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Effects of stress in college
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Effects of stress in college
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In the essay “College Pressures” by William Zinsser, Zinsser speaks about the pressures and anxiety that plague college students, all the while wishing that they had “a chance to savor each segment of their education as an experience in itself and not as a grim preparation for the next step.” Referring to the 1979 generation of college students as “panicky to succeed”, he lists four of the following stressors for college students. Economic pressure is the first pressure listed in Zinsser’s essay. Tuition, room and board at most private colleges in 1979 was at least $7,000, not counting the cost of books and miscellaneous fees. Students loans were, and still are, almost unavoidable due to the high costs, which in turn creates debt. Parental
pressure is the second pressure Zinsser lists in his essay, which ties in with the economic pressures previously listed since the parents are the ones generally paying for many of the college costs. Parents attempt to push their children into secure futures by influencing them to pick majors seen to have practical value. “They are caught in one of the oldest webs of love and duty and guilt.” Peer pressure and self-induced pressure are also two highly related topics. Peer pressure has great influence on how we pressure ourselves. If other students are working harder and studying multiple hours a week, it makes other students that aren’t studying want to do the same thing to feel somewhat equal to their peers. “When every student thinks every other student is working harder and doing better, the only solution is to study harder still.” Although Zinsser listed four very stressful and obvious pressures, there are quite a few that weren’t directly touched on. To elaborate more on the economic pressures he spoke about, the pressure to get a job and make money while still in college is also something that presents great levels of stress and anxiety. Student loans loom over penniless college students and are a constant worry. Getting a job and saving up money seems to be the best solution; however, it only adds stress by increasing workload. Because of conflicting schedules, it can also be near impossible to find a job that would not cause an overlap in schedules. Not to mention the time that could have previously been used for studying is now used for working. On the other hand, it helps to know that money is being saved and debts are being paid. Time management is another pressure that has a large impact on college students. Between friends, family, class, work, studying, etcetera, it can be difficult to find time for yourself. Making sure that one category doesn’t take precedence over another is something that needs to be watched closely as well, as it could be detrimental. A related pressure is partying, which also ties in with Zinsser’s points about peer pressure. Parties can be a fun and easy way to socialize, but active participation in college parties can hurt academic performance and attendance. Nevertheless, going to college is highly recommended by most of society. Although we have internet and social networking now to help with research and communication between peers, unlike in 1979, the levels of stress are rather consistent, if not higher in certain aspects. The temptation of committing plagiarism is the only downside to having such extensive methods of research, as the internet and social networking is a positive tool if used correctly. In the long run, college is an experience that will last a lifetime, no matter how much it hurts your wallet at first.
Chapter two begins with a more then competent college student named Eva, who describes her first semester English class as completely nerve wrecking, terrifying, and extremely intimidating. Hence the title “The Student Fear Factor.” "The Student Fear Factor,” gives an insight of student’s fears, doubts, stress, and anxieties they endure while attending college. For example, Melanie who is a recent High School graduate compare the difference between High School vrs. College. She also makes a valid point about how important it is to becoming responsible, independent, and serious when it comes to college. For the mere fact that college is no joking matter and nobody is going to care about your GPA besides you.
In their texts Both Zinsser and Barber are questioning the conventional assumptions that college is the main passage into a financial and social accomplishment. To achieve these goals students are often faced with unnecessary pressures. Their purpose or reason for challenging such assumptions is to make the readers become aware of the conventional notions, and possibly direct them out of their trapped positions to make their own choices. As today's students will be the potential future leaders and make-up of the society, there is a high stake. In the past the society has accomplished to thrive the students into the clichés and false assumptions about college that exist today, nevertheless this accomplishment has opened a door for some critics like Zinsser and Barber to come up with a different view on college education and pressures that can well be the next conventional assumption in the future.
From the beginning of high school, students strap on their seatbelts and prepare for one of the most vigorous races of their lives – becoming successful. With the rare occurrence of a break, kids are expected to keep on driving as fast and as powerfully as they can in order to get into a “great” college, which would be followed by graduate school and then an actual job that would make a lot of money. In American society, common values include working hard, determination, and being so productive that free time is not even a question. However, this philosophy is taking a major toll on American college and high school students. For at least 40 years, America’s future has been steadily growing unmotivated, tired, and hopeless due to the overemphasis on performing well in school. This phenomenon is appropriately expounded in William Zinsser’s “College Pressures”, which takes a look at the top four sources of tension that cause these feelings of dejection and agitation. After reading this article, I came up with a few solutions to this national problem. It is time to switch the harsh, over-encouraging green light of education to a comfortable yellow one. In order to make this ideal transition, directors of education across the country need to primarily reduce the amount of out-of-class assignments, lighten the grading system, and incorporate days in the school year that allow students to express their thoughts about school and provide useful feedback.
In “College Pressures”, William Zinsser expresses his concern with society and driving people to a preplanned path and downgrading free expression and exploration. He portrays this to readers through literary techniques such as repetition, metaphors, and anecdotes.
