The Student Fear Factor By Rebecca D. Cox

In this essay I will talk about “The Student Fear Factor,” by Rebecca Cox, In the passage she talks about first time college students, and what they experience in their first year of college. I will be choosing a student from the essay, and explain what they encounter. I will also explain how I can relate to them. Rebecca cox talks about first time college students and how they find their first year of college really stressful.

Everybody knows that one of the biggest fears students and people in general have is to fail, and unfortunately some people do not overcome it after graduation from college or some not even during their professional careers. College is a big step, and it is really a life changing one. This life changing event can be very terrifying for quite a lot of students. These are only a few of the things incoming college students are afraid of. According to Rebecca D. Cox, in the chapter “The Student Fear Factor,” states how the fears students feel when entering college impacts their success and this concerns provoked by their fear can lead them to traumatic changes to their adult lives, “leaving many feeling overwhelmed with the pressure to drop out

College pressures dominate our lives. They begin to levitate around us and slowly derail our lives. William Zinsser elaborates about the college pressures that modern generations are facing. He reveals multiple commonalities that the typical college student encounters on a daily basis. Zinsser states, “They want a map-right now-that they can follow unswervingly to career security, financial security, social security, and presumably, a prepaid grave” (12). He is spot on, the pressures demand my attention and won’t take no for an answer. So far I’ve gone head to head with these pressures every day since I started my freshman year in college. For the time that I’ve been here, my mind is overwhelmed and distraught with the amount of stress that gets piled on top of me every single day. I drown in these unrealistic expectations written in those faulty suggestion bars about how to be successful in college and college 101 tips. College pressures surround me like a dull gray cloud. It showers me with expectations and unfinished checklists. College itself is similar to carpooling to hell and back, but with no actual guarantee with a ride back.

Fear Management by Rebecca Cox is an example of how students think and react to the rigors of college life while some succeed and others fail. Fear Management follows students enrolled in English composition throughout a semester at college. She interviews the students at various times during their voyage and she attempts to paint a picture of what it takes to pass English composition and what it takes to fail. Rebecca Cox follows students that want to enroll in college and see it as an essential step to their future. These students feel confident about their ability to succeed which will change for some as they are introduced to the fast paced first year class.

College is the stepping stone which includes making decisions and being brave in facing the unpredictable scenarios a student might encounter. With the help of this written compilation of stories it aims to inform us that no matter how hard life as a student is there is always solution

During the college life students have to deal with different types of obstacles. In the article, “College Pressures” William Zinsser focuses on the pressure faced by the college students. He talks about how the students are dealing with economic pressure, parental pressure, peer pressure, and self-induced pressure. College students are worried about getting high paid jobs and being rich instead of relaxing and enjoying now. Zinsser claims that students are worried about their future by using pathos.

Each year of my undergraduate studies I remember stepping foot on campus for the first day of class. The heat was always unbearable and most buildings lacked air conditioning, yet all of the students seemed happy and excited for the year ahead. For three years I found myself in the same boat; however, as I stepped foot on campus my senior year I was stricken with a sense of fear. Graduation was quickly approaching and I still didn’t know what is was I wanted to do in life.

Getting into university and becoming a college student used to be fun because of the friends and memories they would make. However, college life can be stressful now, especially for first-year students. What is stress? Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman defined stress as “ the result of an individuals’ perceptions that they do not have the resources to cope with a perceived situation from the past, present or future.” (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984). In fact, stress is inevitable. Sometimes stress forces students to reach their goals and get their tasks done like studies and homework. But when stress is too much, it may stop students from working properly, and accomplishing things. College

Anyone who has completed any college courses can attest that college itself introduces new difficulties, including new class structures, expectations, living situations. Ordinarily, these changes contribute to many students, notably at the beginning, leading to them underperforming. While I experienced these changes, the factors and adversities that contributed to my final GPA being just shy of a 3.0 are not part of a typical student’s college experience.

In Emma, Emma Woodhouse’s relationship with Harriet Smith is one of both empowerment and unclear boundaries regarding romantic and societal meddling. Overall, Emma is expected to be a role model of the high class, but fails to educate Harriet both because she prioritizes friendship and because she’s more interested in her possible love life with Mr. Elton. At the beginning, Harriet Smith is described as a fine mannered and admirable young woman of beauty who is not clever but “altogether very engaging” (Austen). Harriet brings the element of friendship back into Emma’s life after Miss Taylor marries, changing Emma’s power dynamic from a matchmaker who has merely introduced prospective couples to one who can meddle fully in the life of her

Everyday struggles grow into bigger problems as tough luck and poor communication occurs, this only causes an increase the amount of stress on the family unit that is being affected. As Chris Gardner encounters the issues the lack of successful communication in a marriage, which leads him into the crisis of being a single parent, and finally he discovers the difficulties of parenting a young child on very limited income. Despite their current financial difficulties, Chris Gardner a struggling salesman, takes an unpaid internship at a broker firm. Chris’s wife, Linda, is extremely unhappy with his decision to accept this position and put even more stress on their family.

Stress is a real issue among college students, as college life has many causes that evoke stress. Each person responds to stressful situations in a different way: one can get motivated, and another can just panic and procrastinate. However, there are certain stressors that tend to have negative effects on all students, such as romantic relationships, finance problems, deadlines, new levels of independence, social obligations and so on. The list of stressors is infinite. As well as there are many effects of stress. Melissa Cohen, a licensed clinical social worker and certified coach

First of all, adjusting to academic challenges in the freshman year can create stress for students in a variety of ways. First-year students experience stress while trying to keep up with the new academic workloads in college, which are completely different and more challenging than the workloads in high school. To illustrate this, in Alan Schwartz’s article in the New York Times magazine entitled “More College Freshmen Report Having Felt Depressed,” he wrote about the results

Time is a powerful thing when it comes to the development of a student. Looking back to my freshman year, I can easily say that my wish to obtaining a college education has changed significantly. The idea of finally having freedom, getting to sleep in, and practically doing what I want without someone always looking over my shoulder is what I looked forward to. However, nobody told me about the sacrifices a college student makes on a daily. From learning to time manage and dealing with sleep deprivation, to the constant panic and anxiety that comes from the stress of being away from home, this is nothing like what I envisioned. Nevertheless, these struggles have only opened my eyes to what this world is really like. A college education is more than studying for exams and completing bookwork, it is a test of a student’s mental strength.

From any walk of life, attending college can be difficult. In fact, it can be overwhelming. If a student has just graduated or has been out of school for twenty years, going to college can be tough. For older students, homework is done in a whole new way, online. Younger students may be used to this method, but college is so much more demanding than high school. College is more challenging and every student is responsible for themselves. Students are expected to do their work/homework without prompt and return it in a timely manner. Fox’s college English class can be hard because of the amount of homework, attendance policy, and the details of essay writing.