Timely Resources - October Stressors for Students
Oct. 11, 2024
Each year students deal with regular and calendar-based stressors in addition to whatever might be happening in the larger world. These are some items to consider when working with students.
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Not all students will have the same types of discomfort or stressors, students hold many identities that will mean they experience different challenges, or the same challenges in a different way.
- First-year students begin to realize life at college is not as perfect as they thought. Social media, movies, and television have made college appear a certain way.
- First-generation students — struggles to explain the demands of college life, or new social experiences to family or supporters.
- Loneliness develops as students worry that others around them have found their group or place on campus.
- FASFA filing date opens, students have to consider finances for the following year.
- Increased academic pressures which may result in feelings of failure and loss of self- esteem.
- Sexual conflicts and confusion result when confronting, often for the first time, different sexual orientations and conformity to different standards of sexual behavior.
- Job search stress begins for December graduates.
- Homecoming activities often create stress for college students because of the desire to be involved, while dealing with midterms and other academic stresses.
- Family weekend activities — students can be excited to participate and welcome family members, be concerned about welcoming family, or have no supporters to join them for activities.
- Time management becomes an issue; students are unused to unstructured days. Even upperclassmen have to readjust to this, especially if they worked over the summer.
- Illness increases during times of academic stress.
The 2024 election cycle could create more stress for students regardless of their political affiliations.