Being a new university student is daunting and exciting in equal measure. For most, this will be the first time you have the responsibility of paying bills, self-motivation and learning to budget. But university comes with many stressors.
Sources of Stress
Relationships: Living with and near people who are not blood relatives will cause stress – friends, housemates and intimate partners. Arguments will break out over cooking, washing up, laundry and contributions to food shopping.
Money: Students are on a strict budget and you’ll need to manage your money. The last thing you need is to run out way before the end of term and end up stressing over the exam period. Money worries and student life go hand in hand.
Health: Nobody likes being ill at the best of times but as a student, you might find you’ll get ill at the least convenient time – the week before an important deadline, exams, those weeks when you have a lot of work to get through, or ahead of a presentation.
The Results of Stress
Burnout: Exhaustion caused by stress can lead to a multitude of other factors. Inability to concentrate on work means potentially poor academic performance and lower grades. This is not so much of a problem in the first year but will affect your overall degree in years 2 and 3.
Social withdrawal: The social aspect of student life is vital. Humans are social animals. Working together will set you up for the world of work and you will need to let your hair down too. But stress can lead to a lack of enjoyment in social situations which will affect those relationships.
Illness: Have you ever noticed you get physically ill more often when you’re feeling blue? It’s not a coincidence, neither is it a myth. Stress interferes with sleep, makes you more irritable, and increases susceptibility to physical illnesses. In turn, this affects both social interactions and academic performance.
What To Do About Stress
Firstly, it’s important to remember that stress is normal. You’ll encounter it in many areas of life. But that’s not to say there is nothing to be done or you should just accept it.
Disconnect: The students most likely to burn out are those who don’t disconnect from their academic work. That’s why the social aspect is important. Volunteer, take part in sport, go out for walks, or just spend weekends away from academic work.
Talk to professionals: You won’t be the first nor the last student dealing with stress. Your on-site health centre should have information on what to do. Or talk to a health professional for other help. If your academic work is suffering, rather than sitting it out, talk to your tutor about your concerns.