Mental Health & Education Part 2

Note: This is the second article in a series on college and mental health.

Nicholas Enoch

With work, family life, and school, students are feeling the pressure to make sure they maintain good grades but also manage their responsibilities outside the lecture halls.

As students go through the semester, teenagers and young adults alike are facing obstacles that can be seen by their friends, professors, and family members. Examples of such obstacles can range from working a job outside of school, handling family responsibilities, taking a certain amount of credits, and juggling extracurricular activities.

According to a mental health study conducted by NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness), “80% of students feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities.” Non-traditional students, who are students attending college at a mature age or past adolescence, face much deeper struggles, including paying mortgages, rent, bills, or taking care of their children if they are a parent.

Students of all ages face the pressures, either from peers or parents, of maintaining exceptional grades to be in a competitive edge for scholarships, awards, and recommendations for colleges or jobs in the future. These kinds of pressures may or can lead to mental illnesses or disorders that can severely affect the student during the semester and can lead to a struggle both in and out of college.

According to the American Psychological Association, “Identifying these issues in others can be tricky, as students often downplay or simply never talk about something deeply bothering them.”

Students feeling the symptoms of depression have a hard time talking to other people about problems that are deep within them. It can also be a challenge to present those problems to friends and family.

Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental illnesses reported among college students and students alike for many years. Times where depression and anxiety are most prevalent and at its highest peak are during exam periods like Midterm and Finals Week. The pressure of doing well on these exams, due to the high percentage of the course grade, can affect a person’s way to interact and feel around people, such as feeling episodes of stress, anxiety, and depression.

During times like these, students sacrifice their social life, sleep, and health to make sure that they ace that final exam or do well on that final presentation in class. According to Mental Health America, “Lack of sleep impairs your memory, mood, and ability to process information.”

Sleep, taking breaks in between studying, and participating in hobbies that interest you have shown to not only relieve stress and anxiety, but also help students perform better on exams and presentations.

Students continue to feel the pressure to maintain high enough grades, good enough to transfer to a 4-year University and ultimately have their credits transfer. Colleges all across the country are searching and implementing stress relief techniques and strategies to help aid students to pass their exams and relieve some pressures from classes and outside of school.

Experts agree all students should  try to find some ways to relieve stress whether it is on campus, on the internet, at home, or even with professional assistance. Students are encouraged to be creative and find fun ways to relieve exam stress and the pressures of getting good grades. CCBC offers numerous outlets and events to help students with these pressures during midterm and final examination time.

For more information on stress relief at CCBC contact The Office Of Student Life on your campus.

Articles reflect the views of the author and or those quoted and do not necessarily represent the views of CCBC or The CCBC Connection