Stressors typically experienced in college
The Inside Higher Ed 2023-24 Student Voice Survey identified the following major stressors:
-Balancing academics with personal, family, and/or financial responsibilities
-Paying for college
-Academic stress
-Prevalence (or interference) of social media.
Data from three other sources of the reasons why college students seek mental health treatment, the top concerns are:
-Anxiety / Depression
-Stress
-Family issues
-Relationship concerns, including loneliness
-Academic performance
-Trauma
-Substance abuse
(Sources: AUCCCD survey 2020; Center for Collegiate Mental Health 2022 Annual Report [ccmh.psu.edu/assets/docs/2022AnnualReport.pdf]; CCAPS assessment used in hundreds of U.S. college counseling centers)
Definitions to keep in mind:
STRESS generally is a response to an external cause, which goes away once the situation is resolved.
ANXIETY generally is internal, meaning it's your reaction to stress, and it may continue even if there is no immediate threat. (Source: National Institute of Mental Health)
First year stressors
​Everything has changed. Wrap your mind around that first.
You're entitled to feel stressed. At the same time, there should be excitement and hope, as well. But anytime we go through big changes in our lives, we feel some level of psychological stress.
September and October are the busiest times of the year for college counseling centers. Why? The stress brought about by change. For first-year students, there are many:
- You may be living away from home for the first time.
- You may by adjusting to a roommate, or two, or three.
- You are adjusting to a lot more "free" time, realizing that while you're in class less hours, you are expected to do a lot more work on your own.
- You have lost the routines that you've been used to and that have given you a sense of stability.
- All of the little things that parents and/or the adults in your life have taken care of are now YOUR responsibility -- doing laundry, getting help when you're sick, managing your expenses, etc.
- You may not know many of the people you are around daily in classes and on campus.
- You may have been graded for the first time on a college test or paper and didn't receive as high a grade as you've been used to.
- You've spent the first month or so trying to make friends, exploring the campus, the town, and the party scene, and suddenly realize you are behind in all your class readings and assignments.
If you are experiencing some -- or all -- of these stressors, those experiences are normal. What you need to do is get a handle on how much your life has spiraled out of control and, well, get it back into control.
Start by using this list as a checklist. Which are you experiencing? What can you do about them? Write down ideas.
Prioritize. Keep your eye on the point of being in college -- to learn. Focus on organizing your coursework and getting assignments done, on time. Take care of the basics of good health which include getting enough sleep, eating right, and moving (getting some exercise), to keep yourself strong.
I'll address some of these stressors in more detail on the "Blog" page.
