College students lack certain mindfulness
In high school, the highest GPA meant an Ivy League bound student and emanated an air of success and competency. SAT and ACT scores were constantly compared for the sake of egos and validation. When seniors finally graduate from high school, they repeat the education cycle as freshmen in college the following fall. The general assumption is that the pressure, the competition and the tiresome nights of cram sessions would subside once students enter their respective universities. It’s actually quite the opposite. If anything, it’s just as bad as it was in high school.
The preconceived idea has been that if one works hard in high school then he or she is able to be more relaxed in college. However, the intensity of academia only accelerates upon a student’s arrival at university. Students give it their all — taking the maximum units required and trying to achieve the 4.0 GPA they once had the prior year in high school. Countless hours and sleepless nights are no big deal and sometimes even revered by peers.
In a Huffington Post article, broadcast and digital journalism major senior Brad Streicher explains that. “college students always seem impressed when one of their sleepy counterparts brags of a restless week or a 4 a.m. bedtime made possible thanks to copious caffeine levels.” He gives perspective on the matter, describing that the praise students hand off to one another for sleepless nights and unhealthy habits is more upsetting than commendable.
As the hours of sleep get smaller, the bragging rights go up. The glorification of the number of clubs, internships and job offers one may have, in addition to their academic work is counterproductive to a student’s mental health. This way of thinking only perpetuates the idea that someone’s worth is dependent on the intensity of their college experience.
This superior mentality might have successfully gotten a student into his or her top dream school, but continuing this superior outlook will only be destructive in the long run. Studies show that beginning in high school, kids are already prone to anxiety, depression and stress. An Education News survey given showed that 67 percent of high school students were stressed about homework, tests and college admissions. Upon entering university, students are faced with an elevated level of anxiety, as mental health becomes even more compromised.
Sleep is a heavy contributor to a student’s ultimate emotional well-being. Increased insomnia was correlated to increased anxiety and depression in one study conducted by the University of North Texas. Mental health among university students is sometimes regarded as secondary; a student will oftentimes focus on their studies before they pay attention to their feelings. University of York reported that half of ambulance calls made by students were in regards to suicide or self harm attempts related to pressure from school. By choosing to put energy into destructive habits, it results in the deterioration of one’s mental well-being.
College is such a pivotal time for a student’s self-growth and awareness. It is not a time to stay up consecutively for countless hours and then brag about it. If anything, students should be bragging about how much sleep they did get and how much self-care they’ve been doing. Students should also be paying attention to their stress and anxiety levels because academic performance can be and usually is supported by one’s mental health. Ultimately, it’s okay to be competitive, but it’s crucial to be mindful.