Stress and anxiety are becomingly increasingly prevalent issues for college students struggling to find balance in their lives. Highlights: - According to a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) survey of college freshman, more than 30 percent of all college freshman report feeling overwhelmed most of the time. - For every one credit hour of enrollment, students are supposed to spend at least two to three hours outside of class studying. -UIC offers several on campus resources for stressed students, including the Counseling and Wellness Centers. A freshman enters her college classroom on the first day of the semester, feeling confident and excited. College – a time of freedom and exploration, of independence and debauchery, and of course, a bit is learning too. Her parents had described higher learning as some of the best years of their lives, but things are not the same as they were 20 to 30 years ago. In 1984, only half of graduates had debt from college loans, averaging about $2,000. Today, two-thirds of recent bachelor’s degree recipients have outstanding student loans, with an average debt of about $27,000, according to a Pew Research Center report. Additionally, the unemployment rate among recent graduates continues to remain higher than it was before the Great Recession. As student debt and unemployment rates for grads rise, so does student anxiety and stress. Annual studies are finding that college students are feeling increasingly more overwhelmed and stressed than ever. According to a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) survey of college freshman, more than 30 percent of all college freshman report feeling overwhelmed most of the time. Additionally, 38 percent of college women report feeling frequently overwhelmed as compared to 20 percent of men. Katherine Knowles, a sophomore biology for pre-med major and chemistry and music minor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), shared that she never seems to have enough hours in the day to get things done. “The science classes at UIC are some of the hardest; there is a lot of information they throw at you and they expect you to know all the details. Your final grade becomes based on only two or three tests, so there is a lot of pressure.” In addition to her 13 credit hours of classes and commitments as an Honors College student, she also spends anywhere from 8 to 15 hours a week working two different research positions (unpaid), as well as three hours a week with leadership obligations as president of UIC’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) organization. Knowles’ story is like so many other college students in today’s competitive world, balancing multiple commitments while fighting to keep her grades up in demanding classes. According to a survival guide put together by the University of Michigan, Flint (UMF), for every one credit hour of enrollment, students are supposed to spend at least two to three hours outside of class studying.
So, let's to the math here: A full-time student (enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours) is meant to not only spend those 12 hours a week in class, but also an additional 24 to 36 hours a week outside of class studying. Now, add that to any other commitments you have (work, internships, extracurricular activities, friends, family, etc.) and then making time for everything starts to sound a whole lot less realistic. “I think that the problem is that most professors don’t realize that students have so many other obligations in their lives, including other classes,” Knowles said. “They don’t see the work stack up, but we do.” Students have had to find ways to deal with the stressors in their lives – yet another time commitment. “I usually will take a break from studying to practice playing piano – which also helps my minor – or I’ll play videogames,” Knowles shared, “It just helps me get my mind off of school for a while. It’s important to let yourself have at least an hour every day to just relax.” If you are a UIC student struggling with ways to deal with stress, visit the UIC Counseling Center to schedule a free appointment or for resources on coping with stress and anxiety. Additional resources can be found at the UIC Wellness Center. Rachel Knowles is a junior at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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Rachel is a senior at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Visit the About page to learn more! Archives
April 2017
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