Tull 1 McKinley Tull Professor Lago English 1100- College Writing Stress in College College seems like an exciting

experience to encounter from high school seniors perspective. They feel as though they are anxiously counting down the days of finally entering adulthood. Hollywood has done a fantastic job of portraying the ultimate college experience as being easy and fun. However, movies like Pitch Perfect (2012), Accepted (2006), and Animal House (1978) fail to show the real struggles of a college student. In reality, college can be stressful experience for students who are not focused. The pressure of financial issues, academic performance, and maintaining socially relevant takes a serious toll on students. Being college freshman myself, I have experienced a great amount of stress in my first semester. I thought high schools were supposed to teach their students how to prepare for the next journey ahead, however, with each day passing I realize that high school lacked sufficiently in preparing students for college. Colleges primarily want the top students enrolled, so if you have a low GPA, you might as well just sign up to a trade school. It would be a waste of time and money to compete in the energy-consuming race of academic achievement. In college everything is dependent on oneself. The teachers may give good lectures but in the end the student really teaches himself or herself. And getting bad grades is really detrimental because professors only give a set amount exams and rarely give make-ups or even retakes. Going for extra help is a difficult task, especially for those students that are very prideful. It is natural for humans to be competitive with one another. Its in our genes to show how

Tull 2 dominant we are compared to our peers. No one wants to be known for struggling in his or her class. For some, failing is not an option. It damages your GPA; most schools only let you retake the course once. And paying for the course and having to sit through the same lectures again is not fun for anyone. In addition, if your peers see that you have failed, it feels as though they look down upon you now. In addition, a drop in GPA can cause students to lose their scholarship or grant. Nora Honken, of the Journal of Advanced Academics observed that, based on their 1st year GPA, that 31% of the students with full scholarships and 50% with partial scholarships subsequently lost their scholarships due to not meeting the minimum GPA (Honken). Students build up an immense amount of stress because they have no source to let out all their frustration and anger from these everyday college worries. Honken also emphasized that, A drop in grades freshman year in college can be a shock to the ego and self-esteem of students who have always achieved high grades and for whom high academic performance has contributed to their identity (Honken). Not knowing how to cope with these issues can result in serious problems with students regarding stress and anxiety. Many schools provide counseling for their students. This may reduce some of the stress, however, this does not solve the students problem. Conversations about money can be a touchy for some people. College is particularly a sensitive subject because the average price of attending rises every year. Wall Street Journals Rachel Louise points out that, the cost of attending a private college rose 5% for the 2011-2012 school year, while the cost of a four-year, in-state college was up 8% (Ensign). Grants and scholarships are not enough for the average college student, unless you are a star athlete. Parents have to also take in consideration

Tull 3 other costs such as lab-based courses that come with fees, books, and even possibly cost for transportation for their student. This will cause parents put a lot of pressure on their students because its their money that goes down the drain if the student messes up. No one wants to waste money on things that are not necessary. Telling mom and dad that you failed biology and chemistry in the first semester wont be a great Christmas present at all. Another problem with money is in student spending. Although college provides so many opportunities to interact with peers and enjoy activities, there comes a cost in doing so. While parents are paying for college tuition, students are in college spending money on food, transportation, clothing, and social events. This could be a major problem for students who do not have some type of income. Students would become stressed from this because they want to hang out and party with their friends. But how is it possible to enjoy all the fun if they cannot even pay to get in. Meeting people and making new friends is all a part of the college experience. Socializing is great for some students because it helps them reduce stress. However, spending too much time with peers can become a huge distraction. This can effect a students studying habits and academic performance. I came to realize the truth about college, after my first biology exam. I paid attention in lecture classes, went the Science Enrichment Center for tutoring, and even went to my brother, who attends a different college and is biology major, for studying advice. I felt somewhat confident in taking my exam. I knew it would be difficult, however, I believed my studying techniques were efficient enough. Unfortunately when I received my test scores back, I was outraged when I saw a D written in purple ink on the paper. I could not believe that I did so poorly on my first exam of college. Based on

Tull 4 the grading system, I was failing. I only had one other test and a final before the semester is over and I needed a C minus to pass. This grade shocked me to my core. I was so upset that I did not talk to anyone or even eat for the following two days. I felt so sick to my stomach and even sick of myself. I questioned myself how could I ever let something like this happen. I did very well in high school, and I could not accept that I am doing badly in college. I thought about how only three students in my class had received As on their tests, I could have gotten an A too. I thought also how I let my parents down. I imagined them looking at me with disgrace. Their daughter was a disappointment and wasting their money. My mother called me to talk about my test and all I did was cry and whine to her about how poorly I had done. She told me everything would be okay and now I have to take my time and look over the mistakes I had made on that test in order to correct myself for the next exam. She told me to relax and realize that the real world is not going to go McKinleys Way. Also, the freshman freak out is only the being of many problems I will face in life. She told me to try my absolute best to finish the semester strongly and that I am capable of doing my best if I put my mind to it. Overall, college can be stressful for anyone dealing with economical, social, and academic issues. High school does not prepare students, who are graduating, on how to deal with such matters. College is a completely different environment than high school, and if I had a better understanding of that, I would have done better with my grades.

Tull 5 Works Cited Ensign, Rachel Louise. College Math 101: Calculating the Real Cost of Attending. Wall Street Journal (Online). 25 Mar 2012: n. pag. ProQuest Central. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. Honken, Nora B, and Patricia AS Ralston. High-Achieving High School Students and Not So High-Achieving College Students: A Look at Lack of Self-Control, Academic Ability, and Performance in College. Journal of Advanced Academics 24.2 (2013). 108-124. ProQuest Central. Web. 4 Nov. 2013. Martin, Barbara Alvarez, MPH, Thomas P McCoy, MS, Heather Champion, PhD, Maria T Parries, and Robert H DuRant, PhD. The Role of Monthly Spending Money in College Student Drinking Behaviors and Their Consequences. Journal of American College Health 57.6 May-June 2009: 597-96. ProQuest Central. Web. 4 Nov. 2013