Ch. 4 Stress on Campus Vocabulary
smarter test preparation strategies
---Look ahead to your next scheduled tests. Set aside time on your schedule to start studying today and continue studying daily. Depending on when the exam is scheduled, you can spend as little as 30 minutes. Block out study times every day until the day of the test. Do this for every scheduled test in every class this term. ---Quiz yourself. Students who take brief quizzes at the beginning of every class retain more material, attend class more regularly, and get better grades than those taking fewer tests. You can try this strategy on your own. At the end of each study session, write down five or six questions about the material. Also go back to a previous unit or test and add a question based on something you didn't fully comprehend or got wrong on an exam. ---The evening before the test, complete your review. Practice your test visualizations, and enjoy a good meal. ---Go to bed at your usual time—or earlier. Getting a good night's sleep before a test gives you double the bang for your buck. You feel more rested and relaxed, and the brain consolidates new information as you sleep so you'll remember more and perform better. As you nod off, remind yourself that your brain will be working all night long.
anticipatory academic stressor
-A long-term intellectual challenge, such as a qualifying exam, that has the potential to influence a major goal in the future. -long-term event that has the potential to influence a major goal in the future, such as finishing a portfolio of art for an end-of-semester critique or preparing for a graduate school admissions test.
acute academic stressor
-A short-term intellectual challenge, such as a zoology test or a presentation in an urban studies class. -short-term, immediate obstacle or threat to a goal, such as a group assignment with a tight deadline.
risky behaviors: alcohol
-Away from home, many for the first time, undergraduates are often excited by and apprehensive about their newfound independence. -When new pressures and stressors seem overwhelming, when they feel awkward or insecure, when they just want to let loose and have a good time, they drink. -Some students start drinking—and drinking heavily—when they arrive on campus, particularly during the first six weeks and during big weekends and Spring breaks. -Alcohol consumption generally declines over the course of an undergraduate education, but a substantial number of students continue binge-drinking, often with highly stressful consequences.
smarter test taking strategies
-Get up 15 minutes early for a last review. Eat a good breakfast or lunch. Make sure it includes protein for stamina and brain energy. Get to the classroom early so you can choose your seat and settle in. Visualize yourself acing the test. Imagine yourself working through potentially problematic questions with confidence and persistence. --Breathe easily and calmly, and tell yourself, "I have a lot of information that I will be able to express on this exam." When you read through the questions, say, "This is not a big deal. This is what the instructor said would be on the test. I reviewed this last night." If you start to tense up, become your own cheerleader. Tell yourself, "I can do this!" --As you proceed through the test, direct your unconscious (think of it as "the back of your mind") to work on questions you don't know while you consciously focus on the ones you do. Return to the harder questions after you've gained confidence from answering all the ones that you could answer most easily. --If this is an essay test and you feel confident, write the essay that you think will take the most time or the one that counts for the most points first. If you are stumped, write the easiest essay first, and come back to the harder ones. Very important: Focus on what you can say about a topic rather than struggling to remember a particular fragment of information. No one fact or date is going to make all the difference. See the test and each question as an opportunity to demonstrate what you do know. --Once you've completed the exam, allow yourself the sweet pleasure of relief that it's over. --Learn from your tests. When you get a test back, use it to prepare for the next test. What types of questions were asked? Are a lot of the questions about dates? Are they mainly problems? How many key terms did you have to recognize? Analyze your answers. What did you do right and well? How can you modify your study and test-taking strategies to do even better? Did going to the class review help? What about studying with a classmate? Making up your own study guide? Did studying in the library work better than staying in your room? What study style did you use and was it helpful? *Mastering basic study and test-taking skills can reduce stress during examinations. Trying to do several things at once can make busy students feel even more stressed.*
risky behaviors
-Illegal activities can get you in serious trouble in the short term and cause adverse health consequences in the long run. Challenges—physical or creative—impart the thrill that comes with trying something difficult and mastering new skills; This sort of stimulation differs from substance use: One is real; the other chemical. With one, you're in control; with the other, you're not. Addictive behaviors and substances may seem like quick escapes from stress, but ultimately they consume ever-increasing amounts of time, energy, and money, intensify the stress in your daily life, and create unforeseen and unpredictable new stresses.
