Stressed out students voice their gripes

A year ago, a National Union of Students/Headspace survey of 2,600 university students revealed some troubling insights. A majority (66 per cent) reported high psychological distress over the past year, while 70 per cent rated their mental health 'poor' or 'fair'. Now, the sources of their troubles have been canvassed. Commissioned by Studiosity, the new survey of 1,001 students finds that overall, the amount of study (34 per cent), overly challenging course content (15 per cent) and more responsibility (11 per cent) are students' biggest stressors. They are followed by paying for a degree (8 per cent) and meeting new friends (4 per cent). The results contained demographic differences. For example, students in New South Wales and South Australia found balancing work and study more stressful than the amount of study. But students didn't just voice their complaints; they also stated their preferred potential de-stressors. The most popular one was having access to 24/7 online support (40 per cent). Smaller class sizes (22 per cent) and having access to financial services and aid advice (19 per cent) came next. Founder and Executive Chair of Studiosity, Jack Goodman, said the results should be a call-to-action for universities, "to ensure [students] are able to complete their degree whilst enjoying the process at the same time". Former Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President at La Trobe University and Studiosity Academic Advisory Board member Professor John Rosenberg agreed with Goodman, adding that universities could harness the results to differentiate themselves, "by providing student support and services that are equally available to all students, regardless of their study mode and at a time that’s convenient for them..."

Stressed out students voice their gripes

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Head of Teaching & Learning | NAISDA

Australian Signals Directorate

Assistant Professor in Real Estate / Sustainability / Technology

Director of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality

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