IMPACT OF STRESS ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND COPING STRATEGIES

Abstract

The study was undertaken to investigate the impact of stress on student’s academic performance.  The concept of stress was discussed.  It revealed that stress is a challenging life situation that requires physiological, cognitive and behavioural adaptation.  Stress affects everybody not minding the age, sex or position.  Suffix it to say that total freedom from stress simply means death. Students like every normal human being experience stress arising from a relationship, family, finance and academic pressure. They also experience emotional, psychological, physical and environmental stress.  The study talks about stressors, as agents or factors responsible for stress in an individual’s life.  Stressors are environmental circumstances that disrupts peoples daily functioning and cause them to make adjustments stressors are classified into crises/catastrophes, major life events, daily hassle/micro stressors and ambient stressors.  This work highlighted on the signs of stress which are; low self-esteem, racing thoughts, constant worry, irritability, feeling of anxiety, muscle tension, headache pains and dizziness.  Some causes of students’ stress were mentioned such as; finance, family death, academic pressure and relationship.  Major causes of student’s stress like; emotional stressors, physical, psychological ere mentioned.  The work highlights the effect of stress on students’ academic performance and the coping strategies.