reduction is that there is no magic formula. Many people want to be able to follow a plan and take specific steps to just ‘feel better but the truth is that these remedies are not one size fits all. While that can be frustrating to certain personalities it is one of the main sources of comfort for others.
Taking inventory of your specific stressors and putting into practice solutions that are applicable for not only your concern but also your life is the true magic formula.
Conclusion | Causes of Stress in College Students and How to Overcome
Simple swaps like walking to get places instead of using motorized transportation can provide you with some of the essentials like oxygen and physical movement, both of which have been proven to reduce stress. Sleep is another important factor in the fight against stress. Figuring out how much sleep your body needs to feel truly rested and be productive throughout the day is going to give your body a chance to reset each night so that it can perform at its peak each day.