College is supposed to be the best years of your life, right? However, students quickly find out that college is a lot more stressful than it appears. University of Pennsylvania student, Kathryn DeWitt, had a reality shock while making the adjustment from high school to college. In high school, Dewitt was not only a star athlete, but also a straight A student. Little did she know, her life was about to come crashing down. She was so overwhelmed with keeping her grades up and trying vigorously to impress people that she forgot to take time for herself. Before she knew it, Dewitt was buying razor blades and writing letters saying goodbye to the people she cared about. Unlike many other college students struggling with overpowering stress, Dewitt
…show more content…
The survey consisted of twenty students ranging from the ages of eighteen to twenty-one who completed a questionnaire about stress. I began by asking the students if they were stressed, and if so, to rate in on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most stressed). Eighteen of the twenty students felt stressed during at least one point in the semester, and the median range on the scale was a six. Ten of the twenty were first year college students, and all ten have been stressed this semester. Stress on college students is a lot more familiar than many people think. The results of my survey even surprised me. Ninety percent of students in this semester alone, have been under a great abundance of pressure and tension. When asked what contributes to their stress, the common answers were grades, money, and personal relationships. Everyone who took the survey mentioned worrying about the cost of college and how they would pay for four years or even more. In addition, I asked the participants how they deal with stress and how they relieve tension. I received answers ranging from exercising to calling their mom to retail therapy. Megan Tweet, a freshman pre-medicine major, says she has had a difficult time with stress this semester. It has been difficult for her to leave her home and to transition from high school to college, but Tweet is finding ways to balance her stress. “Well to balance the stress, I try to work out whenever possible and also spend a lot of time talking to my family over the phone. It is important for students to be aware of what stress can do to your mind and body.” (Tweet). Although it is common to relieve stress by drinking or by doing drugs, zero of the twenty students in my study have used harmful substances to cope with their
The survey consisted of twenty students ranging from the ages of eighteen to twenty-one who completed a questionnaire about stress. I began by asking the students if they were stressed, and if so, to rate in on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the most stressed). Eighteen of the twenty students felt stressed during at least one point in the semester, and the median range on the scale was a six. Ten of the twenty were first year college students, and all ten have been stressed this semester. Stress on college students is a lot more familiar than many people think. The results of my survey even surprised me. Ninety percent of students in this semester alone, have been under a great abundance of pressure and tension. When asked what contributes to their stress, the common answers were grades, money, and personal relationships. Everyone who took the survey mentioned worrying about the cost of college and how they would pay for four years or even more. In addition, I asked the participants how they deal with stress and how they relieve tension. I received answers ranging from exercising to calling their mom to retail therapy. Megan Tweet, a freshman pre-medicine major, says she has had a difficult time with stress this semester. It has been difficult for her to leave her home and to transition from high school to college, but Tweet is finding ways to balance her stress. “Well to balance the stress, I try to work out whenever possible and also spend a lot of time talking to my family over the phone. It is important for students to be aware of what stress can do to your mind and body.” (Tweet). Although it is common to relieve stress by drinking or by doing drugs, zero of the twenty students in my study have used harmful substances to cope with their