Thoughts after reading the article “Stress in College Students” By Alan Reifman Ph.D
Reading this article made me realize the different kinds of stress college students go through. One of the main things that really stood out was that snow as well as subfreezing temperatures can make it harder for students that aren’t used to that type of climate. I was born and raised in New England so the cold doesn’t nearly bother me as much as it would somebody from Florida for instance. When you come to a place like New England you should really know what you are getting yourself into; never knowing what the weather is going to be like from day to day or even hour to hour is just the start of a New England lifestyle and many people are not ready to adapt to this.
Searching for a career to go into is definitely one of the biggest causes of stress. If you ask some students what they want to do with their life after college they may give you a straight answer, but honestly, after they just had that conversation with you they are probably rethinking something they said. There are several students that look into some careers just because of the amount of money they can make. Parents can also have a great impact on a student’s’ choices; parents expect a lot out of their children. Sometimes this goes as far as expecting the child to walk in their same footsteps and go down the same career path. This can stress a child out because they have so many conflicting ideas in their heads already. Adding a sense of urgency or a feeling of having let somebody down has the potential to get into an unsettled person’s head with a generally negative effect.
Paying for college will always be stressful, whether the student is paying for it by themselves or their parents are helping. When students take out loans that is a huge eye opener to them; loans make students have responsibility. When a parent pays for or makes their child to go to school it may not be the best choice, in my experience these types of students are more likely to go out and party for their first semester at college. It will hit them like a brick when they get their grades back. Some even get a letter saying that they might not even be able to attend the school anymore if they don’t get their grades up. The thought that people want to help you is a relief until you realize it hurt you more in the end. The only difference between a child and an adult is the ability to be responsible. The only way to become responsible is to have responsibilities such as loans and debt. Families are a great aid but in my opinion students need to experience responsibility first hand in order to learn and prosper.
On the other hand, I don’t think that you will ever be able to escape stress. Throughout your whole life you will be wondering whether or not you made the right choices. What if you did this instead of this? In other words, stress is never going to go away, it may just lighten up at times. It’s all just part of life.
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