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Jovanpreet Takhar

Professor Barnes

21.ENG.1201.513

30 March 2021

School Stress

“According to the American College Health Association Fall 2018 National College

Health Assessment, 63% of U.S. college students experienced overwhelming anxiety throughout

the year” An Instructor’s Guide to Reducing College Students’ Stress and Anxiety. by EurekAlert.

More than half of all college students deal with anxiety throughout the school year due to stress,

and this number is only increasing. Many college students, and even high school students, have

to deal with the stress brought on by school, on top of stress from other things, such as sports,

friends, their home life, and many other things people may not realize. School is something that

should be about learning and growing as a student and person, but nowadays students are just

stressed trying to pass the class, and are not worried about actually learning. In order for schools

to reduce the amount of stress on students, they can offer free tutoring for their students, they

could have someone for the students to talk to about their stress, such as a counselor or therapist,

and they can find ways to make students more comfortable at school.

Large amounts of college and high school students deal with the stress of school on a

daily basis, they are not worried about learning, but more about just passing the class. Not only

do students constantly worry about passing a class or multiple classes, they also have to worry

about their personal lives along with this. Many students have personal problems outside of

school with things such as family issues, sports, and even friends. Although many are expected

to just find a way through, many students are not able to do this, as it is much easier said than
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done in most instances. According to Christin Bergmann, author of “Medical Students’

Perceptions of Stress Due to Academic Studies and Its Interrelationships with Other Domains of

Life: A Qualitative Study.” Medical Education Online, “Academic stress has been identified as

an important predictor of poor mental health.” This proves that students get stressed a lot more

than they should because of school. It is understood that school will obviously come with stress,

but the amount of stress that students have to deal with now is far too immense. Many students

live an unhealthy lifestyle as they do things such as skip meals, do not exercise, and do not sleep

adequately (Bergmann) which goes to show many worry too much about school to the point

where their lifestyle does not matter to them as much. These students would rather pass their

tests and classes than have enough sleep for their brain and body to properly function the next

day. But without proper rest and proper self maintenance, it is even harder to do well on things

such as tests. A poor mental state can lead to other things such as depression, and the main cause

of depression is stress. If schools actually made an effort to help reduce stress on their students,

then they could reduce the amount of stress on these students, which will lead to better lifestyle

choices and overall mental health.

For schools to at least make an attempt at reducing school-related stress on their students

they could offer free tutoring and/or mentorship. This is so that many more students can get the

help that they need without having to be stressed about paying for it. At the college level this is

extremely difficult as students are already struggling to pay for their college, books, room and

board, food, and other necessities. Although many schools do offer tutoring, it often is not free

and many students are not able to take advantage of it. These students are left without help and

may become very stressed out because they do not know what to do. Many students put in as

much time as they can to study and prepare for school, and oftentimes students “have a guilty
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conscience whenever they did not spend their limited spare time on studying,”(Bermann)

displaying that students often do put time into studying. They try their best to study and prepare

for school but often they are not performing as well as they would like. Students will get

frustrated with themselves which may eventually lead to more stress on them. This then leads to

a repeating cycle, ruining students’ mental health. Even when they try their hardest, sometimes

they are not preparing themselves the right way, since they do not have the needed resources,

which is leading to poor performance. If tutoring was offered for free, they would be able to

perform much better in their school work, decreasing their overall amount of stress.

If these students had a certain time period to be tutored, most would be more consistent

with their school work. Tutoring will further their education and help them become better

students and academically advanced. Along with this, it will help them become more successful

individuals in general, and it will boost their confidence as they start performing better in their

classes. Once students develop these habits, most will no longer need the tutoring after a period

of time, which means that students will only need tutoring for a little while, in order to pick up

studying habits they most likely did not have before. They could always go back to tutoring if

they ever needed help again, as they know they can get help. This can lead to less stress on

students because they have developed great studying and preparing skills, thus due to the schools

offering free tutoring. “Tutoring can be an effective method of helping students cope with any

academic difficulties they may be facing” (Wake Forest University) which proves that tutoring

will benefit many students as they are receiving help. Many students may get stressed over small

stuff, but tutoring will often help students reduce stress and make their lives much more stress

free. They stop worrying so much about the school as much because they are getting help now,
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and they can focus on their outside life as well as their school life, reducing their amount of

overall stress.

Not only should free tutoring be offered but so should mentorship. According to Melina

Dederichs, author of “Students’ Perspectives on Interventions to Reduce Stress in Medical

School: A Qualitative Study.” PLoS ONE, “Peer-mentoring-programs have been found to reduce

stress and to facilitate transition into medical school.” This proves that if schools offered the

right help, many students would feel much relief and stress off their shoulders. Once they are

getting this help, students would be able to carry their skills to the next level. Improving their

skills will then lead to less stress on themselves. Schools doing the smallest gestures and offering

help can often make students feel as if the stress is going down. Stress is very mentally

challenging for students and even adults to cope with, but knowing that someone cares can help a

lot. Stress can do a lot to an individual, especially adolescents who may potentially experience

“significant health impacts and risk”(Johnstone). These health risks can be very serious with

mental health problems such as depression. Depression is very challenging for a person and can
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lead to many other very serious issues. Individuals with depression may also develop anxiety, a

very serious mentally challenging issue, which can lead to anxiety attacks. Many people feel at

ease when they know someone cares, which means that they are less stressed. Thus leading to

them being able to focus on school work a little better, and performing better.

