Stress Education for College Students

Book excerpt: Stress can affect anyone regardless of age, sex, creed, or race. It can rear its head anywhere and anytime, and it has likely been a fact of life since prehistoric days. While stress is obviously a concern of all, it has particular resonance among college students, from freshmen experiencing their first separation from home to seniors having to find that first job. In addition, students have to face other worries like time constraints, grades, and financial woes. Stress also can afflict an entire group, as witnessed by the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. With stress such an indisputable part of life, it is of critical importance for individuals to learn to cope with it. This book is geared towards college courses in stress management, which have been found to reduce the symptoms of stress and raise self-esteem among students. College students will find it especially helpful to learn how to cope with stress at a young age, so as to be ready to face life in "the real world." Throughout the book are helpful and varied techniques for dealing with stress, along with "principles of living" that most people can use in daily life. Examples of these principles include continuous self-evaluation, talking things over, recognising one's accomplishments, and taking things less seriously. Given the need to face and adapt to stressful situations throughout life, the education offered by this book is informative, insightful, and practical for everyday use.