According to a 2013 survey conducted by the American College Health Association, 84.3 percent of students feel confused by what they do at college. 60.5 percent of the 100,000 students polled indicated that they were very depressed, while 57 percent indicated that they were very lonely. 51.3 percent of parents reported overwhelming fear, and eight percent of those polled said they had attempted suicide at some point in their lives (Daly and Bengali 3).
The Impact of Overwhelming Stress
The findings highlight the fact that students are becoming overwhelmingly stressed, with many blaming the crushing workload as the source of the issue. Usually, students find themselves in a competitive environment, where there is interplay of both internal and external facts that guide the decision that they make. The individual objectives of reciprocating previous success in high school or other competitive setting means that student is highly likely to risk to ensure that their goal is achieved. Such personal stands, combined by external threats and pushes by other stakeholders adds to the workload that students have, and overall, college students feel the weight of the work (University Gazette). The need to reduce the school coursework based on the revelation of the rate at which college students are diagnosed with depression and related conditions as a result of heavy workload from schools and added pressure from parents means that there is a likelihood the victims contemplate suicide.The Pressure of Helicopter Parenting
One of the challenges that students have to face is the increasing pressure from parents with helicopter parenting, making children feel extreme external influence on personal decisions. The trend has become so prone that some of the students have been overheard, stating that the parents know what is best for the child. The case is, in fact, extreme in particular situations so that some parents even threaten to disown and disengage themselves if their wishes are not met and the child pursues the preferred program. For example, one of the student respondents argued that a father had threatened that if the kid did not major in economics, he would divorce her mother. The student had no choice in an effort to save their family and took the tough program that was apparently beyond her abilities. Instead of taking four years that is the typical time, the student ended up spending seven years. The father never stopped at that, because when the daughter was pursuing the course, he would micromanage every move taken by the child. When a child realizes that the parent has put increasing pressure on them, they are likely to become discouraged with the whole learning process, as they feel offended (Lythcott-Haims). Research has also indicated that such helicopter parents ended up stressing the child, and the young ones would be less open to them and as a result, become more vulnerable and self-conscious.The Challenge of Academic Pressure
Academic pressure that is self-imposed, where students become distressed that they have failed even despite a record of success, is a notable trend in college that is a growing challenge. The state of natural competitiveness has become a culture in many learning institutions, and the creation of such a culture in demanding environments such as college can have adverse repercussions on the student’s motivation and esteem. For example, students have since cited that they wake up as early as 3 a.m. with the adherence to the trend even more serious during the hell weeks. One student has been overheard saying, “Though I was given a chance to rewrite it, that D was the first time I’d felt as if I couldn’t handle school. And it continued. In high school, I’d been able to breeze through homework and big projects. In university, I felt as if big projects were being thrown at me constantly, and I didn’t have the time management skills or the work ethic to complete them properly” (Hawksworth). During such times, the pressure mounts so much because the learner may have two or three exams and the assignment due, and unless they are prepared to manage the situation amicably, there is a high likelihood of succumbing to the pressure. Hesitation to ask for help only adds to the problem because the learner is compelled to handle the workload in isolation, and they may give up so easily. The trend has particularly been noted among those who excelled in high school and joined colleges only to find an increased workload when they have the expectation of scoring high in higher education levels.The Complications of External Issues
The coursework covered by the students is also being complicated by the external issues and pressure that is academically related, that some of the learners usually manage in private. Apparently, the economy has become so competitive that employees seeking to advance their knowledge and competence in their areas of work have to try to accommodate the new learning lesson into their already congested work schedules. In fact, one-third of the working learners are 30 years and older, and those who possess post-secondary education and are seeing a promotion have to try to balance the coursework and the work schedules (Hofherr). The pressure on the students is that when they realize that there is a lot of time that they have to spend in trying to make up for those who are enrolled in full-time lessons. The implication is that such working class groups, despite the success they already have, will feel the weight of their workload, and unless they are psychologically prepared to handle such pressure, they may give up. This adds to the effect that external issues could act as confounders to a student's effort to meet the goals set by the institutions (Bossip). It is thus advisable that in such a setting the coursework should be spread over a longer period in case it is inevitable that all the learners acquire the said skills that are vital for the program. Furthermore, it is recommended that the coursework should be reduced if the content has to be covered within a limited period. Overall, the key is to ensure that the student finds it easier to cover the coursework without any pressure that is related to the part-time learning goals.The Pressure of Perfectionism
