HOW OVERWHELMED ARE
TODAY’S FIRST YEAR
COLLEGE STUDENTS?
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DATA
30th Annual Conference
Babson College
the First Year Experience
onday, February 07, 2011Rob Major & Kate Tippo (Research Assistant: Penny Phoon ‘13)
Introduction
Rob Major, Associate
Dean/ Interim
Director of Academic
Services
[email protected]

Kate Tippo, Program
Manager – First Year
Programs
[email protected]

What does overwhelm really
mean?
Concern
Worry
Unease
“To Overpower in thought and feeling”
-Merriam Webster
Depression
Anxiety
Tired
Stress
"overwhelmed." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2011. Merriam-Webster Online. 20
January 2011 <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overwhelmed>
First Year National Data 2005-2008
45
40
35
30
25
Percentage of Student's Response 20
15
10
5
Since entering
college, students felt
overwhelmed by all
they had to do
Since entering
college, students felt
depressed
0
2005
Year
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher
Education Research Institute, UCLA. (2005-2008)
First Year National Data 2009-2010
0.6
0.5
0.4
Percentage of Student's Response
0.3
0.2
2009
2010
0.1
0
Frequently
Response
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research
Institute, UCLA. (2009-2010)
College Student Depression

During college, “students deal with a
unique amount of stressors”






New Lifestyle
Friends
Roommates
Exposure to new cultures
Alternate ways of thinking
Using psychiatric medication,
prescribed before college.
1. Tartakovsky, Margarita. "Depression and Anxiety Among College Students." (2008): n. pag. Web. 20 Jan
2011. <http://psychcentral.com/lib/2008/depression-and-anxiety-among-college-students/>.
2. Lewin, Tamar. "Record Level of Stress Found in College Freshmen." (2011): n. pag. Web. 1 Feb 2011.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/education/27colleges.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes>.
College Student Depression





New Lifestyle
Friends
Roommates
Exposure to new
cultures
Alternate Ways of
thinking

Susceptible to
depression and
anxiety
Tartakovsky, Margarita. "Depression and Anxiety Among College Students." (2008): n.
pag. Web. 20 Jan 2011. <http://psychcentral.com/lib/2008/depression-and-anxiety-
Students seeking counseling
70
60
50
40
Percentage of Student's Response
30
20
10
0
2005
Since entering
college, students
have sought personal
counseling
Since entering
college, students
have received
emotional support or
encouragement from
professors.
Year
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research
Institute, UCLA. (2005-2008)
The Cycle of Student’s Emotional Health
Overwhelme
d Students
Depressed
Students
Students more
likely to visit
personal
counseling
Reasons for Counseling Services

Vulnerability in the world


Recession



Virginia Tech Situation; 9/11 tragedies; War in
Afghanistan
Loans
Unstable Job Market
Right Major to get the Right Job

Sacrificing what they would love
to do
(2010): n. pag. Web. 29 Jan 2011. <http://www.citytowninfo.com/careerand-education-news/articles/more-college-students-seeking-counseling10012501>.
Are student’s justified to use the term
“overwhelmed”?
Overwhelmed?
Online Social Media
Socializing
Partying
Since entering this college, how much time have students spent during a
typical week on online social networks?
35
30
25
20
15
Percentage of Student Response
10
5
0
Number of Hours
2010
2009
2008
2007
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research
Institute, UCLA. (2007-2010)
Effects of the increase use of online social
networks

Intimidated to interact with professors
face to face



Impersonal e-mails
Reliance of online social networks
Ban on social media =
miserable/anxious/jittery

“Texting and IM-ing my friends give me a
constant feeling of comfort”
1. Puglisi, Megan . "Social networking hurts the communication skills of college students." (2010): n. pag. Web. 29 Jan
2011. <http://www.thedaonline.com/opinion/social-networking-hurts-the-communication-skills-of-college-students1.1689315#;>.
2. "College Students Addicted To Social Media." (2010): n. pag. Web. 26 Jan 2011.
<http://www.citytowninfo.com/career-and-education-news/articles/college-students-addicted-to-social-media-
Since entering this college, how much time have students spent during a
typical week socializing with friends?
30
25
20
15
10
Percentage
of Student Response
5
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
0
Number of hours
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute,
UCLA. (2005-2010)
College Learning
Assessment
"The first year of college
is all about socializing
and getting involved in
Studying; 7%
different clubs and
Attending Class; 9%
organizations," Widener
Working, volunteering, student clubs; 9% said. "Ohio State really
tries to push us to find the
Socializing; 51%
balance between our
social life and our
studies."
Sleeping; 24%
Bradley, Thomas. "First two years of college full of socializing, not learning." (2011): n.
pag. Web. 29 Jan 2011. <http://www.thelantern.com/campus/report-first-two-years-of-
Since entering this college, how much time
have students spent during a typical week
partying?
35
30
25
20
15
Percentage of Student's Response
10
5
0
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Number of Hours
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute,
UCLA. (2005-2010)
Partying = Relief


Students use partying as a relief
mechanism
Higher level of stress = poorer
judgment of:



Time management
Alcohol consumption
Academic Motivation
Klein, Alana. "Incoming college students rate emotional health at record low, annual survey finds." (2011): n. pag.
Web. 30 Jan 2011. <http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/incoming-college-students-self-191135.aspx>.
Stafford, Diane. "College freshmen’s stress levels intensifying, study finds." (2011): n. pag. Web. 1 Feb 2011.
<http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/27/2615990/college-freshmens-stress-levels.html#>.
Since entering this college, how much time have you spent during a
typical week studying and doing homework?
Percentage of Student Response
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
Number of Hours
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research Institute,
UCLA. (2005-2008)
Study Hours

“These days is not that students are lazy, but that
they are too busy — busier than previous
generations of Stanford students.”




