The Student’s Guide to Managing Stress in College

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential, and anyone can use this service. (This service was formerly known as The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Stress is just one of the many hurdles college students face. Short-term stress can help learners raise a grade, polish an essay, or pursue a coveted career opportunity. But long-term stress, if left unaddressed, can have detrimental side effects.

According to the American Institute of Stress, 4 in 5 college students experience frequent stress. Unchecked stress can lead to physical side effects like trouble concentrating, irritability, a lack of energy, appetite changes, a weakened immune system, and trouble sleeping.

In addition to the negative side effects stress brings, more college students than ever report feeling it for extended periods. Although the majority of this stress often stems from coursework, other factors, such as family, friends, and work, can increase stress and contribute to undesirable academic and personal outcomes.

To address this issue, many colleges provide ample resources and opportunities for students to deal with stress positively. Keep reading to learn more about the different types of stress and solutions for managing it.

Stress is a physical reaction to a person’s emotions. Both positive events (e.g., an upcoming wedding) and negative events (e.g., the loss of a loved one) can cause stress.

When you feel an emotion that triggers stress, your adrenal gland releases epinephrine — the hormone responsible for the flight-or-fight response — and then cortisol. In dangerous situations, this response can save your life. Too much cortisol, however, can have a long-term, negative impact on your metabolic rate, memory formation, and blood sugar regulation.

Stress can take one of three forms:

When people are exposed to stressors or stimuli that provoke stress, they experience an array of physical, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions. As such, two students might experience stress in very different ways.

Below are some of the various ways stress can manifest in people.

College students respond to stressors in different ways, but some situations are almost always stressful. Here are some of the most common stressors for students.

Many students work while in school to afford high tuition and housing costs. Unfortunately, part-time jobs typically pay just minimum wage. If you’re struggling economically, speak to your financial aid office to see whether you qualify for grants, loans, or work-study.

On top of classes, exams, and meeting people, many students have to deal with growing up. Out-of-state students may be living away from their homes for the first time in their lives, which can easily become a source of constant stress.

Students new to campus life often feel isolated, especially if they’re in an unfamiliar city or state. Some students are naturally shy and may find it difficult to make friends.

Many students may not be accustomed to sharing a room with someone else, especially if their roommate is someone they hardly know. This situation can compound the normal stress of college life.

Students often feel overwhelmed by the increased workload associated with college-level coursework. This realization can blindside students and contribute to stress and anxiety. In many classes, exams make up a large percentage of students’ grades, causing midterms and finals to be more stressful than normal.

A 2014 NPR study found that the death of a loved one is the second-highest cause of stress amongst U.S. adults. A death in the family can be extremely traumatic for college students, especially if they live away from home and can’t afford to take a break from classes.

According to a 2013 survey by Citibank and Seventeen Magazine, 4 in 5 students work while attending college. The average student works 19 hours a week. Many learners try to find a job that can accommodate the scheduling concerns associated with full-time education.

In addition to academic pressures, college introduces plenty of social pressures, such as the idea that you must make tons of friends and party every weekend. Peer pressure and societal expectations can exacerbate stress, especially for first-year students.

Romantic relationships take work. When you and your partner face the stresses of college life, the pressure can feel even greater. Additionally, many students may be in the process of questioning their sexuality and/or gender identity, which can impact dating and relationships.

Research shows that stress can lead to the development of many mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and substance misuse. It can also introduce physical conditions like chronic pain.

Stress can rise to dangerous levels, threatening students’ physical, emotional, and mental health. But nobody has to face stress alone. Here are some organizations and resources you can contact to receive treatment and support for managing stress in college.

Most colleges offer on-campus (and sometimes virtual) mental health services to students. You can usually find out more about a school’s services by going online to its official website.

If you need immediate assistance, contact your school’s student services. This department can direct you to appropriate resources, such as mental health clinics, online screening, and individual or group counseling. Taking advantage of these services can improve your mental health, allowing you to thrive academically and socially.

Schools that can’t provide appropriate stress management resources will direct students to use an outside service, such as a local counseling or therapy center.

Other external resources include 24/7 hotlines. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255 gives students space to talk with trained professionals about suicide ideation and conditions such as severe stress, depression, and anxiety.

Similarly, The Trevor Project offers many support services, including a 24/7 crisis counseling center and hotline, for LGBTQ+ students experiencing stress and other mental health challenges. For help, text START to 678678.

Once these professionals identify the underlying issue, they connect students with a long-term solution, such as a psychiatrist or substance misuse prevention group.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided on this website is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Readers of this website should consult with their physician to obtain advice with respect to any medical condition or treatment.