The impact of stress on academic success in college students

The purpose of this article is to provide a discussion on stress and how it can prevent students from being successful in fulfillment of their educational goals. The literature is supportive of the fact that stress places demands on an individual, and in response to the stress, the body attempts to adapt to the stressful experience to maintain a sense of normalcy (Selye, 1974). Another common theme in the literature is that college students are faced with a unique set of stressors that may be overwhelming, thus altering the ability to cope with a situation. Strategies to reduce stress have been associated with academic success in college students (Dziegielewski et al., 2004).