Stress on College Students

Many students have difficulty transitioning from high school to college. While many people leave college with fond memories and a degree, the years spent in higher education can be very stressful. Many factors contribute to college students’ stress, including academics, finances, interpersonal relationships, and the transition to college itself and the new responsibilities that come from becoming more independent. The stress that college students experience can lead to depression, lower cognitive functioning, and a vulnerability to physical problems.

The leading cause of stress for college students is finances. According to a study by financial education organization Inceptia, “four out of the top five stressors were related to personal finances while only one was related to a non-finance source,” (Trombitas, 2012, p. 2). Current college students responded that their “the need to repay loans; the cost of education; borrowing money for college; [and] the need to find a job after school,” were their top four stressors. As colleges raise tuition prices and families’ incomes shrink, college students are left in more difficult financial situations as they try to cover the cost of college (Ellis, 2013). “The average debt load for the class of 2012 was $29,400,” and 70% of students graduated with debt

(Ellis, 2013). As indicated by the aforementioned survey, students are highly aware of their monetary situations and worrying about finances makes up for a large portion of their stress. As a result, “The number of students who decide to attend a university and attempt outside employment has increased over the years, and now most students choose to work while attending school,” often out of “necessity and worries about post-graduation loan repayment,” (Mounsey, Vandehey, & Diekhoff, 2013, p. 380). The Inceptia study notes that the “average student is putting in 21.1 hours of work per week, which is significantly more time than they are spending on academic endeavors...