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Anxiety among College Students
A lot of people tend to think that a college is a beautiful place that offers students a wonderous time to explore new experiences and ideas. However, this allegation is not true because students encounter a lot of problems that are associated with too much freedom. One of the common issues they face is anxiety. It spikes when students are in college because of changes in lifestyle, separation from family members, heavy workload they manage, and the development of a new identity (Smail 2). This problem is affecting college students at frightening rates. This issue is one of many reasons for learners seeking psychological counseling while in college.
Anxiety among students occurs during the transition period from high school to college or from the first semester to the second semester. The psychological distress increases gradually during the first semester and remains high during the second semester of college. This period is regarded as the high-risk time for developing anxiety, and if the administration takes no action, this disorder will become worse. One in five university students are victims of anxiety due to its high prevalence. Also, the number of the college student who was overwhelmed with anxiety accounted for 63% and the number of students who were diagnosed and treated for anxiety accounted for 23% of all the students in last year (Damour). This result implies that in recent years students are more anxious and stressed than the previous years. It also indicates that the psychological well-being among teenagers is decreasing year by year. This problem is an attribute to the time students spend on social media. Spending too much time on social media brings about feelings of isolation among students; thus, escalating anxiousness. Other factors that lead to increased risks of anxiety include disrupted sleep as a result of excessive consumption of caffeine, loneliness, disengagement, and school stress related to exams (Bamber 12). However, there are solutions to this problem.
Students should approach this issue instead of avoiding it. Life at the college has many challenges, and a lot of students try to code with them through avoidance. Nevertheless, they don’t understand that avoiding these problems will worsen them over time. Students should take various steps to approach situations that provoke anxiety. For instance, if students are struggling to understand some concepts in class, they should talk with their instructor for help. They should also avoid a situation that makes them feel lonely and start to engage with other students.
Students should also practice self-care while on campus. While in college, students face challenges such as maintaining regular sleep, healthy eating habits, and involvement in recreational activities. Therefore, students should find ways of preserving this self-care behavior because they will regulate their moods and help them to manage stress. The best thing they can do is to establish a self-care routine. They should establish this routine early before joining college. For instance, they should practice good sleep hygiene by setting up bedtime and sticking to their schedule.
The student should find resource centers on campus. These centers are equipped with resources that will help them while transitioning from during the first and second semesters of college. These centers offer various services such as advising students, counseling and support services, and other issues related to their mental health. If a student is diagnosed with anxiety, it is important to seek counseling from the college psychological counselor. The counselor will help the student to establish stress coping skills.
In conclusion, life at college is not as easy as people think. There are a lot of challenges that students face which interfere with their mental health. Various interventions should always be available on campus to help these students. Parents and administrators should play their role in supporting learners when they are facing challenges.
Works Cited
Bamber, Mandy D., and Joanne Kraenzle Schneider. "Mindfulness-based meditation to decrease stress and anxiety in college students: A narrative synthesis of the research." Educational Research Review 18 (2016): 1-32.
Damour, Lisa. "When a College Student Has a Troubled Roommate.†The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 Nov. 2019,
Smail, David. Illusion and reality: The meaning of anxiety. Routledge, 2018.
