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Orley said. “You’re growing up, meet-
ing new people, living on your own,
learning to deal with a different work
load, eating habits, exercise routine,
etc. You have to be the best possible
version of yourself at all times. All of
us know that this pressure is way too
much.”
PRESSURE POINTS
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16
May 24 • 2018
jn
Jeffrey Supowit,
President
A variety of factors and situations
are causing anxiety in today’s college
students.
Academic classes are one of the
biggest stressors. Teens who were at
the top of their classes in high school
suddenly find themselves surrounded
by top performers from high schools
throughout the country and even the
world.
Some students feel pressure to form
new relationships, while others are
torn between meeting new people and
maintaining ties to romantic partners
in different geographic locations.
Unrealistic expectations about the
college experience can cause anxiety.
Talking to older friends or siblings
can help teens realize that everyone
goes through an adjustment period
and that some stress is normal during
such a major transition.
The availability of alcohol and
drugs, combined with the lack of
daily parental supervision, can lead
some students to over-indulge. Not
only can alcohol and drug use exac-
erbate underlying mental health
conditions, marijuana and hallucino-
gens may increase the likelihood of
psychosis in those at risk of develop-
ing a serious mental illness. In addi-
tion, combining alcohol with certain
prescription drugs such as benzodi-
azepines (Xanax and Klonopin) and
stimulants (Adderall and Ritalin) can
have dangerous consequences.
While social media plays a big part
in the lives of high school students, its
use often accelerates in college.
“Social media is just ruining our
kids, adding a whole new layer of anx-
iety,” Orley said. “They are spending
a huge amount of time performing
on social media, creating various ver-
sions of themselves. For growing num-
bers of teens, this pressure to perform,
to brand themselves, turns into a habit
that exacerbates or may even create a
true mental health problem.”
Kaplan agrees that social media
encourages teenagers to compare
themselves to other people, which
usually makes them feel worse about
themselves.
“It’s a giant performance; they don’t
realize there is some inauthenticity to
it,” Kaplan said.
While the feeling of belonging
can be tempting to a new freshman,
Greek life has its downsides, some
of them serious and even deadly. A
student who does not make the cut
after rushing several fraternities or
sororities can suffer a loss of confi-
dence and self-esteem, especially if
all their friends were accepted. Some
fraternities engage in dangerous haz-
ing practices, which, when combined
with excessive drinking, have resulted
in police interventions, hospitaliza-
tions and deaths. The costs of being
involved in Greek life also can be high,
which means low-income students are
often unable to participate.
Sleep deprivation is a major
issue for a majority of college stu-
dents. Competing with school work,
extra-curricular activities, exercise
and socializing, sleep is often a low
priority. In the ACHA survey, only 12
percent of the respondents felt they
had gotten enough sleep during the
prior week. Because lack of sleep can
affect emotional, mental and physical
health, it is important for students
to develop a schedule that includes a
good night’s sleep.
For those who attended Jewish day
schools or lived in predominantly
Jewish areas, experiencing anti-
Semitism for the first time can be
jarring. Last November’s vote by the
U-M Central Student Government in
favor of a Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions (BDS) resolution against
Israel had a disturbing effect on
Schmitz and many of his friends.
“It was crushing,” said Schmitz, the
grandson of a Holocaust survivor.