KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: College Freshman More Stressed

Sending your child off to college is an emotional step.  To make matters worse, new research shows that college freshmen are more stressed than ever before.  Some of that stress seems to be coming from the recent recession and our nation's uncertain economic future.  The survey "The American Freshmen:National Norms Fall 2010" reports that the emotional well-being of college freshmen has declined to the lowest level in the 25 years the survey has been conducted.  Today's teens are reeling from feeling economic pressure and academic pressures.  Unfortunately, that pressure to succeed often begins in middle and elementary school.  Twenty-nine percent of College Freshmen surveyed this year said they had been frequently overwhelmed by all they had to do during their senior year of high school.  The decision of where to go to college is a lot of pressure as well.  Experts say balance for High School Seniors and College Freshmen is key.  They say parents and teachers can help alleviate anxiety by placing value on traits like honesty, integrity, developing resilience and teaching their children that there is more to lifelong success and happiness than grades and trophies.