Anxiety In College Students Essay Sample

📌Category: Education, Health, Mental health
📌Words: 762
📌Pages: 3
📌Published: 19 June 2022

Anxiety is the intense feeling of uneasiness and worry. It's the constant feeling of panic throughout the day about situations that transpire. Anxiety is typical in stressful circumstances, such as presenting in front of a class or taking an exam. Although this persistent nervousness can be a signal of an underlying condition when it uncontrollably consumes your everyday life. Every American kid has to go to school and with the academic pressures that are being faced, anxiety is increasing. The uptake in anxiety amongst teens is caused by the education system.

The education system is responsible for creating a burden high school students carry with them everyday, expectations that pressure students to succeed.  “A survey done every year by Higher Education Research asks incoming college freshmen if they feel overwhelmed by all they have to do. In 2016, 41% of students said "yes" compared with 28% in 2000 and 18% in 1985.” (HealthyChildren). Anxiety has been escalating in recent years and many college students feel buried by all the work being poured onto them. With a culture of achievement being more promoted in classrooms, students are more pressured to succeed academically in ways older generations were not. Anxiety is progressively getting more frequent as years move on.  “In the Pew survey of teens, academic pressure tops their list of stressors: 61 percent say they face a lot of pressure to get good grades. By comparison, 29 percent say they feel pressure to look good; 28 percent to fit in socially, and just 6 percent to drink alcohol.” (NEA News). The survey that was done demonstrates that teens’ primary stressor in school is to consistently achieve academic success by surpassing expectations. The effects of this everlasting pressure cause excessive amounts of anxiety amongst high school students. Overall, the increase in anxiety levels amongst teens can be traced back to the unbeatable expectations of the American education system and the intense pressures to get good grades.

Not only do academics increase anxiety, but students with pre-existing anxiety conditions also feel an increase in stress due to additional factors like social hierarchy and bullying. “Middle schoolers are beginning to develop a social hierarchy that can result in an increase in bullying and various friendship turmoil, all of which can contribute to school anxiety.” (Psych Central). The social pressures put on students to conform with their peers creates low self-esteem and anxiety, therefore leading to the inability of a student to believe in their capabilities. The social hierarchy that generates throughout school builds emotional stress and an escalation of anxiety among students. “After prolonged exposure, victims of bullying can develop adverse reactions. Some victims of bullying will experience depression, eating disorders, and even thoughts of suicide…they also can develop anxiety disorders.” ( Verywell family). The inimical responses that bullying creates leave ever-lasting effects on students thus influencing decisions in the future. Peer victimization has a greater psychological impact on recent teens and persistent bullying elevates stress and causes a reduction in social behavior, leading students to school refusal. Altogether, the social pressures put on students in school creates the anxiety that's customary now in the education system.

Some may argue that academic pressure is necessary for today's polarized and competitive academic climate. “In the “self” condition, participants were told they were playing against the clock, and that if they could win 2/3 of the games (trials) played in this round, they would be granted $1 in addition to their course credit… participants demonstrated greater attentional focus on the task when they believed they were competing against another participant.” (Frontiers In Physiology). With the research being shown, healthy competition in classrooms can drive students to success. A student's passion for learning can enhance when given a chance to participate against their peers. Nevertheless, while competition can motivate students and improve their enthusiasm to learn, it can also build stress and anxiety if taken too gravely. “While a competitive drive does increase motivation, engagement, and social skills, if it is not given appropriate parameters, it can lead to aggression, anxiety, and frustration.” ( American Heritage). The competitive nature of the education system can lead to academic success, yet the negatives are detrimental. The system prioritizes education and success over the mental health and well-being of students, which causes an influx in conditions such as anxiety and suicidal tendencies. The education system is designed to suppress the mental health of students and drain them of their academic value.  With this being said, there are beneficial factors of healthy competition, however the negatives outweigh the positives and academic pressures on students are damaging to one's well-being.

The increase in competition in education is getting more intense as are suicide, anxiety, and depression rates amongst teens, specifically high school students. The education system does not prioritize the mental health of students and increases anxiety rates in school. The American education system needs to change where their students place their values and focus more on individuality rather than placing significance on their grades and achievements.

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