College Stress Statistics

• Stress often makes college students sick because it has a negative impact on immune systems. (Source: DrDrew.com)
• College stress can cause fatigue, acid reflux, hair loss, and a slew of other problems. (Source: The Princeton Review)
• 75 to 90 percent of the visits made to primary care physicians result from stress or stress related disorders. (Source: American Institute of Stress)
• The five biggest causes of college stress are: peer pressure, competition, separation from family, freedom, and choosing a major/career. (Source: University of Wisconsin-Platteville)

Everyone knows that college is stressful. The stress often begins as early as the admissions process when you have to fill out applications, write the perfect personal statement essay, and choose the right school.

Attending college introduces new stressors. You may work or be involved in extracurricular activities, forcing you to balance these activities with homework. You may also have problems with a roommate or exams. Whatever your situation, there are ways of dealing with the stress.

Identify and Combat the Source

You should first identify your source of stress. Identifying what’s bothering you may help you come up with more effective solutions.

Once you’ve identified your problem, you should develop a plan for resolving it. Talking to a friend or counselor often helps tremendously. Some other strategies to deal with stress:

• Make a list of everything you need to do the next day each night before you go to bed. This may help you get a good night’s rest, which will not only relieve stress, but also help you stay organized and eliminate that last minute frantic feeling.
• Put things on a list that you can accomplish. If your list is unreasonable it will end up making you less productive.
• Try spreading out assignments over a certain amount of time. This way you’ll feel less overwhelmed when it’s crunch time.
• Get some help if you’re feeling stressed about a difficult assignment. Speaking to a professor, teacher’s assistant, or tutor may give you a useful confidence boost.
• Set some time aside for yourself whether you need some ‘alone’ time or you want to be with your friends.
• Try deep breathing exercises to help you relax and clear your mind.
• Don’t be so hard on yourself!

Other Tips for Coping with Stress

If your problem persists despite these efforts, you may want to consider speaking to a health professional on how to deal with your stress. Many campuses have health offices on-site that provide such assistance. You can contact your campus health office to see what kinds of services are available – these may include group or individual sessions. The most important task is finding the type of help that will be the most effective for you.