nontraditional age students
-Many of these students, often parents with full- or part-time jobs, are entering or returning to higher education with a different set of adult life experiences than younger classmates. Most have no interest in getting wasted, hooking up, or partying—and not just because they don't have the time, money, or energy for such pursuits -playing multiple roles—as students, workers, parents, caretakers—and facing multiple stressors, including pressure to perform well to qualify for a better job or graduate school. Veterans may still be adjusting to civilian life after service in distant and dangerous lands and may feel disconnected from campus life. Time management and finances are huge sources of stress and many fear financial hardships/acquiring additional debt -despite the fact that they deal with more stressors, older students generally report less school-related stress compared to traditional students—perhaps a payoff of lessons acquired with age and experience as well as greater emotional intelligence, the ability to understand, express, and regulate feelings -on women returning to school, family emerges as the greatest source of both stress and support.; feel stressed about not earning more money, missing special occasions, keeping up with household chores; believe that their short-term sacrifices will pay off in greater long-term security for their families. Single mothers face the most acute stressors, such as not being able to complete an assignment on time because they have to care for a sick child
academic entitlement
-Students' belief that they are owed more—more attention from instructors, easier assignments, higher grades on papers and tests, etc.— than is merited by their effort. -belief that they are owed more in an academic environment than is merited by their effort, blame external factors, such as unfair tests or inadequate teaching, for their academic anxiety. -Colleges have found that programs that emphasize personal responsibility for academic performance and teach effective time and study skills can boost students' academic self-efficacy—and their performance -If you continue to view external forces as determining how well you do in school, you give away your power and experience a sense of helplessness that can create disabling anxiety.
microaggressions
-Subtle pressures or expressions of hostility based on bias toward individuals or members of any minority. -everyday insults, indignities and demeaning messages that can undermine their academic confidence and their ability to bond with the university -types= microassaults, microinsults, microinvalidations -perpetrators of microaggressions may be unaware of the hidden messages that they transmit and that, even when inadvertent, foster negative stereotypes. -In classic experiments, African Americans and women performed worse on academic tests when primed with stereotypes about race or gender. -Women told that many females have poor math aptitude, for instance, typically do worse on math tests than those given positive encouragement. -African Americans' intelligence test scores may plunge when they're primed with messages of inferior intelligence.aca
your study style
-The first step to overcoming academic stress is knowing and mastering a subject. Even then, you need to control the way you think about and talk to yourself about learning. Rather than worrying, shift your attention to studying and the pleasure of acquiring new information and insight. Rather than reminding yourself of classes that derailed you in the past, train yourself to ace courses in the future. Approach your education with curiosity and optimism. Remember that you have the ability to do well in school. You just need to use all of your resources—especially your thoughts and your behaviors. Start by analyzing the way you approach your studies. -we all develop a certain orientation or characteristic approach to study and work: Are you self-directed? Do you get going without someone else's prodding? Do you take initiative, or are you passive? When do you take initiative and when do you not? Are you realistic about what will be required to accomplish tasks? Do you sidestep the fundamentals by getting lost in busy work? Do you skip steps you consider unpleasant? -Any "discipline" requires just that: self-control, commitment, and the willingness to put in whatever it takes to achieve mastery and excellence. some of the most critical skills to apply to your studies include focus, persistence, consistency, and repetition
minority stress
-The unique pressures experienced by students in any racial, ethnic, or gender. -refers to the unique stresses experienced by students in any racial, ethnic, or gender minority that interfere with their adjustment and integration into the university community. -may not have fellow students who look like them or any instructors, mentors, or role models from their own group -Some feel invisible; others face subtle and not-so-subtle discrimination or stereotypes about their academic expectations and ability. Feeling isolated and perceived as academically inferior increases the likelihood that minority students will drop out of college without obtaining a degree -The belief that any person is inferior or superior feeds prejudice (which often stems from ignorance and fear), and prejudice breeds stress. Perceived discrimination and racism have been identified as key factors in chronic stress-related health disparities, such as increased hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, adverse birth outcomes, and mental disorders among minority groups, including African Americans, Filipinos, Latino Americans, and Native Hawaiians. Factors such as economics, education, geography, neighborhood, environment, lower-quality health care, and inability to navigate the health system also contribute to stress—and stress intensifies their negative impact on health.