The pressure of perfectionism is a huge challenge that can further be implied and that makes learners risk their lives in an effort to realize their personal goals. The assessment of this factor, however, is inclined in the perspective of the students having mental conditions that make them think that they are better and deserve better than others, regardless of whether they have a history of success or not (Yang). Such characters tend to be motivated to excel in academics, and when it does not happen due to the difficulty of the workload, they are most likely to contemplate suicide as an option. It is worse when the element of being a mental patient is factored because it is difficult to convince such a person that there are better options. A respondent once stated, “It can be hard for people to juggle everything because you think that you are going to have so much more free time because the classes are more spread out, but, in actuality, there are so many more things that everybody has to do” (Sherwin). The associated stress could thus be targeted and eliminated by ensuring that the child finds it easy to cover the coursework as they have anticipated.The Importance of a Welcoming and Motivating Environment
It is recommended that the external environment should be welcoming and motivating the child to perceive life differently as opposed to been focused on the idea of examinations. The society has made it even harder to make successful people out of those who fail examinations because of the trend of placing too many expectations on the child without the concerns of how much work one does every day. It is critical that the society is taught to be receptive to those who face challenges in their academic processes so that the child is told that there are always better opportunities and that they are not limited to the options that are available from getting good grades. It is particularly a huge issue because Mathematics and Science students usually face more difficulty, as they tend to cover coursework that is more detailed compared to their counterparts (Lamas). It is thus critical that in case the school setting does not respond to the need for a reduction of the work covered by the students, then counseling services should be sought for those having difficulty keeping the pace that is set with the institution. The overall goal should be to ensure that there are as minimal suicide rates as possible for better coexistence in the learning institution to realize the goal of molding better citizens (Krantz and Rocheleau).The Importance of Addressing Student Deaths
Students are key stakeholders in an academic institution, essential members of the community, and the future of a nation's workforce. It is thus critical that every death is addressed with the criticality that it deserves because the issue has been noted to impact adversely on the motivation state of the child. The greatest setback that relates to the suicide rates is that it results from periods of slow discouragements, and the student will start feeling that he is worthless, especially when adequate measures to detect depression are missing. The primary challenge results when one has had a history of exceling in the studies and is now forced to manage the pressure that is associated with an increased workload in college. The other perspective of describing the issue is in consideration of the fact that for some, perfectionism may mean that striving to juggle everything, including what one is incapable of, and the excess motivation could result in less pressure. Lastly, some working-class members who are furthering their education may also feel the pressure associated with college life and contemplate suicide. Overall, it is recommended that both counseling and reducing workload are considered as feasible options.Works Cited
Bossip. “Update: Father of UPenn Track Star who Jumped to Her Death Says Stress over School Led to Her Suicide.” Bossip (2014): n. page. Web.
Daly, Mary C., and Leila Bengali. “Is It Still Worth Going to College?” Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Economic Letter 13 (2014): 1–5. Print.
Hawksworth, Elizabeth. “College Drove Me to the Brink of Suicide.” The Washington Post (2014): n. page. Web.
Hofherr, Justine. “College Students Do a Lot More Work than You Might Imagine.” Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC (2015): n. page. Web.
Krantz, Laura, and Matt Rocheleau. “MIT Eases Workload, Offers Support after Recent Suicides.” Globe Staff (2015): n. page. Web.
Lamas, Daniela. “The Dark Side of College Life: Academic Pressure, Depression, Suicide.” The pendulum (2016): n. page. Web.
Lythcott-Haims, Julie. “Kids of Helicopter Parents Are Sputtering Out.” Slate (2015): n. page. Web.
Sherwin, Allyson. “Suicide Is the Second Leading Cause of Death among College Students.” The Maneater (2015): n. page. Web.
University Gazette. “Study Finds That More AP Classes May Not Be Better.” University of North Carolina (2010): n. page. Web.
Yang, Jeff. “Do Asian Students Face Too Much Academic Pressure?” CNN (2015): n. page. Web.
