Deadlines, examinations, financial pressure and personal struggles can take a toll on
students—but no one should have to face the pressure alone.
By Tsitsidzashe Whada
4:1 Psychology Student, Great Zimbabwe University
There is an assignment due tomorrow. An examination is approaching. Your finances are
stretched. There are problems at home. Your relationship is not going well.
But you tell yourself: “I will deal with it later.”
For many university students, this is not an unusual situation. It is everyday life.
University is often described as a time of independence, opportunity and personal growth. Yet
behind the lectures, assignments and examinations, many students are quietly dealing with
academic pressure, financial difficulties, relationship problems, family responsibilities and
uncertainty about the future.
A certain amount of pressure can motivate us. But when stress becomes constant, it can begin
affecting both mental and physical health.
This is where Health Psychology offers an important lesson: our health is influenced not only by
what happens to our bodies, but also by our thoughts, emotions, behaviours, relationships and
environment.
When stress becomes more than pressure
Stress is the body’s natural response to demanding or threatening situations. In the short term,
it can increase alertness, concentration and energy.
Think about the moments before an examination. That pressure may encourage you to put
your phone away, open your books and concentrate.
But what happens when the examination ends and the stress does not?
Prolonged stress can contribute to sleep problems, anxiety, low mood, poor concentration and
unhealthy behaviours. The World Health Organization notes that people experience and
respond to stress differently, but healthy coping strategies can help reduce its effects.
When we experience stress, the body prepares to respond. Heart rate and alertness can
increase and stress hormones are released. This response is useful during short-term
challenges. However, remaining in a prolonged state of stress can interfere with sleep, mood
and general well-being.
Students may respond to stress in different ways. Some withdraw from friends and family.
Others may overeat, smoke, drink alcohol, use drugs, spend excessive time online or avoid
responsibilities.
Such behaviours may provide temporary relief, but temporary relief is not necessarily healthy
coping.
You don’t have to carry everything alone
Imagine receiving disappointing examination results.
You could isolate yourself and pretend everything is fine. Or you could call someone you trust.
That conversation will not change the results, but it may change how you cope with them.
This is the importance of social support.
Social support can come from friends, family members, lecturers, counsellors, student leaders or other
trusted people. It can involve emotional encouragement, practical assistance, advice or simply having
someone who listens without judgement.
Research among university students has identified academic, environmental and personal pressures as
important sources of stress. The research also found that problem-solving and social support were
healthier coping approaches than avoidance.
The World Health Organization similarly highlights the importance of social connection for mental and
physical health.
However, being surrounded by people does not necessarily mean that someone feels connected.
A student can have hundreds of social-media followers and still feel completely alone.
What matters is having relationships in which people feel respected, understood, valued and safe
enough to ask for help.
Not every relationship is good for your health
Relationships can protect our health, but they can also become a source of stress.
Family conflict, bullying, discrimination, rejection, unhealthy friendships and difficult romantic
relationships can contribute to psychological distress.
Peer influence can also work in two directions.
A supportive friend may encourage you to exercise, study, eat healthily or seek professional help.
On the other hand, negative peer pressure can encourage smoking, harmful alcohol use, drug use and
other risky behaviours.
This is why students need to pay attention to the people around them.
Your circle matters.
Setting boundaries is not selfish. Sometimes protecting your well-being means saying no, creating
distance or seeking help when a relationship repeatedly causes emotional harm.
Small changes can make a difference
Managing stress does not always require dramatic changes.
Sometimes it begins with one small decision.
Instead of looking at a large assignment and thinking, “I will never finish this,” break it into smaller tasks.
Read one article.
Write one section.
Take a short break.
Then continue.
Students can also protect their well-being by:
- Creating a realistic daily routine.
- Breaking large assignments into smaller, manageable tasks.
- Getting adequate sleep.
- Taking regular breaks from studying.
- Walking, exercising or playing sport.
- Eating regular, balanced meals.
- Talking to a trusted friend or family member.
- Reducing social-media use when it increases anxiety.
- Avoiding alcohol and drugs as a way of managing stress.
- Seeking professional help when stress begins interfering with everyday life.
The aim is not to eliminate stress completely.
The aim is to develop healthier ways of responding to it.
Student well-being is everyone’s responsibility
It is easy to tell students to “manage their stress” as though their mental health depends entirely on
personal choices.
But life is more complicated than that.
Financial difficulties, unemployment, discrimination, unsafe environments, family problems and limited
access to healthcare can all influence mental health.
Universities and communities therefore have a role to play.
Institutions can support students by providing accessible counselling services, peer-support
programmes, mental-health education and safe spaces where students can discuss their experiences
without fear of judgement.
Lecturers and student leaders can also help create a culture where seeking help is viewed as responsible
rather than weak.
Asking for help is not weakness
Perhaps one of the biggest barriers to student mental health is stigma.
A struggling student may think:
“Other people have bigger problems.”
“I should be strong enough to handle this.”
“What will people think of me?”
But psychological distress should not be ignored simply because someone else may be experiencing
something worse.
Just as persistent physical symptoms may require medical attention, persistent psychological difficulties
may require professional support.
Talking to someone is not failure.
Seeking counselling is not failure.
Asking for help is not failure.
It is a health behaviour.
Beyond the books
University education is about more than passing examinations. It is also about learning how to
understand ourselves, other people and the world around us.
Health Psychology reminds us that our thoughts, emotions, behaviours, relationships and environment
can all influence our health.
We cannot remove every stressful experience from student life. There will still be examinations,
deadlines, financial challenges and personal problems.
But students do not have to face them alone.
We can learn healthier ways of coping.
We can build supportive relationships.
We can look out for one another.
And we can create university communities where students feel safe enough to say when they are
struggling.
Because sometimes the first step towards better health is not another textbook, another lecture or
another cup of coffee.
Sometimes, it is simply telling someone: “I am struggling.”
About the writer
Tsitsidzashe Whada is a 4:1 Psychology student at Great Zimbabwe University with an interest in in health
psychology, mental health and student well-being.