chapter summary
-Today's 20.2 million students attending American colleges and universities are the most diverse ever, with more women, more nontraditional-age men and women, and more minorities—and more stress, which outranks illness, sleep problems, and relationship difficulties as the number-one barrier to academic performance. -Women consistently rate their perceived stress higher than men. Freshmen rate their stress significantly higher than seniors. Athletes and students taking more than 18 credit hours or working more than four hours a week also report greater stress. -There are gender differences in coping with stress. Female students tend to engage in more emotionally expressive coping behaviors by seeking social support. Men handle stress through more isolated activities, such as exercise—and (less adaptively) drinking. -Students between the ages of 18 and 25 are more likely to engage in behaviors that can increase stress and imperil health, such as eating more junk food, smoking, not exercising, and putting on weight. -Older undergraduates often face multiple stressors but report less school-related stress compared to traditional students—perhaps a payoff of lessons acquired with age and experience and greater emotional intelligence. -Freshman year is the most stressful, especially for first-generation students—those whose parents never experienced at least one full year of college. Often they see themselves taking on the challenging roles of being trailblazers and role models in addition to the usual academic and personal demands. -Students who feel different from most of their peers in any way—race, ethnicity, gender identity—may see themselves as isolated and feel greater stress. -Perceived discrimination and racism are key factors in chronic stress-related health disparities, such as increased hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, adverse birth outcomes, and mental disorders, among minority groups. -"Minority status stress," above and beyond general stress, stems from the demands of acculturation, a complex psychosocial process in which an ethnic minority changes, both as individuals and as a group, as a consequence of contact with the ethnic majority. -While many minority students say that overt prejudice is rare and relatively easy to deal with, subtle pressures called microaggression may undermine their academic confidence and their ability to bond with the university. -The first step to overcoming academic stress is knowing and mastering a subject. Rather than worrying, shift your attention to the pleasure of acquiring new information and insight. -The essential study skills include focus (ability to concentrate your attention), persistence (continuing to work even when stressed), consistency, and repetition. -Smarter test preparation strategies include planning ahead, quizzing yourself, reviewing, and getting a good night's sleep. -Smarter test-taking strategies include calming yourself by breathing slowly, focusing first on questions you know, writing the easier essays first, and learning from previous tests. -Other campus stressors include lack of resources, problematic phone and Internet use, risky behaviors, illness and disability, and crime and violence. -College stressors present opportunities to develop and hone your stress-management skills. From this perspective, every experience—good or bad, uplifting or disheartening—becomes an opportunity to learn and grow.
studying skills: focus
-Undergraduates rank social distractions as the greatest barrier to effective study. That's not surprising. Every day you can find ingenious and mundane ways to pass—and waste—time. Activities like computer games or binge-watching entire seasons of a favorite series can seem like the perfect antidote to stress—but lead to more stress in the long run due to missed study time. This alone is one reason to cultivate your ability to focus your attention. -You already know how to focus attention on things that are exciting or enticing.; you might you may blame boredom for not focusing on memorizing something BUT Boredom is actually often a sign that you have withdrawn your attention. This can be dangerous—particularly if you're behind the wheel and suddenly realize you've driven for miles without noticing your surroundings. -When you are not paying attention, you are not utilizing your highest brain functions, not developing your highest capacities, not cashing in on the benefit of your evolutionary heritage—and not handling stress as well as you might. -The more that you learn to focus and stay on task, the more efficient you become at everything from homework to housework. -You don't want to spend your time at the library reading and rereading the same page from Intro to Biology for twenty minutes. If you finish your work in an intensive, streamlined fashion, you will have more guilt-free time for hanging out with friends or going to a Zumba class.
gender differences
-Women also felt more stressed than men about having too many things to do at once, being separated from people they care about, financial burdens, and important decisions about their education. -women consistently rate their perceived stress higher than men. If you're a woman, you're more likely than your male classmates to feel stressed about finances, social relationships, and daily hassles. -College men spend significantly more time doing things that are enjoyable and relaxing: exercising, watching TV, and playing video games. Women, on the other hand, typically study more, volunteer more, and handle more household and child-care chores. -more female than male students reported feeling hopeless, overwhelmed, or exhausted (but not from physical activity) -Female students engage in more emotionally expressive coping behaviors by seeking social support—talking with family members and close friends, for instance, or using social media. Men handle stress through more solitary activities, such as exercise and (less adaptively) drinking. They are also more prone to avoid dealing with a problem directly and to take impulsive measures.
