Educators Face Mental Health Challenges Among Students as Exam Time Looms
November 22nd, 2009 |
A GoodTherapy.org News Summary
The stresses typically involved with an academic career are many; from intense peer pressure and other social issues to the drive to do well and parental expectations, students may feel subject to a high level of demand, easily leading to a feeling of being burnt out. For some students, such issues can be taken in stride, and may even fuel the process of studying and preparing for upcoming tests. But for others, the academic life can be a major contributor to mental and emotional distress, as one professor of psychology at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates recently noted in an editorial.
Though students comprise a group that is frequently exposed to high levels of stress, they are not commonly directed to take advantage of mental health services, which in many areas tend to focus on different demographics. In the absence of quality therapy or counseling, some students may exhibit signs of sleeplessness, chronic stress or worry, and depression, and may also experience symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder or other clinical mental health concerns. The Zayed University educator notes that during exam time, professors must sometimes extend their knowledge and caring in a way not dissimilar to how therapists might approach someone showing a need for help.
Suggesting that the line between being an educator and being a therapist for some in mental health departments within the realm of academia, the professor advises others in the field to help students gain a better sense of emotional management and constructive, logical thinking processes to combat debilitating exam-related stress. Such sentiments further the idea that those in training to become future psychologists or to hold other positions within the mental health fields are themselves able to greatly benefit from the wisdom, experience, and simple listening abilities of others.
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Nothing is more delightful for a student than having a teacher who is friendly and welcoming, someone who is genuinely willing to help the child and to motivate him/her and even serve as a role model.
A wholesome educator is hard to come by and even the one who are present are looked upon as being different and weird by their colleagues. After all, it would be great if the teachers themselves could sit along with their students and help them with their anxiety related to exams and other problems that are a part of their academics. it would work wonders for the education sector.
I always remember exam time being a time of great anxiety and stress. Maybe this is a little more recognized now than it was back in the days when I was in college and students can get a little more guidance about how to deal with these pressures. We were kind of laft to fend for ourselves, and if that did not work, then tough turkey.
I dont understand how a person cannot be prepared for the journey ahead. After all when we choose a course we have a perfectly fair idea of what it entails. Unless of course a student chooses a course unwillingly or is there for the good time.
^^ You are absolutely right but sometimes, a student enters a course with determination but during the course of events finds it extremely difficult to shoulder the burden of the course. In such a situation, a little encouraging talk, a little reassurance and guidance from an educator can go a long way in fixing the problem and getting the student’s attention back to where it should be.
Hey parents listen up- we are paying through the noses (and other orifices) for our kids’ education. Take the time to tell them about all of the services that are available to them on their selected college campuses. We are the ones supporting those offices with our tuition and fees- make sure that your kids know where to find them and that they do not have to feel bad about seeking them out and using them. They are there to help them with the college experience and can be valuable tools when the students find them and use them but when they don’t they are not doing anyone any good, and our money is just going down the drain.