The Effects of Stress on Students

Story by Violet Hardy. Photo courtesy of Inside Higher Ed.

Can you imagine yourself as a student a week before exams? You have tests to study for, essays to complete and chores at home. The effects of stress on students is a very pertinent issue because it can affect students' everyday life. According to Merriam Webster, stress is defined as, “a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that may cause mental or bodily tension and may be a factor in disease causation.” 

Students' stress from school can come from classwork, homework, assessments, and even scoring low on tests. Stress can affect individuals mental and physical health. According to an article from the National Institute of Health (NIH), “students continuously experience pressure from different sources during academic life, which ultimately causes stress among students.” One of the many solutions to this problem would be for schools to hire more counselors. With additional counselors, more and more students can get the help they need. 

The NIH also states that, “school counselors are struggling to serve students due to an ongoing nationwide shortage of counselors.” With schools experiencing a shortage in counselors, there are less children getting the help they need. Counselors help students figure out their problems  and emotional struggles. 

There is no doubt that stress is an enormous problem for students. If you don't want the youth of your community to suffer, a solution to this problem would be to fund schools. Funding schools means more school counselors who can help students figure out their problems and give them solutions to help. This would allow students to excel in academics. 

Violet Hardy is a 5th grade scholar at Friendship Southeast Elementary Academy.