common campus stressors
-almost half of undergraduates in the United States report having experienced three or more very challenging stressors in the previous year. Academics tops the list, followed by finances and intimate relationships. -common campus stressors= Academics (44.3%), Finances (35.9), Intimate relationships (29.7), Sleep difficulties (28.9), Family problems (27.4), Personal appearance (26.8), Other social relationships (25.4), Career-related issue (23.8), Personal health issue (20.9), Health of family/partner (19.6) -College students often consider social networking and other online activities a "guilty pleasure." Most can't imagine a life unconnected to friends, family, and everyone else on the world wide web. As discussed in Chapter 6, virtual relationships and Internet communities can be enjoyable and enriching—but not when they become a form of escapism. -signs of excessive digital dependence: feeling stressed whenever you have to go offline or disconnect from your mobile devices; when social media begins to interfere with your other responsibilities -On average, students report spending 279 minutes—almost 5 hours—on their cell phones and send 77 text messages a day. Stress increases along with time online. High-frequency cell phone users (those on their phones 10 or more hours a day) report greater stress and anxiety, less satisfaction with life, and lower grades than peers who use their cell phones three hours a day or less. -Like other addictions, "problematic" Internet use may lead to preoccupation, withdrawal, difficulty with control, disregard for harmful consequences, loss of other interests, desire for escape, hiding the behavior, and harmful effects on relationships or work- or school-related performance. Adverse physical effects include carpal tunnel syndrome, dry eyes, headaches, and altered sleep patterns.
minority students
-campuses reflect our society's rich mix of races, cultures, and creeds. Regardless of your race or ethnic background, college may bring culture shock. You may never have encountered so much diversity in one setting. You meet students with different values, unfamiliar customs, entirely new ways of looking at the world—experiences you may find both stimulating and stressful -those who feel out of place may feel isolated and anxious. Some may have ambivalent, even conflicting feelings about whatever makes them different
violence and crime
-college students are victims of almost half a million violent crimes a year, including assault, robbery, sexual assault, and rape. While this number may seem high, the overall violent crime rate has dropped from 88 to 41 victimizations per 1,000 students in the last decade. In the ACHA's national survey, 87 percent of undergraduates felt "very" safe on campus during the day, 33 percent at night, 56 percent in their community during the day, and 19 percent in their community at night. -More than half of crimes against students are committed by strangers. Nine in ten (90%) occur off campus, most often in an open area or street, on public transportation, in a place of business, or at a private home. In about two thirds of the crimes, no weapon is involved. Most off-campus crimes occur at night, while on-campus crimes are more frequent in the day. -how to stay safe on campus: *Avoid walking alone in the evening or night. Take advantage of campus shuttle or escort services. If none is available, stick to well-lit routes. *Train yourself to be aware of your surroundings and the people around you. Visualize potential exit routes in case of an emergency. *Always carry your cell phone and enough money so that you can get a ride home if you find yourself in a dicey situation. *Program the campus security number into your cell phone's speed dial numbers so you can access it with a single key stroke. *Always lock your doors and any first- and second-floor windows at night. Don't compromise your safety for a roommate or friend who asks you to leave the door unlocked. *Never leave your ID, wallet, checkbook, jewelry, cameras, and other valuables in open view. *Be careful what information and which photographs you post online on social networking sites. You never know who will see them.
microassaults
-conscious and intentional actions or slurs, such as using racial or sexual epithets or showing preferential treatment to non-minority customers at shops and restaurants.
studying skills: persistence
-continuing to work and to keep moving forward, even when stressed. A lack of persistence leads to the failure of many worthwhile ventures that, if only given more time, would eventually have borne fruit. -need to persist long enough to give new and creative ideas sufficient time to take root. With persistence, you can overcome obstacles, accomplish great things, improve your problem-solving ability, meet your goals, and boost your self-esteem. -Problems with persistence crop up later in life, after your ego gets attached to not making mistakes or not wanting to humiliate yourself by failing yet again. The more skills you accumulate and the more you become accustomed to success, the more allergic you can become to feeling inadequate or unskilled—sensations that provoke stress. -you need persistence to pull you through what ski instructors call "the valley of doom" in which u are leaving behind the familiar groove of automatic habits and having to "think." -If you don't recognize this, you may abandon an assignment or project because your initial efforts seem to be setting you back rather than moving you forward. But if you do not persist, you will remain stuck where you are. If you do not continue to work towards your goals, you can even experience greater stress. This is why persistence is so essential.
