Publish at March 05 2025 Updated March 05 2025
It's not uncommon at family dinners for the older generation to tell young adults in education to make the most of this period of their lives. It's associated with a certain innocence, the chance not to be caught up in constricting responsibilities, to be able to learn, and so on. These experienced people have an almost idyllic view of the university or business school period.
However, when we take a closer look at the student question, the term "relaxed" is not the one that comes up the most. On the contrary, words like pressure, stress, anxiety and precariousness are more likely to be found in the mouths of students. Nothing of the long, quiet river often still associated with the study period.
A study carried out by CSA in 2023 revealed that 68% of students were experiencing depressive symptoms. Another in 2019 by Mutuelle des étudiants revealed that a third of those surveyed had suicidal thoughts. The British health system, the National Health Service, described the situation in 2023 as follows:
[...] university can be a fun and exhilarating experience, but it can also be stressful. It can be stressful starting university, taking exams, meeting deadlines, living with people you don't get on with, or thinking about the future.
The list of stressors for students is very long. Firstly, there are the equally important causes outside university, such as rent, budgeting for food, mounting debts, adapting to a new environment (city, region, country) and so on.
Then there are the more academic factors, such as the intensity of sessions, assignment deadlines, exams, time management and the fear of failing courses. Finally, there are more "philosophical" elements or worries about the future, such as doubts about one's choice of program, the type of job that will be available at the end of the course, the fear of making a mistake, and so on.
As a result, young adults are left with an amalgam of stressful thoughts that will contribute, ironically, to potential academic failure. Specialists are increasingly talking about the deleterious effects on learning of the deterioration of mental equilibrium in both pupils and students. Whether it's more frequent absenteeism, isolation or difficulty concentrating, all these factors can ultimately affect the success of assignments and assessments during the term.
If the university environment isn't always the least anxiety-provoking, then students need to learn to regulate themselves emotionally in order to gain a little robustness. This doesn't mean ignoring or repressing their feelings - quite the contrary. It means adopting healthy coping strategies, whether through exercise, meditation, journaling or honest discussion with loved ones or a therapist.
Moreover, social life plays a vital role in the balance you need to strike if you are to do well in higher education. You shouldn't overdo it when it comes to going out, but there are times when it's best not to isolate yourself and to recharge your batteries through social activities. Friendships play a central role in the lives of students, who can build up a network for the future and, above all, a bubble where they can express themselves and support each other in more difficult times.
Balanced diet and sleep patterns play an important part in tackling stress, but it's not always easy to achieve this in precarious situations. That's why it's so important for institutions to provide a variety of resources to help them escape, if only a little, from instability. Indeed, many campuses are aware of the major increase in stress and anxiety among students, and offer resources to their student communities so that they can feel that, in a variety of ways, the university will support them before they fail, whatever that may be.
Finally, students must learn to let go of their desire for perfection and top marks at all costs. This obsession can quickly become unhealthy and build up a huge ball of anxiety in them. Here, teachers can play a role in encouraging self-efficacy.
Contrary to popular belief, self-confidence does not mean believing oneself to be a connoisseur of everything. It means feeling able to learn something new. In this way, teachers can normalize the fact that they haven't mastered everything from the outset, expressing their hope, noting the improvements already present, focusing on the process rather than the results. This philosophy will reduce the anxiety felt by learners, who will then dare to take the plunge, even if it means making a few mistakes.
Image: Josh Clifford from Pixabay
References:
"Student wellness: combining study and social life without stress." HEYME. Last updated: October 22, 2024. https://heyme.care/fr/blog/bien-etre-etudiant-allier-etudes-et-vie-sociale-sans-stress.
"How to help students better manage their stress?" Lifeplus - Your well-being. Last updated: August 23, 2024. https://yourwellness.lifeplus.com/fr/065-comment-aider-les-etudiants-a-mieux-gerer-leur-stress/#.
"Emotional regulation." Center for Innovation in Campus Mental Health. Last updated: August 26, 2024. https://campusmentalhealth.ca/fr/infosheets/la-regulation-emotionnelle/.
"The benefits of friendship in studying." KELétude. Last updated September 18, 2024. https://blog.kel-etude.com/article/les-bienfaits-de-l-amitie-dans-les-etudes.
"The impact of mental health on academic success." Éducacentre College. Accessed March 1, 2025. https://educacentre.com/limpact-de-la-sante-mentale-sur-la-reussite-scolaire-2/.
Mastrandreas, Sébastie. ""Blue Monday": 5 tips against the blues when you're a student." Diplomeo. Last updated January 20, 2025. https://diplomeo.com/actualite-blue_monday_etudiants.
Nadi, Omar. "The Wellness Committee's theme of the month: Emotional Health." Saint Paul University. Last updated November 20, 2024. https://ustpaul.ca/le-theme-du-mois-du-comite-du-mieux-etre-la-sante-emotionnelle/.
Normani, Gaspard. "Stress among students: numbers and solutions." Dotmap School. Last updated May 28, 2024. https://dotmap-school.fr/stress-etudiants-statistiques/.
"Under pressure? Tips for calming down during exam period." University of Ottawa. Last updated February 6, 2025. https://www.uottawa.ca/vie-campus/toutes-nouvelles/sous-pression-trucs-se-calmer-periode-dexamens.
White, Karen. "Helping Students Manage and Reduce Anxiety." Éductive. Last updated October 4, 2024. https://eductive.ca/ressource/aider-les-eleves-a-gerer-et-a-reduire-leur-anxiete/.
"Fulfilled student: a guide to success and serenity." Ynov. Last updated: May 17, 2024. https://www.ynov.com/campus/val-deurope/actualites/etudiant-epanoui-guide-du-succes-et-de-la-serenite.
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