Zinsser’s work entitled “College Pressures” intent to expose a critical flaw within the educational system, in hope that it will encourage students to relax when it come to their academic success. Zinsser’s is doing more than illustrates a difficult situation, he is enforcing new ideas and principle just as: academic freedom and freedom to explore career opportunities without judgement and criticism from the school system and their parents. By enforcing these principle Zinsser’s hopes to awaken a new era where students are free from pressured sales tactics from both parents and society when come to academic success.
Numerous college students today feel as if they are not adequate enough. So much is put on their plate, and above it all, in order to maintain moving forward academically towards a career, they must showcase themselves. This idea is explored in “College Pressures” by William Zinsser. He discusses why students are driven to try so vigorously in order to earn a step ahead, yet the reasoning is arguable.
4 Giancola, J.K., Grawitch, M.J., and Borchert, D. (2009). Dealing with the stress of college: A
If an individual is provided resources and surrounded by people who believe they are capable of goal achievement, said individual is more likely to experienced increases in determination and subsequent improvement in performance and well-being. For example, research has shown that students enrolled in positive learning environments where teachers incorporate strategies meant to meet students' motivational needs are more likely to become responsible learners who display a determination to succeed. In the essay "College Pressures" by William Zinsser, the pressures faced by college students at Yale are studied. The pressures include the need to develop time management and study skills appropriate for college work, the desire for good grades, the desire to meet parents' expectations, and the need to find employment in a competitive job market after
Fighting the cost of college tuition is a hot topic these days. As long as I can remember, tuition has always been a reason why most people don 't pursue their bachelor’s or even associate degree. Today 's society has changed students are fighting for grants, financial aid, and even loans to pay through school. In order to be financially comfortable in the 15th century a college education is a must. It is an everyday battle getting financial support from a college’s administration. Colleges need to be more affordable, obtaining funds less stressful, and colleges must enact policies that condone these principles.
College is a scary and stressful undertaking. In William Zinsser’s writing “College Pressures” he talks about just that. Throughout this piece his observations and first hand encounters focus upon certain pressures that range from economically induced to self-induced. Mr. Zinsser shares his knowledge of these pressures by telling two stories about students who were affected personally. He also shares how he believes a majority of students take certain courses just to please their parents. The students have to choose between what their parents want for them, or what the truly want to study. Even though some of the students want to pursue their dream, the pressures that Zinsser talks about sometimes holds them back.
In the essay “College Pressure” (1978), William Zinsser, An American writer, editor, literary critic, and teacher, argues that college students are faced with four types of pressure, Economic, Parental, Peer, and Self-induced pressures. Zinsser support the views of college students who are faced with economic pressure from colleges by describing the students struggle to pay college debts, the author states, “Loan that [Students] must start to repay within one year of graduation.”. Then Zinsser explains students economic pressure causes parental pressure on the student because, “One part of them feel obliged to fulfill their parent's dream.”. Zinsser emphasizes how peer pressure takes place in a college student in which the students put the
Studies have shown that many college students are not able to handle the stress while in school, which hinders the ability for the brain to act in a normal way (Shahrokh and Hales, 2003). If a person is unable to deal with the stress that one is being faced with, it will have negative consequences in terms of causing several psychological disorders (Canby et al., 2014). Entering post-secondary education is a completely new environment for students, as it can be tough for many to adjust to the new surroundings. There are many factors that cause stress when students enter college, as it can include having the ability to deal with lower marks (Struthers et al., 2000) and having to create a new social life. Once and if a social life is established, it can cause more stress among students because it can lead into peer pressure that results in risky behavior. In particular, peer pressure can cause alcoholism or drug abuse (Seiffge-Krenke, 1990) or it can also cause unprotected sex. Not only does stress revolve around peer-pressure, but it can also be caused by headaches and lack of energy. If a student is constantly staying up late to finish assignments or to study, it can cause headaches from the lack of sleep; thus causing stress. With all the given factors, it can be hard to overcome these external factors which can ultimately lead to stress among
Driscoll, Emily. “Stress in College: What Causes it and How to Combat it.” Online posting. 31
In high school, students’ stress is minimal because many real-life problems, such as bills, jobs, and deadlines, are not as big of a deal. However, in college, all of these stressors demand attention at the same time and are amplified in the new setting. According to Sarath Nonis, “time constraints, financial strain, academic workload, and interpersonal difficulties with faculty, peers, and significant others contribute to stress for college students” (Nonis). College is a time for new experiences, and many students experience new social circles and opportunities to have less-supervised fun in their downtime. New relationships, or the lack of, can cause stress among students.
A. It’s easy to forget how many college students spend majority of their day or time stressed out. It’s no easy task to balance classes, do well on exams, projects, homework, and even extra-curricular activities the work is enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed and in my case especially during final exams. Academic performance and grades throughout your college career can have large stressful impact on you. I identify academic performance pressure as a stressor simply because coursework is not only demanding but the competition for earning top marks and remaining on the dean’s list and receiving good grades is fierce.