students under age 25
-entering college in your late teens or early twenties, you have to deal with the stresses traditional-age students have always faced: being on your own for the first time, feeling pressure to drink, party, or use drugs, balancing academic and leisure pursuits. -getting along with a difficult roommate, missing old friends, or living up to your parents' and teachers' expectations. As you adjust to campus life, you may experience the ongoing stress of forging a new identity and finding a place for yourself in social heirarches -between the ages of 18 and 25 are in the life stage termed "emerging adulthood;" young men and women are more likely to engage in behaviors that can increase stress and imperil health, such as eating more junk food, smoking, not exercising, and putting on weight. Most "emerging adults" do not get regular physical or dental exams and do not seek health care when they need it. Drug abuse, unprotected sex, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are common. -brain development continues throughout the first quarter-century of life, and this affects cognitive and problem-solving skills. -teenaged or twentysomething brain relies more on the amygdala, the small almond-shaped region in the medial and temporal lobes that processes emotions and memories and alerts brain/body for potential threat -As individuals age, the frontal cortex, which governs reason and forethought, plays a greater role and helps put challenges into perspective. -young or "maturing" brain does not necessarily lead to poor judgments and risky behaviors. -if you are under 25, be aware that your brain may not always grasp the long-term consequences of your actions, set realistic priorities, or restrain potentially harmful impulses; be cautious with drugs and alcohol (dangerous for brain, adds stress)
stress relievers for when you don't feel good (when have illness)
-even when dealing with pain, discomfort, and limitations, you can consciously make a place for the things that make you feel good. Here are some ideas: -Add to this list with your own favorites: -Watch a funny clip on YouTube -Listen to your favorite song -Call someone you like -Hang out with a friend -Spend time in nature -Read for pleasure -Do a puzzle -Savor a chocolate -Meditate -Make a list of people you admire -Take some photographs -Sing -Play a game -Have a dance party—by yourself or with friends
studying skills: consistency
-every scientific study of learning has demonstrated that regular, consistent, spaced intervals of practice produce the greatest gains. Inconsistent effort usually yields haphazard results. At times you may need a big burst of effort—or more than one—to push through and complete a project. But individuals who consistently achieve usually develop a methodical set of routines that enable them to make and keep making a consistent effort over time. -"kung fu" translate into "consistent practice over time." -Even the most creative artists and writers—and certainly dancers and athletes—know that they have to put in regular effort to stay at the top of what they do. To learn new skills, to face and manage stress, requires the same. It is as simple as that. If you want to produce quality changes with the least amount of total effort, you must master the skill of consistency.
stereotypes and stress
-example stereotypes=Asian Americans are quiet and passive or that Latinos entered the country illegally. Black male college students, particularly at mainly white universities, report a sense that other students or the college administrators want them to fail. -feel that they are watched with hypervigilance by police on and off campus and treated as if they are "out of place" and "fitting the description" of intruders into a campus community. Black men may experience psychological stress responses symptomatic of what some refer to as "racial battle fatigue": frustration, shock, anger, disappointment, resentment, anxiety, helplessness, hopelessness, and fear. -racial minority students reported not feeling accepted as legitimate undergraduates and sensing that others viewed them as unworthy beneficiaries of affirmative action initiatives. Students who have recently immigrated to the United States report feeling ostracized by students of similar ancestry who are second- or third-generation Americans. -reports of more acts of hate on college campuses, such as vandalism of minority students' meeting places or painting of swastikas or racist words on walls; this behavior countered with education programs to promote inclusion and make campus more welcoming to everyone
entering freshmen and first generation students
-first year of college is the most stressful for undergrads -often report loneliness, homesickness, conflict, relationship problems, and symptoms of depression -First-generation college students—those whose parents never enrolled in college for at least one full year—encounter more difficulties with social adjustment than freshmen whose parents attended college. They are less likely to share details of campus life and course work with their families; lack of social support itself adds to students' stress levels because they have no experience, even vicarious, to draw from as they negotiate the transition to university life. -First-generation students often see themselves in the challenging position of being trailblazers and role models in addition to handling the usual academic and personal demands. Expectations are often greater and more stressful for those who are the first in their families to attend college (some schools have clubs to support first gen students w/ transition) -Students whose parents and perhaps grandparents attended college may have several advantages, including a clearer picture of what they are embarking on, more knowledge of college life, greater social support, more preparation for college in high school, a greater focus on college activities, and more financial resources. However, some report increased stress because of the high expectations of their college-educated parents -college expectations also add stress; students who categorized their expectations as "fearful" reported more stress, depression, and poorer university adjustment than did individuals with "optimistic," "prepared," or "complacent" expectations *If you find yourself thinking "I'm lonely," for example, change that thought to "I am loved by someone."*
