Upon entering college, many students are on their own for the first time.
The college atmosphere is drastically different from anything they have ever encountered, shocking many incoming students. On top of that, experts keeping tabs on the campus mindset say that whether or not a person is in college, the age range of 18 to 24 is one of the roughest periods of a person's life, because during this time childhood is left behind and adulthood begins.
Ash Allen, a University of Memphis freshman, said that she was completely unprepared to gracefully enter the college world.
"I went to White Station, which is known for being obsessive about preparing its students for college," Allen said. "But when I went to college, it was nothing like high school says it's going to be at all."
Dr. Barbara Bekis, Director of the Educational Support Program at The U of M, said that many students just don't realize how different high school and college are from one another.
"Some students have done well in the past without much effort," Bekis said. "They come to college and all of a sudden the same amount of effort is not enough."
Susan Ross, a clinical psychologist who counsels college students with a wide array of problems, said that one factor that is contributing to the inability of many college students to cope with the independent and unstructured college atmosphere is that many students are poorly equipped to deal with the added stress because they've been protected and sheltered by their domineering parents.
"Parents should talk to their college student about psychological problems well before they leave for college," Ross said. "The college environment commonly brings out learning disabilities and psychological issues that had previously gone undetected."
For many people, underlying psychological issues and learning disabilities do not surface until entrance to college, where their academic and social habits are completely unstructured.
Allen, who said she has been fighting to stay afloat all semester, said that she often feels like she just cannot meet all the demands of her new environment.
"There have been several times that I have not gone to class because I was so stressed," Allen said. "Like right now, I have so much to do I want to cry."
College students are particularly vulnerable to becoming victims of the numerous, avoidable problems that college life acquaints them with. Students must suddenly struggle with their new surroundings, meet their peers and try to make new friends, attend classes and develop good study habits in addition to other new stresses. About 27 percent of young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 have a diagnosable mental illness. The pressure of college life added to pre-existing biochemical and genetic tendencies have made mental illness and learning issues increasingly significant.
According to Bekis, overwhelmed often seek students cope with stress.
It's not a question of how many students have I seen this year, but more like how many did I see today," Bekis said. "I schedule appointments everyday with students who say 'I can't do it, I don't feel like I'm going make it.'"
According to Ross, there is still a feeling of shame that commonly accompanies diagnosis of psychological issues or learning problems.
"The sudden emergence of learning disabilities or psychological issues can be a shocking experience," Ross said. "Just the thought of seeking therapy or taking medication is a humiliating notion for someone who has never experienced problems."
However, according to Susan Te Paske, director of The U of M's Student Disability Services, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
"People are talking about it more and more as there have been improvements in the available medications and treatments," Te Paske said. "In society things have been moving drastically towards the better."