Many schools may offer tutoring or mentorship but even students getting in their own

study groups can be effective in reducing the amount of stress in teenagers, (Wake Forest

University) which means that students can help each other to reduce stress. If schools offer the

opportunity to work together many students will because they know that they will not be as

stressed about the whole assignment. Oftentimes though, some teachers may not even offer

opportunities for students to work together in groups. They are not able to socialize and have to

do a lot of work on their own. When they are able to work in groups though, it can be very

beneficial to the students. The teachers can help organize these groups as many students may be

too shy or nervous to join/start a study group. Overall, if schools made the small effort of

organizing groups for their students to work in, it would benefit a large quantity of students in

many ways. Teachers may say that students do not work well in groups, but working in groups

reduces the stress on each student which can lead to better results, as they will produce a better

overall assignment. These students can get very stressed because of the amount of work that they

are given, but if you reduce it, they will be relieved of some of the stress. In addition to this, with

groups working together, it can help reduce stress since they are all able to bounce ideas off of

each other and they do not have to worry about coming up with everything themselves. Many

students may need help with their school work or even less school work in order to reduce stress,

but many need to discuss with a professional about the stress that they are dealing with in order

to help reduce the amount of stress.

Schools can help reduce stress on their students by offering someone for them to talk to

about what they are going through. Students are often dealing with much more than just school,

as they are dealing with the stress brought by sports, family, and even their friends and

significant others. “Student’s therefore requested that if one misses class due to sickness or death

of a family member, an exception should be granted,”(Dederichs) showing that many students

have to deal with make up work, which is a lot of stress especially when it is multiples days, only

because they have an issue at home. This leads to many students dealing with a lot more stress

than needed. Schools can help with this by having a time available for students to talk to

someone about their stress. Many schools do have counselors for students to talk to, but many

students often do not have time to talk to them as they are too busy throughout the school day

with their work and classes. Students only get a few minutes between each class period, which is

not nearly enough time to talk to a counselor about things that may be going on and causing

trouble focusing at school. This means students cannot discuss their problems or feelings with

any one because they do not have the resources and/or time.

Many students agreed that they would benefit more from a “broader psychological

support system” (Dederichs) thus proving that students would like to talk about their problems

with somebody who may be able to help. Many people need someone that they can talk to and

not be judged by. This makes them feel supported which may lead to reduced stress. School

counselors are often there to help students but many students do not get an opportunity to talk to

them throughout their day. Students are at school for a majority of the day, but they do not have

much free time throughout that day at all, so they are not able to talk to anyone. If schools were

to offer a dedicated time in the school day for students to talk to the counselor this would benefit

students a lot. This may reduce students' stress as well. If schools are not able to offer this time
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everyday, they could make one time out of the week or even month. Even with this, students will

feel less stressed when they know that someone is making an effort to help them as they are

offering a hand.

Finding a trusted professional to speak with will help alleviate stress within these

individuals (Wake Forest University) showing that talking about stress does help in most

instances. Most schools have counselors for students to talk to but many students may feel more

comfortable talking to a trusted professional, like a therapist. Schools can offer for students to

meet with a therapist that is at school, as most schools can afford this instead of spending money

on unnecessary things, they can further help their students mental health. Students' mental health

is at risk when they are not cared for and are instead disregarded, but this can easily be changed

by schools doing the small things. Many schools do have the time to offer students the

opportunity to talk to someone and most have the money to offer a professional but they choose

not to. Schools can do a lot to help students with their stress but most ignore the topic, as they

feel their stress is not as bad as it actually is. They could try to make them more comfortable to

help reduce stress on their students.

There are many ways for schools to relieve stress and one way is to make the students

more comfortable at school and in their working space. Students do not feel safe and secure most
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of the time when at school which can lead to much more stress. Having students write about their

anxiety they are experiencing so they are able to reduce their stress and improve their

performance (Chapman University) can help students feel more comfortable in their school

environment. Writing about their problems can give a sense of releasing stress. They are able to

write whatever they need to without having to worry about someone else seeing it. Schools can

offer time throughout the day or week for students to write about how they feel and release some

stress. This may make them feel more comfortable in their work space at school which can

reduce stress on students.