college students under stress
-most diverse national collegiate student body ever. Today's undergraduates include more women than men, more nontraditional-age men and women (those who are older and juggling multiple roles as student, parent, spouse, employee, etc.), and more minorities -first generation of "digital natives," who have grown up in a wired world, both more connected and more isolated than their predecessors, with a "tribe" of friends, family, and acquaintances. -Students also are more stressed than previous generations. In the American College Health Association (ACHA) annual survey, stress outranks illness, sleep problems, and relationship difficulties as the number-one barrier to academic performance. -undergrad responses to stress: *Physiologically—by sweating, stuttering, trembling, consuming more junk food and losing sleep, exercising less, or developing physical symptoms ranging from headaches or digestive problems to itching, rashes, or hair loss. Perceived stress also undermines students' immunity, increasing their susceptibility to infectious illnesses. *Emotionally—by becoming anxious, fearful, angry, guilty, or depressed and feeling less satisfaction with life. *Behaviorally—by crying, eating, smoking, being irritable or abusive, or engaging in behaviors that can harm their health, including smoking, excessive drinking, and substance abuse. *Cognitively—by finding it difficult to pay attention and concentrate, ruminating about stressful situations, falling into the "thinking traps" -campus stress is always personal, varying with gender, age, ethnicity, economics, background, social support, and psychological make-up. Freshmen and first-generation students rate their stress significantly higher than seniors. Athletes and students taking more than 18 credit hours or working more than four hours a week also report greater stress. Those who pray daily say they experience less stress than those who never pray.
studying skills: repetition
-not a matter of forcing yourself to repeat an action, but of tuning into the process. Much impatience stems from focusing on endpoints and outcomes rather than the steps leading to them. When things are worth doing well, all of the parts are worth doing. You do not go to a concert to hear the encore, but you're probably going to be pretty glad you stayed for it. If you persist at anything, you increase your ability to persist, tolerate frustration and monotony, and continue to work despite setbacks. -If you practiced because you took personal pleasure from getting better, you undoubtedly progressed faster. -Since learning new skills requires repetition, learn to love it. Although it is thrilling to grasp things quickly and do remarkable things effortlessly, skills that demand repetition yield a different kind of pleasure. Do not miss out on it. -By taking pleasure in these sessions/opportunities to master repetition and practice, you will progress more rapidly. -Developing patience through repetition is the equivalent of physical reps in the weight room. Each delivers the cumulative power of small repeated actions. If you consider small acts trifles that are not worthy of the bother, you will remain unable to do large things. You must get in shape and build emotional endurance. Repetition builds internal muscle, which you can engage whenever you need to learn something new.
coping with campus stress
-stressors you encounter in college present opportunities to develop and hone your stress-management skills. From this perspective, every experience—good or bad, uplifting or disheartening—becomes an opportunity that can deepen your understanding of yourself, others, and the world outside you and prepare you for a lifetime of thriving. Remember: you're not just enrolled in college; you're a full-time student in the School of Life. -Stress management programs, both online and on campus, have proven effective in easing campus stress. Among the most effective approaches are mindfulness, an approach that focuses attention on the physical and mental sensations of the present moment -some suggestions: *Practice the "reciprocal golden rule." Treat yourself with the kindness you may usually reserve for others. This includes accepting your flaws, letting go of regrets, and believing in the best version of yourself. (See Chapter 8 for more on self-compassion.) *Think of not only where but also who you want to be a decade from now. The goals you set, the decisions you make, the values you adopt now will determine how you feel about yourself and your life in the future. *Reach out to your peers. Many campuses offer support groups or peer counseling, either in person or online. Virtual peer support forums for students with problems such as symptoms of depression have proven helpful in increasing problem-solving skills, decreasing alienation and isolation, and lowering stress. *An excellent way to build your attention-paying ability is mindfulness (see Chapter 13), which involves paying close attention to what you are doing and experiencing—and improves the quality of everything you do, large or small. In studies of college students, mindfulness training helped ease the transition from high school and boost resilience to inevitable setbacks
illness and disability
-when pull muscle, have a headache or the flu, we feel the stress of not functioning at our best. When the problem is more serious or persistent—a chronic disease like diabetes, for instance, or a lifelong hearing impairment—the emotional stress of daily coping is even greater. -Stress also affects and is affected by pain, which may interfere with an individual's ability to perform certain roles and obligations, which in turn increases both stress and the risk of depression -Learning disabilities, which affect one of every ten Americans, are a common source of stress for college students. Most people with a learning disorder have average or above-average intelligence, but they rarely live up to their ability in school. Some have only one area of difficulty, such as reading or math. Others have problems with attention, writing, communicating, reasoning, coordination, and social skills. Yet not all students with learning disabilities experience greater stress. In some studies, they score significantly higher in resiliency and initiative in solving problems and working toward goals.
