A Testing Time for All
We all have times when, faced with a difficult essay topic on which nobody seems to have written a word and a short deadline in which to do it, we wish we'd chosen to carve out a career at Topshop rather than embarking upon the path of higher education. But for many undergraduates, the problem of academic stress is more serious than this, affecting their daily life in diverse and challenging ways.
This phenomenon, or at least awareness of it, appears to have increased in the past few years, yet by some it is still ignored or denied. Predictably, those first to recognise the suffering that study can bring are students themselves, or those who work in mental health and welfare provision circles. Those quick to dismiss it often belong to an older generation and to have opted out of further education.
Why are so many of today's students feeling the strain? Pressure to perform, along with weighty workloads, would seem to be the answer. But the stress does not begin at university: the seeds are sown during the school years.
Stress among students often begins during the GCSE year, and affects those who have high hopes of good grades, or pupils who attend schools whose good reputation (and position in the league tables) relies on a continued achievement. Sometimes, the individual student's 'personal best' can be forgotten because it does not tally with the school's expectations, and such students may struggle to keep up with their classmates.
Pressure can also come from parents, particularly those who themselves excelled academically, and from the student themselves, who may be worried that a less-than-wonderful mark will disappoint others. Perfectionism and a drive to succeed can be useful in reaching the heady heights of top scores, but they can also cause stress, leading the student to feel that they must constantly produce an excellent piece of work.
And this stress only grows at university, where work becomes more difficult, the importance of the outcome more significant, and the amount of assignments to complete greater. According to the MORI Student Living Report 2002, 53 per cent of students surveyed said their stress levels had increased since starting university. They highlighted five key stress-inducers for the undergraduate, including 'juggling work with other commitments' and 'too much time spent studying.' However, it was worries about debt which topped the list, with concerns about too much work finishing in fifth and final place.
But it seems unlikely that a poll of Oxford University students would produce the same order of stresses.
Oxford, along with Cambridge, has one of the country's heaviest workloads, one of the greatest emphases on the individual's private study (that's why they say you 'read' your degree) and one of the highest sets of expectations. I spoke to one student who dropped out of Oxford in recent years, partly due to academic stress. She told me that her perfectionism and conscientious approach to work which had aided her at school became "detrimental" during her time here. The overwhelming amount of work did not equal the "lack of support and understanding" from teaching staff in its ability to induce stress.
She felt that their expectations were too high, and that they were never satisfied with the standard of work she produced, so instead of working for her own benefit, her "attitude changed" and she kept her head down in an attempt to please, while receiving little encouragement.
As seems to be the trend amongst Oxford undergraduates feeling the strain of work, she kept the problem to herself for a long time, knowing that all her college friends were also experiencing the problem to some extent. While recognising that the constructive criticism she received was beneficial, she became demoralised because it was never interspersed with praise, which we all know can be a good incentive.
Rosie Buckland, OUSU's VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities, says: "Academic stress will affect students in any number of ways, although there are very few students who will sail through their exams without any anxiety or stress at all. Some students may have difficulty concentrating, problems with sleeping or eating, or simply worry constantly that they may fail."
Terms in which students have to sit important exams are obviously some of the most stressful, with many universities and colleges now including exam preparation guides and advice about coping with stress on their websites.
It may seem that the British education system has become an 'exam treadmill', as those who take A-Levels before progressing to higher education will find themselves facing at least four consecutive years of examinations. Many teachers expressed concern over the AS- Level when it was introduced, fearing it was adding unhealthy stress to the lives of young adults, and eating into a time important for social development and the acquisition of non-academic skills. The same is true of university life: many undergraduates feel that they do not have enough time to get involved in clubs and societies (or even to relax), and those who do participate worry that their work will suffer.
Academic stress becomes a far more serious issue when combined with other pressures and anxieties, such as homesickness, relationships, and coping financially.
As these problems take their toll, they become less easy to shake off, leaving the stressed student with a more negative outlook and even with difficulties after graduation, when the stresses are transferred to the workplace.
The difference here is that stress in a job is expected by many, where stress as a student is generally not, at least not to the same degree.
University is a time for learning and developing in many ways, both personal and social. At a time when students have their first taste of independence, academia should not be allowed to restrict our experiences and leave us feeling guilty about wasting a few hours of research time whenever we go out with friends.
But it seems that for some, this balance is easier to attain than for others, and one student might be significantly more stressed than another taking the same course, simply because human responses and human characters differ.
The amount of stress experienced by students does not necessarily correspond, therefore, to their university's position in the league tables, but it does stand to reason that the more work we are presented with and the less encouragement we are given, the more likely we are to feel that we cannot cope.
If you are concerned about academic stress, your Student Union can help. Contact the Student Advice Service on 01865 (2)88460, or email the VP Welfare and Equal Opportunities for a copy of The Oxford Survival Guide (a welfare handbook). The University Counselling Service can be
reached on (2)70300.
27th May 2004