College students are facing a large amount of stress and anxiety every day which is why currently the leading mental illness among college students is anxiety. Stress is putting a huge strain college students everyday lives, impacting their health, their relationships, and their eating habits. Anxiety is defined by Stonehill College Psychology Professor John Hurley as the feeling that something terrible, in a normal day situation, will happen which then leads to avoidance. Aside from stress and anxiety with school work, students face many other stressful problems including financial issues, relationships,family and friend issues, self image and health issues.
Stress and anxiety are the leading causes at colleges to set a student back and make them feel helpless.
When researchers asked college students about their stress and anxiety while being a full time student they reported to Anxiety and Depression Association of America the following, “ 80 percent of students frequently experience daily stress. Thirty four percent of students have been/became depressed in the last three months. Thirteen percent have been actually diagnosed with anxiety. Nine percent have considered suicide.”
Kayla Frazer, a Stonehill College Junior, makes a To-Do list when she gets stressed.
“When I see it in front of me it isn’t that bad. Being able to cross things off of the list is a really good feeling. It is a checklist of accomplishments,” Said Frazer, 21, a Psychology and Visual Arts Performing Major.
Stress can be both positive and negative for college students trying to get through school with good grades in order to get a good job. Striking a balance between the two isn’t always easy.
Frazer said, “Taking part in activities really helps take the edge off because it is typically a good distraction from the reality of the amount of work for each class.”
Frazer explained that being stressed and anxious keeps most students on their toes but can be negative for many more reasons as well. Negative stress and anxiety can cause a student to want to take a ‘personal day’ which may seem alright to take a break but in college can set a student far behind which then would just result in more stress.
Frazer said, “ I love academic services, they have given me so much to work with. I go nearly every day! I do wish there was more accessibility however. More Eileen’s would be cool!”
In the spring of 2014 Penn State University discovered that anxiety has now become the leading mental health issue in which college students face. According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety affects at least 41.6 percent of college students and depression affects 36.4 percent of college students. Anxiety and Depression Association of America says that nationally 40 million U.S adults suffer from anxiety and 7 percent of them experience their first episode by age 22.
Christopher Poirier, a Psychology professor at Stonehill College. Poirier sees stress and anxiety on campus as a plus and minus which could then lead to being a potential hazard.
“ Yes we need stress to perform but at the same time too little stress or too much stress can cause a decrease in performance. At the moment the concern is too much stress. This can cause not only physiological changes but also physical illness,” Poirier said.
Poirier believes that Stonehill College does a great job at accommodating for those who need it.
“There is a lot of stress, anxiety and academic pressure on this campus but we have wonderful counseling support, wonderful academic services and the animal therapy seems to be a big hit which works great,” Poirier said.
“ For the most part it is usually the first year students who are at more of a risk in asking for further help,” Poirier said.
Carla Ciaramella, a Stonehill College Resident Assistant in a freshman dormitory. Ciaramella believes stress prevents most people’s potential. Ciaramella sees stress as a motivator for some but not for everyone.
“Stress is a good motivator but can be prevented or lessened when students figure out how to better their time management, to take care of themselves, to take a break but still remain productive,” Ciaramella said.
Ciaramella said she notices the freshman struggle with stress but tries to help those who comes to her by encouraging them to talk to Professors, visit academic services and by visiting counseling services.
“To use stress and anxiety as a motivator is good but as related to a ‘bench-mark’ it can then create lower expectations or more pressure.” Ciaramella said.
Boston University conducted a survey about how much stress and anxiety had affected some students in 2015.
The researchers who conducted the survey reported back by saying “ Survey found that 21.9 percent of students said that within that last 12 months, anxiety had affected their performance, defined as receiving a lower grade on an exam or important project, receiving an incomplete or dropping a course.”
Mike MacEachern, a sophomore at Stonehill College and is also a Resident Assistant in a freshman dormitory. MacEachern believes stress is increased more during finals because students want to put their best foot forward for their college education and do well; which a lot of money is invested into.
“ Stonehill is definitely academically challenging with a lot of academic pressure. Stonehill has a great name as a college so it always looks great on a resume when it says you graduated from Stonehill. Stonehill really prepares students for the work world, I think, because Stonehill has such high expectation and remains challenging,” MacEachern said.
Students at Stonehill College have resources in which comfort students when they need help but sometimes students feel anxious about asking for help after it has ‘gotten past the point of help’; that is when they get stressed and anxious and start to shut down or give up.
“Both positive stress and anxiety tend to push me to be the best I can be but there has to be a good balance in order for everything to be ‘okay’.” MacEachern said.
Megan Letvinchuk, a junior at Stonehill College uses stress as a motivator more than anything but hates the feeling of anxiety.
“For me I need the stress of a class to motivate me to finish my work and get a good grade. But the anxiety before a test is never a good feeling because it physically makes me feel sick, even when I know I know the information. Just the thought of the exam and ‘what if’ I don’t do well,” Letvinchuk said, 21, Criminology and Marketing major.
The thought of the future and thoughts of failing really impact college students. College students have so much to think about, current college struggles like exams and papers, friendships, relationships, and financial struggles; before graduating and then after graduating.
“ I am lucky enough where I do not have any college loans but as for others I truly feel bad for,” Letvinchuk said. “After graduating from Stonehill most students will be about $200,000 in debt and that is before they buy their first car or apartment or home. And as for Stonehill being academically challenging it is good in the sense where it prepares students for the future and has many connections and a good reputation with many opportunities and internships. But the fact that all these students can possibly be in such large debt after they graduate is stressful enough. They need to get a good job after they graduate in order to begin to pay back the loans. Craziness,” Said Letvinchuk.
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