William Zinsser: The Pressure Of College Stress

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The word “stress” is often instantly regarded as something very negative. When people see this particular word, they often associate it with something destructive that only causes anxiety and health problems. Contrary to popular belief, however, stress can actually be very beneficial. This good stress can provide the focus needed for higher performance in rigorous conditions. The nature of stress is very much similar to that of pressure. Many people immediately consider pressure to have only negative qualities. However, though, pressure is actually beneficial in that it aids the motivation for greater achievement. Concerning the issue of college pressure, William Zinsser, conversely, supports a more negative view on pressure. He…show more content…
In a time especially such as now, the economy plays one of the more important roles in pressuring college students. America is experiencing the most serious financial situation in generations. Home values are going down, people are losing jobs, and inflation is affecting the price of everything. In times such as this, the magnitude of tuition costs and room and board often accumulate into a heap of debt. Even if a student works during college and over the summer, it isn’t unusual to “accrue $5,000 in loans after four years – loans that he[/she] must start to repay within one year after graduation” (Zinsser 469). With this debt to pay off, a college graduate is already behind as he/she starts a life in the real world. Thus, due to the economic pressure college students are currently facing, they may be more motivated to achieve higher, since “they know that entrance into the better schools will be an entrance into the better law firms and better medical practices where they will make a lot of money” (Zinsser 468). Students would feel a stronger drive to achieve more and higher in spite of the likely debt they may inherit. Economic pressure would push them that extra mile to attain their goals with the understanding that they must compensate for the likely debt they may acquire. Due to the fact that,…show more content…
He argues that college pressures take away from the experience as a whole; that students are, then, more focused on attaining a secure future rather than truly appreciating the college atmosphere. He argues that college pressures cause “violence [to be] done to the undergraduate experience” (Zinsser 471). His opinion, though, is fairly biased in that it excludes the benefits of such pressure in the long run. Although college pressures may inflict short-term distress, in the long run, these pressures are not only necessary, but also valuable. Pressure such as this is beneficial as it plays a very significant role in the motivation for greater achievement. Thus, regardless of whether colleges are charging too much money, professors are assigning too much work, parents are pushing their children too far, and/or students are driving themselves too hard (Zinsser, 468), in the end, these highly influential pressures are very much needed for long term

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