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Brendan Makidon
Lucia Elden
Eng. 111.M02
08 December 2016

Stress and Learning: The Effects of Stress on First Year Students


A young college student sits at a mundane wooden desk. Hes frantically working on an
essay that he has already spent days writing. He needs to finish this English essay so he can
move on to work regarding the speech outline that is due later in the evening. In addition to that,
he also has two tests the next day that require a few hours of review each. He never pictured
college to be a cakewalk but never did he imagine it would take this much to earn a decent grade.
This is the reality for most college students, especially ones in their first year. It's a giant
struggle yet everyone that's been through college has been here before: cramming for tests,
spending hours writing essays, reading chapter after chapter of thousand page books, the late
nights studying The stress is an atrocious beast everyone with a degree has had to battle.
Stress is commonplace among college students, especially ones fresh out of high school due to
the newly found freedoms they enjoy conflicting with the colossal amount of responsibility
gained at the same rate. How does all of this stress affect the process of learning?
First, it must be understood that learning is a biological process within the brain. Robert
Leamnson, The author of Thinking About Teaching and Learning, describes the biological
process as The establishment of axons between neurons that create synapses. and explains that:
The ability of the brain to function and make sense of the world is a function of these neurons
and their connections (Leamnson 67). Knowledge is gained and retrieved when these synapses
are created and used. Eric Jensen, Author of Teaching with the Brain in Mind, goes further. He

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adds that ...experience determines what's synapses stay and which ones go. meaning that when
one neuronal path works better or more efficiently than another and serves the same purpose, the
inefficient synapse is dissolved. Thus, when a student is learning there is actual growth within
the brain. Neurons create Axons which connect to other neurons. These connections are what
make knowledge retrievable. On average these neurons have thousands of connections to other
neurons and they are constantly developing and dissolving as experience or new information is
gained. This is key when trying to understand how learning takes place because it means our
brains not only metaphorically grow as we mature but they literally grow as well.
Understanding that parts of the brain are being used when learning is important because
there are two types. The first one, the cerebral cortex, is more suitable for learning because it
processes complex thought and is open to new experiences or lessons, creating more synapse.
The other, known as the limbic system is much more closed off and impulsive because it deals
with survival during high-stress situations. Synapse are less likely to be created in this state
because more familiar methods of doing things are going to be used first since they are deemed
the safest. Debbie Craig, author of Brain-Compatible Learning: Principles and Applications in
Athletic Training. explains: The two parts are important mechanisms that come into play when
learning and the brain is discussed: The synapse and the reticular activating system (RAS). The
RAS regulates the impulses sent through the sensory receptors in the brain and how the brain
responds to these impulses. It also acts as a kind of switch that decides if the limbic system or the
cerebral cortex is in charge of the brain. The limbic system is involved in our emotional response
to situations. Craig further states, With the limbic system's main focus being survival, it is
what is in charge of the fight or flight response to situations. This means our rationality is only
minimally taken into account when the limbic system is in control because emotions rule our

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responses. Conversely, when the RAS switches to the control of the cerebral cortex, which is the
rational and creative area of our brain, we commonly respond to a situation with due thought
process. Understanding these systems are paramount when examining stresss effect on learning
because more neurons are created when the cerebral cortex is dominant in thought process
whereas in the limbic system most thought is done instinctively without much consideration for
the content being learned.
When we feel stressed, our adrenal glands release a peptide called cortisol. Jensen states
that ...our body responds with cortisol whether it faces physical, environmental, academic, or
emotional danger. This triggers a string of physical reactions including depression of the immune
system, tensing of the large muscles, blood-clotting, and increased blood pressure. (Jensen 54)
The release of cortisol shifts the RAS to the limbic system, or the system that is more instinctive
than logical. The higher the stress the more instinctive the thought process becomes making more
and more of the brain unavailable. This is why, for example, students with test anxiety can
perform poorly on tests and still somehow be proficient in the rest of the class. With all of these
factors going into how stress affects learning it is easy to see how a first year college student,
away from their old friends, starting at the bottom in a completely new environment, with a
drastically larger set of responsibilities, and being schooled for almost twenty years, will often
struggle with stress.
A typical first-year college students brain has been developing for nineteen years.
It has had a long time to assimilate their culture and gain plenty of experience. It is a lot easier to
teach a young child than a young adult because the child has had far less experience in both life
and education. Children have more unused and pliable neurons than an adult. Why is this
relevant? Because it means that first-year college students have preconceived thoughts about a

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lot of things and are already set in their ways in a wide variety of situations. While this can be a
good thing, Leamnson argues that some of the things that students have learned can be
counterproductive and that the counter-productivity leads to the student being unprepared for
the tasks at hand in college (Leamnson 75). This lack of preparation leaves the first-year
students especially vulnerable to added stress.
Most of the time the new college students come not knowing they will have to think. Lots
of what a student learns in high school consists of very shallow bits of information like stock
phrases that they only had to memorize such as The civil war was fought over slavery Or the
definition of the law of supply and demand. While it is great they may remember these things
it won't necessarily help them in college. In college, students are encouraged to be able to think
for themselves and arrive at conclusions in their own way. A lot of college learning is self-guided
and independent. This banking that is done in high school education, where a student listens to
a teacher and regurgitates the same information on a test, does not prepare them for the collegiate
method of studying and learning. This is why, according to Leamnson, ...In the case of firstyear students, a prominent element of teaching might be thought of as reconstructing a student's
mind. (Leamnson 75). Professors of first year classes often must enable the students to become
independent learners before anything can really be taught.
In addition to school-related stress many students must maintain a job in order to pay the
bills. Further adding to the stress of working and going to college at the same time is the fact that
many of the jobs available to the students are only entry-level and will only pay minimum wage
or slightly above. Laura Perna, Author of Understanding the working college student,
illustrates this conundrum perfectly. Students are working more and juggling a multitude of
roles, creating anxiety and lowering graduation rates. This presents a unique problem that some

