Chapter 4: Stress Management and Sleep 78 1. Academics. The majority of students surveyed rated academics as the leading cause of stress, higher than any other stressor associated with college life. 2. Relationships. Many college students have lives beyond just that of school and/or have roommates. Some are in a dating relationship, while others are married and/or have children. Managing these relationships, in addition to academics, can be a major source of stress, especially if other individuals involved are less than supportive. 3. Future concerns. As college life comes to an end, many students struggle with concerns regarding their future including finding a spouse and a career. 4. Time management. Keeping up with different class schedules and due dates for assignments can be a major source of stress. However, these pressures can be drastically compounded when combined with poor time management skills and family and/or work responsibilities. 5. Financial matters. College is expensive, and as a result, the majority of college students need some form of financial aid to afford it. In order to cover costs, many college students need to work or take out loans. Often work and college loans become additional stressors as they compete with academics and other responsibilities. Though not listed in the top five, procrastination and technology are other common sources of stress for college students. Moser (2014) associates fear (e.g., feeling overwhelmed), overconfidence and laziness as some of the underlying culprits of procrastination. To combat procrastination, Moser (2014) proposes four possible strategies: Analyze (Am I wasting time?); Prioritize (Am I investing my time wisely?); Biblicize (Is my time spent on what truly matters biblically?); and Exercise (Am I being disciplined with my time?). Another useful tool in helping to prioritize tasks by urgency and importance is the Eisenhower Matrix (Moser, 2014). This tool is also useful in helping to sort out less urgent and important tasks that should either be delegated or deleted. An example of the Eisenhower Matrix is provided in Figure 4.5.
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