Pressures of a First Time College Student

Pressures of a First Time College Student

College can be an overwhelming experience for many students. Freshman’s entering college for the first time can become overwhelmed within their first semester. Students may experience many pressures through their college career; parental, self-induced, and time management. Whether it’s the work load or the many pressures, college can be a scary and exciting time for any student. Parental pressure can cause severe stress. Students become torn, part of them feels obligated to fulfill their parent’s expectations, and part of them feels that those expectations are not right for them and their future. William Zinsser, the author of “College Pressures” wrote; “They are caught in one of the oldest webs of love and duty and guilt.” The pressure or “web” can drag a student down, building up as a weight on their shoulders. Most parents have good intentions, they want you to see your potential, become successful and financially secure. They naturally want to steer you towards the path, they believe, leads to success. A path you may not necessarily want to follow. The pressure from a parent can motivate or bring any student down. Parental and Self-induced pressure can become intertwined. Self-induced pressure is very difficult for any person to try to overcome, especially for a first time student. You are your worst critic. Many students stress over their abilities and the thought of being behind another pupil. The want to succeed can be overwhelming. Many college students struggle in class, not because they can’t do the assigned work, but because they try to push themselves beyond what is asked of them. It’s easy for any academic student to become exhausted mentally and physically from the stress they put on themselves.
As well as Self-Induced pressure, first time students learn quickly that managing their time is one of the most challenging and difficult aspects of being in college. Time Management is a juggling act and many find balancing their work, school and social life a struggle. Having a job outside of school and/or family responsibilities can leave many students feeling like there aren’t enough hours in the day. For the first time the freshman student has to make his or her own schedule; no one will be reminding them to do their homework, or telling them when to do things. Time management is very opened-ended; results differ for each person depending on their set goals and priorities.
No matter what year of college or where a person is in life, there will always be pressure. Whether it’s parental, self-induced, or time management, the pressure and want to succeed will always remain. As students and human beings we must each learn to cope with the stress life gives us. Always remember to breathe.