Is College Worth it? Everyone in the United States wants to achieve the “American Dream”. People want to be able to provide a stable life for their families. A college education has been a must to grow in the work industry. But during this economic recession, college students have been having a difficult time staying in the college path, especially working class students.
Writing Level 6 OUTLINE Negative Stress on College Freshman Students Introduction Adaptation to the college environment Remoteness of the family and friends New habits and learning requirements Financial problems, and excess task Intra-personal conflicts Experience a range of feelings Affect the student’s academic performance Adaptation process longer and difficult Abuse toward students Impose disqualifying tasks, and mock their mistakes Racial discrimination Sexual harassment of women Conclusion Negative Stress on College Freshman Students College students suffer significant stress from the beginning of their career, even though it is acceptable some tension, not all students solve it properly. In many of them the programs themselves generate fear, feeling of worthlessness, guilt, inadequacy, anger, among others. All these manifestations are a result of negative stress, which make students use various mechanisms to overcome and process stress. But, which could be the potential causes of stress in a student just entering to college? Below, I will make an explanation of why intra-personal-conflicts, adaptation to college environment, and abuse toward students are potential causes of stress in students who start a path to the future.
To many, myself included, attending college is now a luxury. Like any luxury, one must ask themselves: Is it worth it? Is going into debt worth getting a degree? We’re paying for a lot more than just a piece of paper that says we were able to withstand years of tedious work. We’re also paying for the opportunity to become independent and create memories that will last us a lifetime, also known as living on campus.
Possibly one of the biggest stressors for most college students is the considerable debt they will have to take on, in order to afford tuition fees and textbooks. More and more students have to pay for college on their own, or with little assistance from their parents. Quite often this is a source of great concern for an individual that is straight out of high school and may not be financially stable (Driscoll, 2011). At the same time as the debt alone is stressful, the need to service this debt can cause students to over-extend themselves. This means that they have to take on a second job or work long hours
What good does Jill’s degree do then? The cartoon points out that sometimes degrees don’t even matter. If you attend college and pursue a major not currently in demand, then what good does the degree you earn do? Today, picking and choosing majors wisely is important. With the expense of college continuing to rise, most people cannot afford to pursue something they will not make money and benefit from later on.
This can be lonely, overwhelming and unsettling without the support, connections and security from home. Students are more vulnerable and can feel a greater need to fit in with those around them. Drinking can make them feel more outgoing and relieve stress. It is one of the many social pressures that college students are faced with on a daily basis. The first six weeks of enrollment are critical to first-year student success.
Student athlete roles have always been a problem. Some people say these athletes shouldn’t even be in school because their grades aren’t high enough. Others see a more sensitive view of the topic. I experienced this topic first hand from middle school though high school and for about a week of college. I believe it really is a problem.
Making new friends can also help to adjust to the new surroundings. A lot of students sometimes become afraid of the first year of college. This may lead to different types of academic difficulties. Some may face test anxiety and trouble concentrating. If a student gets the feeling that the work load is becoming too much, they should meet with their advisor, go to on campus tutoring or join a study group.
Drug abuse is extremely destructive to a student’s education, health, and finances. Students who abuse drugs may believe that the only effects of using occur while they are high. They do not think about the long term effects drugs may have on his/her education. In his article Duerte says, “Drug abuse leads to higher rates of truancy, school failure and dropouts” (Duarte 90). The effects are not only with issues leading to dropouts but also with general, everyday occurrences in college life such as study habits.
Stress and the College Student After reading this article I came to realize how stressful college really can be on a student. Also how serious it can affect ones wellbeing, not only mentally but physically. I seem to relate to some of the issues caused by college stress but not as much as some for example I have not developed depression or any eating disorders. I do face a relatively high number of stressors as a college student. It’s very hard to type a paper or study for a test when you have a nine month old that wants to get into everything.