3.5 Assignment Critical Reflection Journal – Blog
The Impact of Stress on Academic Performance of Online Students
Write a reflective blog post on this week’s readings, Roundtable dialogue, and/or your action research learnings. The blog writing may be your choice, but it must be substantive, including outside scholarly works, etc.
The Impact of Stress on Academic Performance of Online Students
The Yerkes-Dodson law (1908) postulates that individuals under low and high stress learn the least, and those under moderate stress learn the most. Additionally, the research indicates that the leading cause for stressed-out students is the heavy coursework they are taking on. Students who want to finish college sooner may also sign up for additional classes, only adding to the stress. Too often, students take on subjects that exceed their academic ability, causing even more stress.
A student’s academic performance is affected by several factors: learning skills, parental background, peer influence, teachers' quality, and learning infrastructure. Some everyday stressors reported in an academic setting include excessive assignments, poor time management and social skills, peer competition, and insufficient sleep. In addition, others need better concentration, forgetfulness, learning problems, frequent negative thoughts, and speech problems. Existing research shows that these stressors can cause emotional issues, anxiety, depression, anger, irritability, feelings of helplessness, lack of purpose, and relationship troubles.
Academic stress can reduce motivation, hinder academic achievement, and lead to increased college dropout rates. Academic stress has also been shown to impact students' mental health negatively. Much of the literature examined so far indicates that the majority of students are facing pressure. The literature has also explored stress's physical and psychological adverse effects on students’ academic achievement.
How do you solve academic stress? The literature suggests eight possible solutions to successfully help students cope with academic stress. They include using campus resources, staying present, learning new skills through practice, using positive self-talk, taking responsibility for mistakes, forgiving yourself, focusing on what you can control, and practicing good self-care.
