Study indicates increased stress New students feel pressure By Hanna LoPatin Daily Staff Reporter First-year college students are facing records levels of stress, according to a recent study released by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Thirty percent of the 364,546 students responding to the 34th annual American Freshman Survey said they feel "frequently overwhelmed by all I have to do." The survey was conducted prior to classes and during the summer. Although the study included respondents from 683 two and four-year universities and colleges, University students did not participate in the study. LSA first-year student Thomas Smyly attributed the stress to increased pressure to succeed. "There's just pressure from society to do well," Smyly said. "There's an expectation that's never been there before to get a good job and make a good living." Survey results also reported that women tend to feel more stress than men. Thirty-eight percent of women reported feeling stress, compared to 20 percent of men. Survey Director and UCLA education Prof. at UCLA Linda Sax explained that the varying levels of stress may be attributed to the different activities that men and women pursue. "Women spend more time on study, clubs, groups and volunteering," she said. "Men spend more time on recreational activities like partying, exercising and video games." UCLA Student Psychological Services Director Harold Pruett said with equal opportunity increasing society has placed pressure on women to fulfill a dual role. "More and more women have gone to college," he said, "yet there's still somehow a subtle and not-so-subtle implication that they're to be caretakers as well." While the report released on Monday highlighted the findings of increased stress, Sax said the most striking item in the study was the fact that 39.9 percent of responding students said they were "frequently feeling bored in class." Sixty-two percent, an increase of two percent from last year, said they frequently or occasionally arrive late to classes. "They're viewing college as a means to an end," Sax said. Students are "not as focused on college for the knowledge they'll gain." Pruett said the reported disinterest may be explained by the fact that the study is conducted prior to the beginning of college, when seniors in high school are often bored with school. "I'm not sure how much it reflects the attitude of a student coming into the university," he said. University of Michigan Engineering first-year student Britt Smart said she was less interested in school at the end of her senior year. "Once I got accepted, I wasn't interested in learning," she said. The survey also showed an increasing interest in the arts and humanities. Reaching its highest level in 27 years, the percentage of students planning to major in the humanities reached 3.1 percent. Students planning to major in the fine arts reached a 22-year high of 5.4 percent. - U-Wire contributed to this report. Originally on page 1A in the 1-26-2000 issue of the Daily.