acculturation
A complex psychosocial process in which an ethnic minority changes, both as individuals and as a group, as a consequence of contact with the ethnic majority. -Predominantly white campuses can seem hostile, alienating, and socially isolating, and nonwhite students often report estrangement from the campus community, including faculty and peers. -Minority students face "minority status stress," above and beyond general stress as result of acculturation -he stress of adapting to the orientation and values of the dominant culture can have an influence on many physical and mental health conditions, including hypertension, depression, substance dependence, and anxiety disorders. Perceived social support may make a difference in easing acculturative stress for international students. -Male African-American students who have experienced higher levels of lifetime discrimination report more negative moods and more alcohol use—alone rather than in social settings. Race-related stress also may affect minority students' choices of majors and careers. Because of the many perceived racial barriers to success, African-American students who overcome these barriers to enter college may seek out a career in a field with excellent job prospects, such as engineering. -minority freshmen, Asian, Filipino, African American, and Native American students all felt more sensitive and vulnerable to the college social climate
test anxiety
A negative emotional state that can cause physiological and cognitive changes before, during, and after an exam.
academic stress
After so much experience, you've figured out how to "do" school. You wouldn't be enrolled in this college, taking this course, or reading this text if you hadn't proven—time and time again—that you are qualified and capable. So why do students rate academics as their greatest stressor? the reasons vary from person to person -Positive stress (eustress) motivates you to persevere, work harder, stretch your limits, and achieve at your highest level. Negative stress (distress) sabotages your efforts with self-doubt, criticism, and anxiety. - acute academic stressors, anticipatory academic stressors, and test anxiety can produce chronic distress and harmful health effects -Some students respond to academic stressors so intensely that their blood pressure spikes, increasing their risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease later in life. If you experience high levels of academic anxiety, remember that anything the mind can learn, it can also unlearn and replace. You can get rid of toxic thoughts and self-sabotaging behaviors and replace them with new ones, particularly feelings of hope and optimism -basis of academic stress=fear; you perceive that you are not up for the challenge and so you are afraid of a negative outcome, whether it's failing or just not getting an excellent grade. The antidote to fear is knowledge. But locus of control and self-efficacy are also crucial. Students who score high in academic self-efficacy have an internal orientation and believe the intelligence is not a given, but determined by effort. Believing that they have the ability to improve their grades, they monitor and self-regulate their impulses, work hard, and persist in the face of difficulties
risky behaviors: drugs
One of the most common reasons that college students turn to drugs, including prescription and illegal drugs, is to relieve stress. They don't think they'll ever lose control because they're too smart, too strong, or too lucky to get caught or hooked. However, over time any addiction or addictive behavior can produce changes in body, brain, and behavior that can lead to enormous stress as well destructive and even deadly consequences.
microinvalidations
communications that subtly exclude, negate, or nullify the thoughts, feelings, or experiential reality of an individual. For instance, white people may ask Asian Americans where they were born, conveying the message that they are perpetual foreigners in their own land, or may ask someone of mixed-race background "what" he or she is.
microinsults
verbal and nonverbal communications that subtly convey rudeness and insensitivity and demean a person's racial heritage or identity, for example, comments that a Hispanic student speaks English without an accent or that an individual doesn't look or dress "gay."
