"Record Level of Stress Found in College Freshmen" Editorial Practice

      The article, "Record Level of Stress Found in College Freshmen", was not only insightful and informative but also easy to relate to considering the fact that I am currently a senior who will be attending college in the Fall. 

      Some very valid points were made in the article. Points that people seem to forget or overlook in regards to the reasons why college freshmen are so stressed. One of the points made addressed the fact that the stress starts before students have even entered college, "The share of students who said on the survey that they had been frequently overwhelmed by all they had to do during their senior year of high school rose to 29 percent from 27 percent last year." I could tell you all about that stress! Senior year has been the most stressful year in all my four years of high school mostly due to the fear of the unknown. In a couple of months, I will be leaving the familiarity of my home and the comfort of my family to be with complete strangers in a completely different place, adjusting to a completely different lifestyle while determining what I want my future to look like. 

      Another possible reason addressed in the article was the fact that the economy has been on the decline for some time. I know for a fact that I want to be successful and happy in the future and I used to believe that only way I can ensure that happening is by getting a education. Now that the time is actually here, it is not just about getting an education, it is about getting a GOOD education and getting at least a Masters degree. The author made the statement that "While first-year students’ assessments of their emotional health were declining, their ratings of their own drive to achieve, and academic ability, have been going up, and reached a record high in 2010, with about three-quarters saying they were above average...These days, students worry that even with a college degree they won’t find a job that pays more than minimum wage, so even at 15 or 16 they’re thinking they’ll need to get into an M.B.A. program or Ph.D. program." I have to agree with that statement because I have never felt more driven and determined to be successful in the field that I want to go into not only for me but also because I know that the only way I can get to where I want to be is by beating out others who want to go into the same field.

      Although it is sad that college freshmen are experiencing these high levels of stress so early in their life, I don't see it improving anytime soon. The article did a great job of highlighting these possible stress factors and I have to agree with the points made.