Documenti di Didattica
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Susana Gonzalez
Professor Apiafi
Health Education
8 March 2020
Project #3
College, a place of memories, independence, and opportunities, but it's also a place of
stress, anxiety, and uncertainty. For many college freshmen, this is the year where they
experience many firsts. Such as their first time away from home, first time paying bills, first time
cooking, etc. They are learning the struggles of having to juggle personal life with school and
work. Unfortunately, many develop stress and anxiety because they are unable to find their
balance. Just like Katya, a college freshman who is on scholarship is suffering from severe test
anxiety.
Katya has the pressure of needing to do well in her classes to maintain her scholarship.
However, that pressure ended up developing into anxiety, which then resulted in her having a
panic attack. In this case, it isn't out of the ordinary to see college students, like Katya, suffer this
way. Many students have been in Katya's situation; fortunately, they found ways to help
minimize their stress and anxiety levels. For example, being physically active is known to
improve your mental health. An article by Hartman discussed how college students are being
focus on tasks, such as studying. Also, Katya could find a hobby that helps as a stress reliever.
Such as journaling, reading, playing an instrument, etc. It's great to have a hobby because it
promotes eustress and helps to build self-esteem. Finally, it's always a great option to educate
Gonzalez 2
yourself on the matter at hand. Katya could attend meetings with others who have/had the same
experiences. She could also read about the causes and effects of stress and the different ways to
manage it. I have found that all three methods (physical activity, hobbies, and educating oneself)
Like Katya, I have also struggled with test anxiety. It had begun in high school and
continued in college. It had gotten to the point that I started excessively sweating the night before
an exam. It was never because I was unprepared for the exam, but rather because of the thought
of making a simple mistake that could have been avoided. Instead of being proud of my work, I
tended to beat myself up over what I could have done better. Luckily, I spoke up about how I felt
and what I was doing to myself. Shortly after, that was when I took on running and found it to
alleviate my stress and anxiety. I have also made it a point to go into new semesters with a better
mindset. Instead of thinking that I could have done better, I now congratulate myself on doing
Overall, college is an amazing place that also happens to be an environment filled with
stress. Every day students, like Katya, are struggling to balance their physical and emotional
health. Some go on years thinking that it's normal to feel the way they do, while others are
intimidated to express themselves. It wasn't until Katya had a panic attack that made her take
action. Luckily, there are many ways, like those stated above, to help reduce stress levels. The
goal for Katya and many other college students is to become mentally balanced. In the end,
Bibliography
Brady, S. T., Hard, B. M., & Gross, J. J. (2018). Reappraising test anxiety increases academic
HARTMAN, S. D., WASEELESKI, D. T., & WHATLEY, M. A. (2017). Just Breathe: The
Effects of Emotional Dysregulation and Test Anxiety on Gpa. College Student Journal,
51(1), 142.