The Importance of Mental Health for College Students
Going to college is often presented as being an important and positive life milestone. It can certainly be personally, professionally, and socially enriching. However, there isn’t enough acknowledgment of the fact that, for many students, navigating this time is psychologically and emotionally challenging. One recent study found 73% of college students have experienced an on-campus mental health crisis.
Student mental health challenges can take a variety of forms, from symptoms of acute depression or burnout to exacerbating chronic psychological conditions. When left unaddressed, the potential for disruption is significant, impacting your wellbeing, your studies, and your relationships.
So, let’s take a closer look at why mental health is so important for college students. Where are the specific challenges and what are some solutions?
Performance Stress
Some of the mental health difficulties you experience as a college student may revolve around the need to perform at a high level. The pressure related to academic performance can come from a variety of places. Parents may be pushing you to achieve. Not to mention that society links educational performance to career success and impresses this upon children from an early age. Schools, too, will often put pressure on students to perform as funding and reputation depend on results.
A little pressure occasionally can be a spur to productivity and innovation. But when this is applied relentlessly from multiple quarters, it can become a serious mental health concern. It might exacerbate existing mental wellness issues or trigger stress or anxiety-related illness. The need for time off due to this may see you falling behind in your studies, which adds more pressure to catch up. The result can be a cycle of stress which impacts your education and quality of life.
While the causes of pressure may be largely unavoidable, you do have a certain amount of control over your response to stress at school. Implement a range of effective stress management activities, like regular meditation and engaging in rigorous physical exercise. Look for support groups on campus, too. Sometimes sharing how you feel about pressure with others can be a release. It may also open you up to solutions you hadn’t previously considered.
Financial Pressure
One of the most significant stressors for many college students is their finances. In both the U.S. and the U.K., tuition can be extremely expensive. This, coupled with the rising cost of living can be a cause for stress, depression, and anxiety. Indeed, the need to take on work as well as study so you can maintain even a minimal quality of life can lead to burnout over time.
For most students, the only practical solution to tuition costs is taking a student loan. Sixty-six percent of graduates in the U.K. and more than 40% in the U.S. have had to borrow money to pay for their education. But this in itself can be a significant source of stress, too.
There’s the ever-present knowledge you’ll be paying back your loan for years after you graduate. You may be concerned about the prospect of your student loan debt negatively impacting your credit score. After all, if you miss payments or are slow in reducing the debt, this might disrupt your ability to get financing in other areas of your life. It’s no wonder these aspects can lead to a lot of stress.
Part of the solution here is to start budgeting sensibly for your costs of living early on. It’s not fun, but it can give you a realistic perspective of your finances and room to breathe. You may also find it helpful to talk to financial assistance advisors at your college. They can provide you with access to resources and may be able to offer advice regarding handling your loans following graduation.
Personal Expectations
You may find a potent source of mental strain while you’re at college can come from your own expectations. It’s not a bad thing to hold yourself to high standards. But when the achievement of ever loftier goals comes at the expense of your mental or emotional wellbeing, this becomes problematic behavior.
One of the problems students experience in this regard is burnout. It’s not unusual to shift essential rest and relaxation to the side because you feel you can keep studying and performing your part-time job to meet your personal expectations. However, by neglecting breaks you can become physically and mentally exhausted and experience illnesses. Not to mention that failing to live up to your high standards because you’ve burned out may impact your sense of self-esteem.
You need to take time away from your studies and work commitments occasionally. This can provide not just breathing room but also a chance to gain some perspective on your expectations. Be honest with yourself about what you can realistically achieve. Be kind about the idea you have mental and emotional needs that need to be respected. Establish safe spaces where you can decompress and assess difficult situations.
Alternatively, your expectations may be directed toward certain events. Exam anxiety negatively affects the mental health of many students. The personal pressure to score highly in this already stressful environment not only impacts your wellness but may also disrupt your focus. There are some methods to effectively reduce this experience, such as maintaining a healthy diet and sleep schedules. Even just taking the time to talk to other students about your feelings and expectations can lighten the load.
Conclusion
Your college experience can be positive, but there may also be experiences that aren’t so good for your mental wellness. It is vital to identify strategies and tools to address challenges such as financial stress and performance pressure. Not only can these elements help you to cope, but they influence your ability to navigate your education successfully. Be kind to yourself, though. Your education is valuable, but not as important as your mental wellbeing.
