What Methods do VCU Students Use to Reduce Stress? (Statistics Project Sample)

Jungeun Han
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What Methods do VCU Students Use to Reduce Stress?
INTRODUCTION
Stress is a significant factor among different populations in the world. In fact, Beiter et al., 2015) claim that seven out of ten Americans undergo stress moderately daily. Even though stress is increasingly becoming inevitable in the current life, university students have become more affected by it. This consequently makes it necessary to conduct an in-depth research purposefully to assist future learners. Therefore, this study will be about what methods do VCU students use to reduce stress?
In America today, acquiring a university degree is regarded as the key to success. As a result, many students leave their homes to go to universities each year. The transition that takes place between their homes and the colleges itself is a significant causative of stress, depression, and anxiety. This transition normally culminates in appetite disturbance and also concentration challenges. A direct result of this is homesickness which is mostly prone among first-year students. In fact, this has been an important focus for those institutions of higher learning that are looking into the ways of sufficiently treating the mental health challenges that have consistently plagued their students due to stress.
For universities and other learning institutions to tailor the treatments to the particular requirements of their learners, it would be imperative understanding the aspects making up the lives and academics of these students. For example, adverse perceptions of the learners’ body images have been regarded as closely linked with increasing likelihood of stress among the students. As a result, studying the levels, causes and most importantly the coping mechanisms will not only assist the VCU students but others too on the global platform.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Stress Levels
There is usually a large barrier experienced when trying to devise ways of classifying stress in various levels. Bennett, Greene, and Schwartz-Barcott (2013) mention that this difficulty is usually experienced because of the possibility of the levels overlapping i.e., it at times become difficult to accurately classify an individual into a level because the characteristics exhibited may be similar. Some of these levels encompass acute, episodic acute, with the last one being chronic stress. These stress levels have their own symptoms, treatments and even characteristics. Devi and Mohan (2015) assert that the availability of these different levels can make the management of stress to become complicated and excessively difficult.
Acute stress is regarded as the most common form of stress among college students. It results from the pressures of anticipated demands of the near future. In small doses, Beiter et al., (2015) write that small doses of these kinds of stress can be thrilling in addition to be exciting. However, in large quantities, it is very exhausting. Some of the most significant symptoms of this level encompass emotional distress which are evidently portrayed through high levels of anger, irritability and anxiety. It also comes with muscular problems evident through headache, backaches and muscular tensions. Individuals experiencing this level of stress also undergo a period of transient over arousal culminating in rapid heartbeats and palpitations.
The second level of stress is episodic acute. For college students who experience this kind of stress, their lives at the university is usually very disorderly and study in chaos and crisis. They are often in a rush to classes but always late. This group is described as having excessive nervous energy ("Stress: The different kinds of stress," 2017). Their interpersonal relationships with their classmates usually deteriorate rapidly because of the hostility that they exhibit. The last level is chronic stress. It is a type of stress that is considered as wearing people out day by day. It destroys the bodies, minds and the lives of the students.
Causes of Stress
The first cause of stress among the university students is academics. Devi and Mohan (2015) write that academic pressure puts the learners under duress to perform. Worth noting is that tackling difficult tasks and assignments require efficient stress management techniques. Research has also shown that poor sleeping habits among these learners cause depression (Wen, 2015). For instance, students at VCU go clubbing and partying during the weekend. This mostly affects their concentration in class especially on Monday when they resume their classes and in some cases throughout the week.
Wen (2015) writes that college students are usually concerned about their physical appearances in comparison to other aspects. In fact, most of them have often become dissatisfied with their appearances. Bennett, Greene, and Schwartz-Barcott (2013) write that female students usually feel upset more than their male counterparts as a result of their physical appearances. This causes stress amongst them as they have negative perceptions about themselves such as them being very ugly, too fat, short, and high and even having a dislike for their hair’s color. Nezu and D`zurilla (2012) point out that setting comparatively high goals, comparing oneself with others, degrading one’s self and being a perfectionist cause stress among this group.
There is the family factor as a significant cause of stress among students. Some students come from families having frequent or intense conflicts. The stress would thus be caused by the apparent lack of parent-child communication and deep understanding of each other. Research has in fact shown that totalitarian parents mostly do not have concern for their children, especially those at the university (Nezu and D`zurilla, 2012). The control that they try imposing on their children only work towards increasing the stress levels. The last cause of stress is the relationship factor. Most of them find it urgent developing relationships with the opposite sex.
Coping Mechanisms
The first stress coping mechanism for the learners is exercise. Normally, stressful situations such as the need to academically perform increases the hormones causing stress like adrenaline (Weinberg and Gould, 2014). When the students conduct physical exercises and attend gym sessions, they metabolize the excess stress hormones consequently restoring their bodies and mind to a comparatively relaxed state. Getting more sleep is also a coping mechanism. The learners should also avoid doing mentally distressing work before bedtime. Fortunately, physical exercises also improve one’s sleep quality (Hershner and Chervin, 2014).
Exercise’s role in altering one’s perception is understood to be preventive. As a result, the response towards stress is easily triggered. Exercising assists in regulating the form and intensity of stress. In fact, it is a reflection of a cultural analog of an otherwise biologically inherited survival response that would be closely followed by both rest, as well as, relaxation. Therefore, for the Virginia Commonwealth University students, exercising will provide them with several benefits encompassing countering anxiety and depression, assisting them to relax and feel less tensed and improving their ability of falling asleep quickly and sleeping well.
Eating a balanced diet is also a way of coping with stress. Weinberg and Gould (2014) write that eating regularly well-balanced diet is instrumental in assisting one feel better generally. The meals should also include vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The well-balanced diets will also ensure that the students acquire the required proportions of energy needed to perform their daily tasks. Getting social support is also integral to coping up with stress. Students can practice this by calling their friends, family, and other confidants. Normally, when an individual shares their concerns and feelings with other people, it relieves stress. It is thus a viable method of coping with the stresses at the universities.
Another significant way of managing stress among the Virginia University Students is through proper management of their time. On several occasions, students feel over-burdened by their to-do list. To sufficiently cope, they should realize that they cannot conduct all affairs at once and should consequently commence prioritizing and diarizing their tasks. Therefore, students should break down their task lists that they otherwise consider as being overwhelming, as well as, unmanageable. The tasks should consequently be spread over considerably longer periods of time to reduce the pressure that they bring.
Research Question
The main question of this research will be: What methods do VCU students use to reduce stress? Assuming that college students have high levels of stress from their academic work, from leaving home, from work and financial stressors, and social and personal challenges, how students cope with such stress is very important. The ways that the Virginia Commonwealth University cope with stress will encompass the cognitive, psychological and also behavioral efforts that will be undertaken by the learners in dealing with the situation.
Academic pressures are associated with the need to attain high grades, take tests, manage time and study high volumes of materials. Therefore, researching on the ways of coping with stress will assist them in improving their performance in school. Numerous studies are present on the stressors to the student’s life. However, this particular study seeks to expound on the already available research consequently providing new insights.
Learners have different things that cause stress. The research will thus seek to determine these particular aspects amongst students. This will assist in knowing the points within the learning ...