Reactions of the Freshmen Students Towards Stress

REACTIONS OF THE FRESHMEN STUDENTS TOWARDS STRESS

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Balaga, Airen Ross Marjury A. Limpot, Rejoice A. Mamalias, Cherry Mae P. Manzanares, Arryn Clyde M. Parreno, Winjil P.

March 2013
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

Background of the study The word stress means different things to different people. In biology, stress is defined as an organism’s total response to an environmental condition or stimulus. . According to Martin Kwasi Abiemo (2009), Stress may be referred to as an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well-being. According to Hellriegel & Slocum (2004) stress is the excitement, feeling of anxiety, and/or physical tension that occurs when the demands placed on an individual are thought to exceed his ability to cope. This most common view of stress is often called distress or negative stress. The physical or psychological demands from the environment that cause this condition are called stressors.

However, stress seems to be an especially common feature of college student life, particularly at highly competitive colleges and universities. Freshmen students are very prone with stress, especially to those who are residing away from their home and family- the number one support system. According to USEP-UGTO counseling office, stress is a person’s response to a situation that requires adjustment or change. Finances, relationships, time management, academics and conflicts are some of the stressors that a college student may encounter. The challenges of life tend to be stressful and an attempt to avoid stress completely would lead to a rather boring existence. The problem comes when you experience too much stress. Although some stress reactions are part of deeper and more serious emotional problems, many are not, and can be handled with relatively simple counseling and stress-management techniques.

Statement of the Problem This study was conducted to determine the different reactions of the students mostly in freshmen towards the stressors in their college life. The proponents aim to present the general problem and specific problems: 1. What causes the stress of the college freshmen students? 2. How the students react with the different stressors? 3. How does it affects the students physically, emotionally, behaviorally, mentally and spiritually? 4. What might be the simplest steps to be taken to lessen the stressors?
Conceptual Framework
Figure 1.

Freshmen College Student
Stress
* To Teachers * To Students * To Parents Independent Variable Dependent Variable

To provide direction and flow of the study, a conceptual framework will be considered. The relationship between the two variables is shown in Figure.1. The independent variable of the study is stress with the factors: To Teachers, To Students, To Parents, while freshmen college student is the dependent variable.
Significance of the Study The outcome of the study would be significant and beneficial to the following stakeholders:
Students. Students would be able to know the different factors of stress. This study would also help them to find out some steps on how to overcome or lessen these stressors.
Teachers. Teachers would be more aware to the needs of students and may provide ways to help the students in coping up with stress. Teachers may extend their huge understanding and patience towards their students.
Parents. Parents would be more aware to the condition of their children. In addition, Parents would become more understanding and supportive to their children especially to those students who are residing away from their home.
Scope and Limitations The study is delimited to the reactions of the freshmen towards different stressors that they have encountered. The respondents of this study are the freshmen students of Bs in Business Administration section A.

Definition of Terms This section gives definitions to some terms in this study to have deeper understanding to the possible results
Stress-A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by increased heart rate, a rise in blood pressure, muscular tension, irritability, and depression.
Stressors-Physical, psychological, or social force that puts real or perceived demands on the body, emotions, mind, or spirit of an individual.
Review of Related Literature and Study This section presents the literature and studies related to the query so that the readers will be given a clear picture of what is being emphasized in the study.
What is stress? Biologically speaking, stress is defined as an organism's total response to an environmental condition or stimulus. People defined stress as a response to a demand that is placed upon an individual. Without some stress, people would not get a lot done. On the other hand, stress for students specially in college is more common. Students would always think that stress is only a response to a negative events, but according to USEP-UGTO counseling office, stressors can be positive as well. That extra burst of adrenaline that helps you finish your final paper, perform well in sports, or meet any challenge is positive stress. If you cannot return to a relaxed state, then the stress becomes negative. (UHS)
Stressors and its Effects. Stressors are the physical or psychological demands from the environment that causes stress. According to the University of Florida research study, relationships, roommate conflicts, time management, academics, finances and other uncertainties are the most frequent stressors in a college student. Academic stressors include the student's perception of the extensive knowledge base required and the perception of an inadequate time to develop it (Carveth, Gesse, & Moss, 1996). Students report experiencing academic stress at predictable times each semester. College stressors may lead to unhealthy levels of stress which hinder students' abilities to socialize and to achieve their academic goals. Recognizing the sources of stress is important in preventing it from becoming unmanageable or debilitating. According to USEP-UGTO, freshmen students mostly experience the effects of stress physically, emotionally, behaviorally, mentally and spiritually.According to (Pegues, 2008), stress is the disease of this century. Nobody escapes its presence. It can be compared to the weather.