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faculty members don't always fully understand that with the rising tuition costs and stagnant pell
grants the students often need to work to pay the bills. However, this work adds to the payload
already bestowed upon a student's shoulders from college. Perna also suggests that more can be
done for these students: Offering courses in the evenings, on weekends, and in distance
education formats; establishing course schedules in advance; offering students access to
academic advising and other support services at night and on weekends; offering online course
registration and academic advising; providing child-care options; and providing space for
students to study between work and school. She says would help students succeed in college.
Regardless of a student's situation institutions have an obligation to ensure everybody that walks
their halls can succeed. More flexibility and more resources available for working students
would be a game changer in many universities. It would make college more available and simple
for students that must work in order to make going to college possible. This would allow
graduation rates to rise as well. Rather than making this a priority some universities seem to
worry more about bell towers and fancy new buildings in order to lure in more students rather
than helping the students they already have.
A great amount of a first year students stresses also can come from a student's
own inexperience and conflicts outside of college. Personal responsibility is another component
of young students lives that has seen little growth. Youth culture has a limited familiarity with
the notion of consequence. Leamnson says. When a high school student experiences an adverse
event it often can be resolved easily. College professors get a constant barrage of What can I
do? from their students. This suggests students have a firm belief that all situations can have a
happy ending. While some professors are more lenient than others, A quick fix isnt always
granted. Due to this, There is something of an epidemic of Acquired Helplessness Syndrome

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among the freshman population. Leamnson says Too few students are inclined to anticipate, or
to take responsibility for, the consequences of their actions. (Leamnson 81). This can all come
together to form a Disorienting Dilemma among college students who are unprepared for
college. These dilemmas confuse students and discourage them, which further adds to the stress
of college. They arent fun yet they are important for learning. A student must experience these
in order to mature and take responsibility for their actions. They are instrumental in the earlier
stated reconstruction of the mind. If a student isn't ready for college work and fails then is later
allowed an easy way to fix their grade they are not actually going to learn anything from the
experience. A synapse relating to asking for a quick fix will be strengthened while the one
relating to responsibility and putting your best into the work the first time will be overlooked.
Stresss negative effect on a student can be detrimental to the students education but is it
possible that can it help the process? In short, yes. Cortisol can actually aid memory when
released in small amounts. Jensen lays out how a teacher can take advantage of this. One
example is as follows Urgency. This one seems straightforward, but its a bit tricky. To evoke
the stress hormones, an activity needs more than a deadline. The students need to (1) perceive
that the task or goal is worth accomplishing, (2) have the resources to make it happen, and (3)
have a reasonable deadline. Otherwise, you risk what is known as learned helplessness.
(Jensen 58). Basically, when it is understood that the reward is worth working hard for and is
achievable with the resources at hand a student will be stressed but they will be able to delegate
that stress positively. If those requirements are not met, however, a student will feel helpless and
revert to the limbic system due to the stress caused by the dilemma.
While college students may very well be the most stressed people around it is important
to understand that the stress is necessary in some situations. In order for the students to learn how

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to critically think and develop as a scholar they must confront stress and use it to mature. There
are many reasons why stress should be avoided, however, in most situations and it isn't always
possible. If you have to work to pay for college or even a family then you have to work. It will
add to your stress level and possibly make graduation further out of reach but in the end you
have to do what you have to do. There are undoubtedly hundreds if not thousands of reasons for
an average college student to be stressed but understanding the stress and using it to their
advantage is possible. Negative stress can be avoided if the students take responsibility for their
actions and do what they need to do to succeed, using the stress as fuel to propel them further
and further until they reach their goals. Though it may be difficult, shallow habits gained in high
school and earlier can be bypassed to make progress. As this process takes place the stress will
dissipate and the disorienting dilemmas will occur less frequently. As first year students grow
and progress through college it is vital that they understand that the stress can make them or
break them. Using it productively will inevitably assist their blossoming as both a person and as
a scholar.
Works Cited

Craig, Debbie. "Brain-Compatible Learning: Principles and Applications in Athletic Training." Journal of
Athletic Training 38.4 (2003): 342-49. ProQuest Research Library [ProQuest]. Web. 8 Nov.
2016.

Jensen, Eric. "3." Teaching with the Brain in Mind. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 1998. N. pag. Print.

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Leamnson, Robert. "11 Robert Leamnson: The Biological Basis of Learning and Today's First Year
Students." Exploring Connections. 2nd ed. N.p.: Pearson, 2016. 65-85. Print.

Perna, Laura W. "UNDERSTANDING THE WORKING COLLEGE STUDENT." Proquest. Academe,


July-Aug. 2010. Web. 8 Nov. 2016.

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