Kelli Grimm, Coryn Staton and Skyler Ring
As many know, attending college comes with a huge price, not only financially, but mentally and physically as well. College students deal with stress and are often overlooked as being the people of the future. College students not only face academic stress, but the stress of finances and having enough time to deal with school, work and a social life.
The stress of dealing with costs, studying and balancing everyday life can be very tiring. Many students are struggling to pay for college as the prices of tuition and textbooks continue to rise. According to U.S. News, students are choosing to take lighter course loads to get around financial burdens of textbook costs, which leads to more time spent in college. When students extend their college careers, the bills start piling up, increasing financial stress. In a survey done by the National Student Financial Wellness Group, seven out of ten college students said they’re stressed about their finances and worry about being able to pay for tuition and textbooks each semester. Financial aid awards are just not enough for some students to cover the expenses of textbooks on top of the high price of tuition.
Today’s generation of college students face the challenge of managing their time productively. Students have to balance a job(s), a social life, while giving themselves enough personal time all on top of their academics. According to NACADA students today are guided by their parents every step of the way right up until they move off to college and have no set system to follow. “…today’s high school students are more involved than students from previous generations,… When these students go to college, their world is flipped upside down; their scheduling support no longer resides in the same location.”. Past generations looked at college as freedom and adventure, today’s generations looked at college as a struggle to balance all the duties of their lives.
Together with the cost and time management, everyone understands the stress that comes with academics, whether it was in high school or now. Having multiple assignments, exams, projects, and quizzes to deal with leave students to prepare and study for final exams at the end of the semester. Students have a harder time managing their stress when their professors assign loads of homework. According to My College Success Story, when dealing with academic stress, having time management and good study habits takes a heavy burden off. There have also been concerns with academic stress. The Palo Alto Medical Center has become concerned that cheating can be associated with academic pressure; this is one downfall that college students have resorted to.
Rita Davenport, our career and guidance counselor here at the DMACC Boone campus, helps students understand the aspects of time management and financial literacy. Students that have stopped by her office for only a few minutes have received words of advice, got help applying for scholarships, and left with understanding the breakdown of their financial aid awards. Stress seems impossible to get around at times, talking with peers who may be experiencing the same stresses can alleviate some pressure you may feel and also assure you that you aren’t alone. Moreover, planners and calendars make life a bit easier as a student when it comes to due dates, planners help with time management and organization.