Part time jobs/internships
Volunteer
Leadership positions
33% of students struggle with one problem: they
simply do not know how to sit down and study
(2008 Survey in the University of California
system)
O'Brien, Keith. "What happened to studying?." (2010): n. pag. Web. 1 Feb
2011.
<http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/04/what_happ
ened_to_studying/?page=2>.
Quote from a First Year
“I felt extremely overwhelmed in high
school. Academic, social, sports, and
family pressures are often
overwhelming. I am coping with all I
need to do but barely, life is still very
stressful and at times overwhelming,
without an effective and organized
structure, it would all overwhelm me.”
Quote from a First Year
“It’s definitely different in a college
environment, now that I am on my own. A
daily planner and calendar definitely helps to
see what evaluations and works are coming
up. Whereas in high school, the teachers
keep in touch with the student; in Babson it
is very important to keep in touch with the
professors; make it known to them any
issues I may be facing etc… I guess it breaks
down to the things I want are no longer
coming to me, I have to go get them now.”
The Next Step

Increase awareness of this “phenomena”

The entire college community needs to be
educated
 Staff
 Faculty
 Professors
 Parents

Continue commitment to research, to
discuss and to evaluate our student’s
perceived notion of overwhelmed
Thank you! Any Questions or Comments?
Supplement
•
Comparison of female and male
•
•
•
Stress Levels
Overwhelmed
Financial stress
Since entering college, students felt
overwhelmed by all they need to do
(breakdown of men and women)
60
50
40
30
Percentage of Student's Response
Men
Women
20
10
0
Year
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research
Institute, UCLA. (2005-2008)
Since entering college, students felt
depressed by all they need to do
(breakdown of men and women)
18
16
14
12
10
8
Percentage of Student's Response
6
4
2
0
Men
Women
Year
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research
Institute, UCLA. (2005-2008)
Comparison of Females and Male in 2009
Not at all; 2.3%
Not at all; 10.6%
Frequently; 28.4%
Frequently; 45.7%
Occasionally; 52.0%
Occasionally; 61.0%
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research
Institute, UCLA. (2009)
Comparison of Females and Male
in 2010
Not at all; 10.0%
Not at all; 2.5%
Frequently; 28.7%
Frequently; 44.9%
Occasionally; 52.6%
Occasionally; 61.3%
CIRP: Your First Year College Year Survey. Los Angeles: Higher Education Research
Institute, UCLA. (2010)
Female students are more
stressed?


Female students are more likely to report that they are
stressed
 46% of females ranked their emotional health as
very good, compared to 59% of males
One aspect is how they spend their time:
 Males tend to find activities that relieve stress
Sports
 Exercise


Females tend to take on more responsibilities that
does not relieve stress but rather adds on
Volunteer Work
 Helping out with family

1. "Stress Increasing Among Incoming College Freshmen." (2011): n. pag. Web. 3 Feb 2011.
<http://gseis.ucla.edu/about/news-events/news/press-clips/stress-increasing-among-incomingcollege-freshmen>.
2. Lewin, Tamar. "Record Level of Stress Found in College Freshmen." (2011): n. pag. Web. 1 Feb
2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/27/education/27colleges.html?_r=1&smid=tw-nytimes>.
CIRP: The American Freshmen
National Norms 2010
"CIRP: The American Freshmen National Norms 2010." (2011): n. pag. Web. 1 Feb
2011. <https://www.drcsurveys.com/HERIRegistration/docs/TFS10_Monograph.pdf >.
Financial Stress


“Today’s students will still be in debt
when their own children are enrolling in
college” – Wall Street Journal
Tuition rose much faster than wages and
financial aid in the past 20 years
Lockhart, Jhaneel . "Rising college costs continue to stress students." (2010): n. pag. Web. 1 Feb 2011.
<http://www.theticker.org/rising-college-costs-continue-to-stress-students-1.2304869>.
Effects of the Recession

Students are more aware of the economy

First hand experience of seeing their parents losing
jobs
 Record




level of unemployed parents in 2010
Undergo five careers in their lifetime
Competitive talents from China and India
Increase competition of jobs
70% of prospective college students alter their
college choices


53% thinking of attending a less expensive college
47% planning to work during Freshmen year
1. Stafford, Diane. "College freshmen’s stress levels intensifying, study finds." (2011): n. pag. Web. 1 Feb
2011. <http://www.kansascity.com/2011/01/27/2615990/college-freshmens-stress-levels.html#>.
2. Ramirez, Eddy. "How the Recession Is Changing Students' College Plans." (2009): n. pag. Web. 1 Feb
2011. <http://www.usnews.com/blogs/on-education/2009/04/08/how-the-recession-is-changing-studentscollege-plans.html>.
3. "More stressed than ever." (2011): n. pag. Web. 1 Feb 2011.
<http://www.mndaily.com/2011/01/31/more-stressed-ever#>.