Why College Freshmen Are More Stressed Out Than Ever
By Lexi Petronis, Glamour magazine
Think back to your freshman year of college (or if you are a freshman, think back to--this morning!). What were your anxieties? This year's crop of college freshmen are apparently more stressed out than ever, thanks in part to this interesting factor...
The economy. According to research from UCLA, the pressures to pay for a college education and also choose studies that will lead to good jobs have stressed out this year's college freshmen at "unprecedented levels" (their emotional health levels are apparently the lowest in the 25 years this survey has taken place).
But they're also feeling huge pressure to succeed, reports the New York Times: "'Students know their generation is likely to be less successful than their parents', so they feel more pressure to succeed than in the past,' said Jason Ebbeling, director of residential education at Southern Oregon University. 'These days, students worry that even with a college degree they won't find a job that pays more than minimum wage, so even at 15 or 16 they're thinking they'll need to get into an M.B.A. program or Ph.D. program.'"
Something else I find intriguing about the survey results? Women's emotional health has consistently declined every year since the survey began. What's that about?
Were you (are you) a stressed-out college student? How did you deal with your anxieties?
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Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio
