6 Common Causes of Stress in College Students

College Stress

The college years have often been called "the greatest years of our lives" due to the fact that there is rarely a time when people learn so much, meet so many people, and experience so many new things at one time.

With so many positive stories around, it can be easy to overlook the fact that there are also a large number of challenges present at a university. For many young students, it is possible that college could also end up being the most stressful years of their lives.

The unique thing about being a college student is that there are so many possible sources of distress at any given point in time. Some people may not feel any of them during their time on campus, while others can be overwhelmed by all of them at some point.

Academics, culture shock, finances, and social life all come together to make the college experience more challenging. A glance into each one demonstrates some of the more common types of stress students deal with on a daily basis.

1. Maintaining Academic Success

The most obvious source of stress for a college student is trying to maintain a healthy GPA through graduation. A student's grades can impact class ranking, graduate school acceptance, future financial aid, and possible job offers. If, for some reason, grades start to fall, it is possible that scholarships can be revoked, or students may be asked to take time off from school. This puts a huge amount of pressure on every term paper or exam that an undergrad faces.

Another academic-related issue facing scholars is choosing a major or career path. Although many schools give students time before having to declare a major, there are some programs that require individuals to start taking pre-requisite classes right away in order to graduate on time. This leaves young people fresh out of high school and making major decisions about what they want to do with their lives once college is over. Unfortunately, some people also have parents who may be exerting a certain amount of pressure on them to follow certain career paths.

Trying to keep up a certain grade level while also mapping out an appropriate major can be a huge burden, and some students can let it get the best of them.

2. Dealing With Homesickness

One of the most difficult things about going to college is getting used to the idea of being away from home for an extended period of time. For many students, the initial excitement of finally being on their own gives way to anxiety and sadness upon realizing how far away their family and friends are. Being thrust into a situation where they have to learn how to take care of themselves can have a negative impact on those students who are not prepared for it.

Another factor that may lead to homesickness is the sense of culture shock one may feel on campus. Students from smaller schools could feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of students at their university. Others from small towns may not be used to the city life that surrounds colleges and universities in an urban area. Undergrads from the city could feel lost and bored at a college in Smalltown, USA.

Much like a child who goes away to summer camp for the first time, students could eventually become consumed with thoughts of family and friends back home. If unchecked, these feelings could lead to depression, bad grades, and dropping out of school.

3. Building New Friendships

The friendships made in college are often ones that people carry with them throughout life. However, learning how to make new friends can be a difficult, uncomfortable process for new students. Many of them are coming from high school, where they have been surrounded by the same social group and have not had to make new friends in a number of years.

Although most universities recognize this and set up a number of icebreakers in the first few weeks of school, it can still be hard for undergrads to figure out where to go to meet new people. Depending on how comfortable a person is with approaching new people, the situation can be extremely stressful.

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Some questions that may run through a student's mind in the early days of class:

• Where do I go on campus to meet new people?
• Should I just hang out with people from my dorm?
• Am I isolating myself too much?
• What if I'm not good at starting conversations?

Being exposed to people from different backgrounds can make things more challenging because it may force a student to associate with people outside of their normal comfort zone. Others may be going through the process of learning more about themselves while also trying to build close, lasting friendships.

4. Balancing Social Life

Parties, late nights, road trips, concerts, and sporting events. These things are often every college student's dream, but if they are not kept under control, they can become a nightmare.

Going away to college can be one of the most liberating experiences ever, but many students have never had to deal with so much independence at one time. With the new experiences come new responsibilities and decisions. Some undergrads fail to adjust to not having their parents around to regulate the balance between academics and their social lives. Ultimately, their grades could suffer because of it.

Many colleges have events or parties happening on an almost daily basis, and many new students feel the need to be involved in every one of them. However, falling into the trap of partying every night and not studying enough can have terrible consequences. Missing classes to make up for lost rest or pulling all-nighters to make up for lost study time will eventually begin to take a mental and physical toll on a student.

Another temptation many undergrads are not prepared for coming out of high school is the use of alcohol and other drugs. Although many students may have tried these in the past, they may not be prepared for how easily available they may be. Coupled with the absence of their parents, students may feel pressured to try much more than they should. Those who are unable to control themselves could eventually end up on the difficult road of alcohol and drug abuse.

5. Handling Roommate Drama

Although not every college student ends up with a roommate, the majority of them will have to share their dorm room with another person. Depending on daily habits, personalities, and pure chemistry, there could be a clash waiting to happen at any point.

Some people come to college without any experience sharing a room or possessions with anyone else. Being suddenly tossed into a living arrangement with a virtual stranger can be frustrating. It can be even more stressful when the two individuals do not get along as the semester goes on.

Here are some of the more common roommate problems:

• Making too much noise
• Different sleep/study schedules
• Not respecting each other's property
• Personality clashes
• Cleanliness/hygiene issues

As with many of the other issues mentioned above, this issue can slowly start to affect a person's mood and possibly have a negative impact on their grades as well.