Anxiety in College Students Yasmin Kahsai
Grand Canyon University: PSY-102
April 5, 2015

Anxiety In College Students Stress-induced anxiety is an all to common reality for college students. The pressure of suddenly having to map out the entire life when only weeks ago you had to ask permission to use the restroom, is some times just to much to handle. In the first year of college, students are often times away from home for the first time in their lives. They no longer have the support of their parents; financially or emotionally. In order to make up for the lack of financial support, students are forced to work while attending school. This alone is enough to lead to stress-induced anxiety, but that is not all that they have to deal with. Students must also deal with the pressure of making good grades in order to continue on in higher education. While trying to make good grades and balance work, it is not an uncommon thing for them to lose sleep. Insomnia has been known to lead to anxiety. Overall, the overwhelming pressure of adulthood, working to pay for school, maintaining good grades, and lack of sleep are enough to give any college student anxiety.
Being an Adult We spend the first eighteen years of our lives being told what we can and cannot do. We have everything from what we eat, wear, study and even what we listen dictated and mapped out for us. Then all of a sudden we celebrate the magic birthday; the big one-eight. Then all of a sudden everything changes. We are now not only allowed to form our own opinions, but we are expected to make decisions that will change the course of our lives forever. Jensen Arnett, a professor of psychology at Clark University, wrote a book called Emerging Adults in America: Coming of Age in the 21st Century. In this book he identifies this period of life as the “age of identity exploration” in which “young people are deciding who they are and what they want out of work, school, and love” (Munsey, 2006). These young adults are usually leaving the nest for the first time ever. Along with that they must decide what they want to study while keeping where that degree will take them in mind. Naturally making such huge choices can be a bit staggering. The colossal amount of stress that making these choices contributes greatly to college students anxiety. All Work and No Play College is expensive. There is no other way of putting it. Even with the scholarships most universities offer and federal aid, students still wind up having to pay part of their tuition and room and board. Along with those expenses, students must also worry about the cost of everyday living. Groceries, toiletries, and clothes add up. That does not include the cost of having any sort of social life. Nowadays hanging out with friends almost always equates to going out to dinner or some other activity that costs money. That is all of the practical expenses. We also have to keep in consideration the amount of money it would take if something catastrophic were to happen. Something like car troubles or medical expenses. Having responsibilities can be a costly thing. Survey’s indicate that in order to cover these costs, “almost 80 percent of students take at least a part-time job during the school year” (Fang, 2013). With the rise in tuition and cuts in higher education funding, a part-time job just is not going to cut it. In a lot of cases, students must work full-time or even multiple jobs in order to pay their way through school. The stress of working so much in addition to other responsibilities is surely enough to cause anxiety.
Grades
A crucial part of college is the grades that a student gets. The GPA that a student accumulates throughout their undergrad will determine whether or not they attain a degree, get into graduate school, and eventually what job they get. There is an enormous amount of emphasis put on what grades a student gets. Studies indicate that “the top three concerns were academic performance, pressure to succeed, and post-graduate plans”, all of which revolve around grades (Beiter, Nash, McCrady, Rhoades, Linscomb, Clarahan, Sammut, 2014). While that on it’s own would be enough to give someone anxiety, there is also the fact that we ant our grades to be perfect. We cannot just be mediocre. We have to be the best. Society has told us that we are not good enough if we are not number one. That is where our perfectionism stems from. A recent study showed that “perfectionism had a significant influence on the level of the college students’ depression and anxiety” (Xueting, Hong, Bin, Taisheng, 2013). This need to have the best grades possible is the root of a lot of anxiety in most students.
Lack of Sleep When one wants to be the best there usually is not much time for anything else—least of all sleep. College students are infamous for pulling all-nighters. Whether it is to study or to finish an assignment. Studies have shown that “college life, particularly for first year students…affect rest and much needed restorative sleep, which may in turn compromise students’ health and academic performance” (Sadigh, Himmanen, Scepansky, 2014). The late-night study habits affect students’ psych as well as their well-being.
Conclusion
Anxiety is caused by a whole slew of stressors such as, adulthood, financial problems, academic performance, and lack of sleep. While those are all major causes of anxiety in college students, they are not the only ones. The only way for someone to deal with anxiety is to overcome it; day-by-day. While it may be a constant struggle with new trials everyday, one must remember that it will always get better. What may once have been the source of one’s angst will someday be something to laugh about. References
Beiter, R., Nash, R., McCrady, M., Rhoades, D., Linscomb, M., Clarahan, M., & Sammut, S. (2015). Research report: The prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of college students. Journal Of Affective Disorders, 17390-96. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2014.10.054
Fang, M. (2013). Nearly 80 percent of students work while in school. Guest contributor. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/08/07/2428351/nearly-80-of-students-are-working-while-in-school/
Munsey, C. (2006). Emerging adults: the in-between age. Monitor staff. http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun06/emerging.aspx
Sadigh, M. R., Himmanen, S. A., & Scepansky, J. A. (2014). An investigation of the prevalence of insomnia in college students and its relationship to trait anxiety. College Student Journal, 48(3), 397-406. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=98748705&site=eds-live&scope=site
Xueting, Z., Hong, Z., Bin, Z., & Taisheng, C. (2013). Perceived social support as moderator of perfectionism, depression, and anxiety in college students. Social Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 41(7), 1141-1152. http://library.gcu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=s3h&AN=89673522&site=eds-live&scope=site