What is Academic Pressure?

Academic pressure can feel intense, suffocating, and ready to explode.. It is the constant sense of stress and anxiety over obtaining the desired result in school or college. That may stem from the force put on you by your parents, teachers or even your own need for perfection.

Signs of Academic Pressure

• Obsessed with comparing grades amongst peers and extreme competitiveness
• Unusual sleeping patterns
• Over eating or decrease in appetite
• Irritability and aggression towards people who care
• Consuming large amounts of caffeine or energy drinks
• Lack of interest and excitement in enjoyable activities such as socializing with friends, going for movies etc.
• Physical discomfort, such as a headache or stomach ache, without any actual illness.

Where does academic pressure arise from?

• Parental pressure- Sometimes, the expectation from parents to do well and achieve the best grades may start to feel over whelming and create chronic stress. They often fail to understand the changing education system and throw their own prior ambitions onto the child.
• External pressure- The world is an extremely competitive place, especially amongst peers when applying to the best universities. The burden to stand out from the rest becomes challenging and puts a toll on the students mental and physical health.
• Your own pressure – Sometimes you feel the need to be the best. To achieve these self expectations you put yourself under immense pressure.

How to deal with the pressure?

• Instead of trying to do everything at once, break your tasks into small achieveable goals.
• Maintain a systematic time table of your weekly schedule and practice it.
• Keep smaller goals rather than panicking under high expectation.
• Practice meditation for a couple of minutes or drink some relaxing tea and stay hyderated.
• Stay balanced during the exam season, by taking fixed breaks and eating well.

Can academic pressure lead to severe illnesses?

• The risk of suffering from a mental illness is high, when the pressure to do well academically is extreme.
• Thus, students may suffer from depression, self-harm, eating disorders, as well as, suicidal tendencies due to the immense pressure to be the best.