Having a safe environment can help reduce stress and escape other problems that the

students may be dealing with in their lives. Many students have personal problems including

things such as work and “a side job in addition to academic studies may contribute to further

stress”(Bergmann) which shows that students may often be stressed about work which can lead

to poor academic performance. If students were to be comfortable at school, then many would

not be as stressed. Having comfort in your safe space goes a long way, but many students do not

have a safe space and school can be their way to escape reality, but this is only if schools put in

the effort to reduce stress on their students.

Schools can find many ways to make students feel comfortable in their work space, as

long as schools are willing to. Schools can offer mindfulness meditation by sitting in a

comfortable position and paying attention to themselves in the present moment (Wake Forest

University) which can lead to students being much more comfortable in their school

environment. This can be a time where students are able to relax and take a break from

everything going on around them. Students may enjoy school more if they are actually cared for,

they will feel at ease. School could become an escape from reality for students if they are dealing

with other issues in their life like family problems, work life, and social life. Schools can offer

this once a month, it can be a time students look forward to and make them want to come to

school. This will reduce much of the stress that students deal with and schools could easily offer

this time throughout the week or even month.

Schools may also offer time throughout the week or month to “Focus on breathing —

taking long and slow deep breaths while disengaging one’s mind”(Wake Forest University)

which can lead to students feeling at ease. They will feel much more relaxed and comfortable

because they know that the school is taking time to help them. Students feeling comfortable will

help reduce much of the stress that they deal with. School is a big cause of many adolescents'

stress but schools can do a lot to help reduce the amount of stress that these students deal with

and help relieve them of the stress they are experiencing.

Even if schools did these things to help students relieve stress that they are dealing with

in their lives, many people still say that it is not much stress they are dealing with, and many may

ask why it matters, as they are still young, or even that students will still be stressed, as these

methods are not effective at all. But if an actual effort is made, schools can make a change to

students’ lives. Students that deal with a lot of stress throughout their lives can have many health
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effects that they have to deal with for a long period of time or even their whole lives. Many

people do not realize it, but stress can cause long term mental trauma, as individuals may

develop anxiety and depression, all due to school. According to Christin Bergmann, “Medical

students have been found to experience considerable stress due to their academic studies.” These

students did not want to live with this stress but they chose to further their education, but this

comes with the long term effects of stress. Stress can lead to very serious things such as anxiety

and depression. Many say that it is not a big deal or many do not deal with it but according to

Christin Bergmann “the prevalence of depression in this population has been estimated at about

40%.” While this is the case, many of these individuals consist of high school and college aged

individuals who are stressed largely due to school. Thus proving that stress is a very serious topic

and if schools make an effort to help, they can prevent much further mental trauma on their

students.

The stress students deal with matters a lot, but one main reason is because of the further

damage it causes to so many students. It does not matter how old or young you are, you deal with

stress no matter what. You may be stressed about a project you have due in fifth grade or you

may be stressed about a final exam you have in college, but you are stressed about something.

Stress can cause many future problems that individuals have to deal with. Stress can lead to

anxiety and depression, which are very serious topics, but are things that many people deal with

throughout their lives. These can all lead to further problems in life, which is all because of stress

individuals have to deal with. Though school is not the only cause of stress, schools could do

many things to help relieve stress of students.

I personally have dealt with/am dealing with stress from school and know many others

that are, and after further researching my topic, I have come up with ways to reduce stress on
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these students. Many students have to deal with stress throughout their lives but there are ways

for schools to help reduce stress on them. If schools made students more comfortable, offered

free tutoring/mentorship, and had someone for students to talk to, then students would be

relieved of much of the stress that they deal with. Students should be learning when they attend

school and not just stressed about getting their work done.
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Work Cited

“An Instructor’s Guide to Reducing College Students’ Stress and Anxiety.” Eurek Alert,

Chapman University, Mar. 2, 2021,

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/cu-aig030221.php. Accessed Mar. 5,

2021.

Bergmann, Christin, et al. “Medical Students’ Perceptions of Stress Due to Academic Studies

and Its Interrelationships with Other Domains of Life: A Qualitative Study.” Medical

Education Online, vol. 24, no. 1, Dec. 2019, pp. 1–5. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1080/10872981.2019.1603526. Accessed Mar. 6, 2021.

Dederichs, Melina, et al. “Students’ Perspectives on Interventions to Reduce Stress in Medical

School: A Qualitative Study.” PLoS ONE, vol. 15, no. 10, Oct. 2020, pp. 1–15.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0240587. Accessed Mar. 3, 2021.

Johnstone, Jeanette M, et al. “School-based mindfulness intervention for stress reduction in

adolescents: Design and methodology of an open-label, parallel group, randomized

controlled trial.” Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, vol. 4, Dec. 5, 2016, pp

99-104, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451865416300254.

Accessed Mar. 18, 2021.

“School Stress Management for Students of All Ages: Wake Forest University.” WFU Online

Counseling, Wake Forest University, 3 Aug. 2020,

counseling.online.wfu.edu/blog/school-stress-management-for-students/. Accessed Mar.

7, 2021.
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