According to a study done by Edison Media Research of Somerville, N.J., for the Associated Press and mtvU, “57 percent of students are worried they won’t be able to find a job after graduation, with this number rising to 63 percent among students in their Senior year of college.”
The mtvU and Associated Press college stress and mental health poll was conducted from April 22, 2009, to May 4, 2009. It included interviews with 2,240 undergraduate students at 40 randomly chosen four-year schools across the country, according to halfofus.com. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.0 percent.
This information is not surprising to professors and students at Washington State University.
“I’ll never forget the year I had two students crying in my office,” said Bruce Pinkleton, a communication professor at WSU.
Pinkleton said two boys came into his office crying because they were so stressed out about college. Lately, the economy and worries about finding a job are on the minds of most students who come into his office to talk.
Years ago, stress became unmanageable to two students at Washington State University, said Pinkleton. Both students committed suicide on dead week or finals week, Pinkleton couldn’t remember the exact time. Pinkleton believes other stressors outside of college could have played a role in the extreme act.
It is no shock that stress leads to extreme depression, but under control, stress is just an everyday thing. According to the same mtvU and Associated Press study, stress remains a part of the college experience.
The study notes that they have seen consistent results from year to year when exploring the emotional health of today’s college students.
“Our results show that stress among students is a significant issue that deserves attention, particularly for students who may be at risk of developing more serious problems,” according to halfofus.com.
The study concluded 85 percent of college students reported that they experience stress on a daily basis, which increased from 80 percent the year before.
Of the students polled, one out of every 10 students reported signs of moderate to severe depression, according to halfofus.com.
College is supposed to be a lot of fun, said Pinkleton, but if you take your school-work and grades too seriously it becomes a negative experience.
“One bad grade, or even a bad year, is not going to ruin your life,” he said.
In addition to professors experiencing numerous stressed students, counselors at WSU have also helped students cope with stressors in their life at college.
“Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” said Anthony Hwang, M.S., clinical psychology doctoral candidate at Brigham Young University. Hwang is currently a pre-doctoral psychology intern for Washington State University Counseling Services.
Hwang explained that some stress can be good, and it can motivate individuals to get things done, but if anxiety and stress levels are uncontrolled it can become overwhelming, and it can lead to inaction rather than action.
Hwang drew a Performance Chart on a whiteboard in his office. On the vertical axis was performance, and on the horizontal was anxiety. Similar to a bell-shaped curve, the graph demonstrates that at some points when anxiety goes up, so does performance; however, the graph hit’s a peak and as anxiety continues to increase, performance drops. This is when some students can shut down, said Hwang.
If the curve was quantified, the optimal range would be in the center of the bell-shaped curve, he said, which leads to the best outcome of performance based on stress or anxiety levels.
“If we were not anxious or stressed about anything in life, nothing would get done,” said Hwang.
College age is the breeding ground for mental illnesses, meaning the incidence rate of mental illnesses, such as depression due to stress and anxiety, is higher for college aged individuals, said Hwang.
During the poor economy, Hwang said, most students are avoiding the stressful job market by pursuing higher degrees of education. Most are now deciding to go to graduate school, but while applying to grad school is also competitive, worries about getting in can also be on the minds of students.
“The job market is intense,” said Kathleen Collins, a senior graduating with a degree in psychology.
“Being a psych major, I wouldn’t be able to find a job with at least a masters, so I’d be in trouble making money,” said Collins, about the increased amount of stress if she were not continuing to stay in school.
Collins is graduating this May, but she is going to grad school in a year. While she faces a considerable amount of stress due to college and as she awaits an interview for a temporary job after school, her weight is lifted knowing she won’t need a permanent job for awhile.
If WSU students are experiencing negative anxiety, stress, or extreme depression, the professional staff of counselors at the WSU Counseling and Testing Services are here to help. A Stress Management Program is offered for students to decrease stress levels, said Hwang. The program offers workshops and support for all individuals.
When experiencing stress or anxiety, make sure you take tasks one step at a time, said Hwang. Sometimes your mind can be in so many places, you can lose sight of your objectives, so it is important to not look at the tasks you cannot achieve, he said.
“Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t,” said Hwang.
So as students face finals week, and life after college, professors and counselors remind students that some stress can become motivational.
“I’m a real believer about what college can do for a student,” said Pinkleton, “In the end, there is no amount of stress that is worth ruining your life over.”
“Face it, deal with it, get a handle on it so you can move on with life,” said Pinkleton.
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Sources:
MtvU and Associated Press 2009 Economy, College Stress and Mental Health Poll
http://www.halfofus.com/_media/_pr/may09_exec.pdf
Bruce Pinkleton
Communication professor at WSU
Phone: 509-335-2795
Anthony D. Hwang, M.S.
Psychology Intern
Counseling and Testing Services
Lighty Student Services, Room 280
Phone: 509-335-4511
Kathleen Collins
Senior psychology major
Phone: 818-429-7867
Outline:
Lede: What is the trend? Increase in stress levels at college, primarily due to finals and graduating into an uncertain job market.
Background information: Scholarly study backing up the trend.
Connect to WSU, Professor comments
More stats from college stress/mental health poll
What do counselors say about stress at WSU?
Does stress affect students negatively?
Back-up information. Performance chart. What is it?
How are students avoiding a stressful job market? Further education.
Back-up information from a student going onto graduate school.
Where can you get help if experiencing stress?
How can you calm down your stress levels?
