Incoming Students' Emotional Health at All Time Low
Students entering their first year of college rated their emotional health at a record low in 2010, according to the Cooperative Institutional Research Program Freshman Survey. The survey is administered annually nationwide by UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies and by the Higher Education Research Institute. Students’ emotional health was the lowest ever reported since the survey began 25 years ago. The percentage of students who rated their emotional health “below average” increased while those who rated their emotional health as “above average” dropped 3.4 percentage points in 2010, to a total of 52 percent. The survey is based on responses of over 200,000 full-time first year students at 279 four-year colleges and universities.
Twice as many female students as male students report feeling “overwhelmed” as they enter college
Male students were more likely than female students to report high levels of emotional health (59 percent versus 46 percent). The gender disparity in ratings of emotional health has been well documented in psychological literature. Incoming female students (39 percent) were twice as likely as male students (18 percent) to report feeling overwhelmed as high-school seniors. Incoming college students may be experiencing higher levels of stress than typical young adults in the past. Financial concerns as a result of the economic downturn may be to blame. More incoming students reported using loans to finance their education and almost two-thirds of surveyed students reported their college choice was influenced by the economic situation.
Along with these findings of declining emotional health and increased reports of feeling overwhelmed, students’ self-rated drive to achieve and academic ability rose. Although these characteristics could be helpful in college, they could also contribute to feelings of pressure and stress among students. Despite the disheartening statistics reported by the 2010 incoming class, 58 percent of students reported that there is a good chance they will be satisfied with college. Their optimistic outlook on this question reflects the highest figure reported in 28 years. Although students may be experiencing more barriers to attending college and higher levels of stress, they appear to be confident about their college education.