College Pressures
Smaher Alharbi
Woodbury University
College Pressures College life is at times extremely demanding for students. Students have to deal with the pressure of completing their homework, class presentation, projects, and other papers in time. Extracurricular organizations and instructors also pile a lot of pressure on college students and often make the feel stressed-out. Furthermore, college students face immense pressure to excel in their studies and earn eventually their diplomas/degrees. International students often experience constant demands and pressures to cope with college life in a foreign land. Parents may also put a lot of pressure on their children to choose certain colleges, academic careers or…show more content… Zinsser points out parental pressure, self-induced pressure, economic pressure, and peer pressure as the leading college pressures. These pressures negatively impact student life in college. He particularly wondered why many students find it difficult to successfully finish college studying. He also sought to know and understand the main reasons that often make students complain a lot about college life. Zinsser asserts that economic pressures drive many students from low-income households to work extra hard to pay for their tuition, stationery, and accommodation expenses. Zinsser states, “They live in a brutal economy. Tuition, room, and board at most private colleges now comes to at least $7,000, not counting books and fees” (p. 3). In essence, students who are not on scholarship have to pay for books, college fees, and…show more content… Parents might induce pressure on their children in college by pushing them to pursue a course that the latter is not passionate about. However, a significant number of students want to try other things contrary to their parents’ expectations. As financiers of college costs, parents believe that they have an enormous role to play in getting their sons and daughters to good professions. He says, “The parents mean well; they are trying to steer their sons and daughters toward a secure future” (p. 3). Therefore, some students are merely in college to fulfill the expectations of their parents. Apart from parental pressure, college students face peer pressure. Zinsser asserts, “Students think that every student is working harder and doing better, so the only solution is to study harder still” (4). However, peer pressure is a rare happening today because students have vast priorities such as sports, school, social life, and family. A few students still worry about the prospect of other students doing better and working harder than they
