Her mind was racing with a million thoughts running through her head. She sat staring at the endless pile of homework and studying that she had. Two tests, one speech, one project, one paper, and one quiz, how on earth would she finish all her work? Her mouth started to feel as dry as the Sahara Desert and her heart started beating faster as she thought about all her work. She suddenly felt that she would never finish and panicked.
This girl was me and I was exhibiting common signs of stress, which occur very often in college students. I want you to understand that there are several causes and effects of stress amongst college students including life changing events, catastrophes, and physical/psychological responses to stress. After doing extensive research and through my own personal experience, I hope to convey the idea that stress has various causes and effects. Stress affects the lives of each and every one of us in this room. We need to realize what the causes and effects of our stresses are so that we may possibly avoid it. Now that I have given you an overview of my goal today, let’s start out by defining what stress is.
Stress is defined as “the combination of psychological, physiological and behavior and behavioral reactions that people have in response to the event that threaten and challenge them (Microsoft Encarta 2002.) Stress can come in two general forms, which are good stress better known as eustress and bad stress, better known as distress. There are some symptoms to stress such as muscular tension, colds and other illnesses, ulcers, and difficulty sleeping (Counseling Center). Now that we know what stress is, let’s look at its causes.
There are various causes of stress in college students. One of the main causes is significant life change. Life changes may include a death in the family, a divorce, losing a job, and going away to college. According to the North Penn Reporter, “there are many stressful and frustrating experiences that can certainly alter the idyllic view of college life.” (North Penn Reporter). Students are away from home the first time and feel homesick. They are learning to budget their time in order to finish all of their work. With endless amounts of homework, exams, and other obligations it’s no wonder why students are stressed out.
Another cause of stress is a catastrophe. Catastrophes can include accidents, natural disasters, war, and sexual assault. According to the Daily Collegian, “A 21-year-old woman reported Wednesday she was sexually assaulted by a man she knew, the State College Police Department said yesterday.” We have been reading stories such as this for more than a month and the rising number of sexual assaults has caused more stress in students. Stress from catastrophes can affect an individual long after the event has ended. For instance, survivors of particular disasters can continue to show emotional disturbances after the event has taken place. They can have sever emotional problems, experience nightmares, and go into depression. (Microsoft Encarta). Now that I have discussed the causes of stress, lets discuss the effects.
Stress not only comes with varying stressors, but it comes with varying stress responses as well. According to Discovery Health, the body undergoes what is known as the stress response every time the body experiences stressful situations (Discovery Health). There are various physical effects of stress. In an interview conducted with Dave Duong, a senior at PSU, he said that whenever he experiences a large amount of stress, his palms begin to get sweaty and his heart starts to race. Along with these effects of stress, there is also teeth clenching, nail biting, cold hands and feet, pacing, heavy breathing, and dry mouth. Another physical effect is a decrease in a person’s immune system. The weakened system makes the body more susceptible to illness and disease.
Just as there are physical effects of stress, there are psychological effects as well. Mental illness can develop as a result of too much stress. Students may become depressed and withdrawn socially when they are stressed. Students tend to want to be alone when they are dealing with stress. Now that I have discussed my final point, lets summarize the material that I have covered today.
I want you to understand that there are several causes and effects of stress amongst college students including life changing events, catastrophes, and physical/psychological effects. Stress is a factor in the lives of many people, especially in college students. It is important to realize what triggers it and how it can affect our lives. Now that I have written and delivered my speech, my stress level has decreased. No longer will I be experiencing sweaty palms and a racing heart.