Student Stress: Life at University

The American Psychiatric Association website provides some worrying statistics: According to a 2011 American College Health Association Survey, almost 1/3 of students reported feeling so depressed within the last 12 months that it was difficult to function and almost half felt overwhelming anxiety.

Apparently November to January is when students are most likely to give up on their studies. If you’ve been struggling this winter please remember that you are already half way through this tough time.

The winter is a tough time for many people and for students it falls between the enthusiasm (one hopes!) of the start of term and the terrifying prospect of exams at the end. The middle bit isn’t always that much fun either, promising seasonal parties but often shadowed by relationship break-ups and family tensions from all that enforced ‘quality time’ :-). Many people in the UK suffer the ‘winter blues’, some experience Seasonal Affective Disorder. Students are not immune to these problems.

I’ll be suggesting practical things which tutors and students can do to help with student stress in my next few posts.