Different Priorities?

Being a senior in high school, I have a lot of friends that are freshmen in college. With that being said, I have the opportunity to see the differences in how male college students and female college students prioritize their lives. For example, my male friends in college spend more time playing video games, playing sports, going to concerts, parties, and other social gatherings. As opposed to my female friends in their first year of college spend more time balancing two jobs on top of going to classes and paying their own way-trying to be more independent. I am not saying this is the case all the time, but there is a significant difference in lifestyles being displayed.

Dangerous ways of coping

In survey’s women are found to have a much higher level of stress than young men do. How do they cope with this underlying stress? Well, studies show that alcohol and drug use is a way that a lot of college students relieve their mental stress- especially women. Being generally more petit on a physical standpoint, women are at a much higher risk because they will not break down the alcohol as quickly. This can cause women to be more dependent on alcohol quicker. This also may open a door to other drugs that can be more harmful.

Does this look like a healthy way to cope with underlying stress?

Social Expectations

As a young woman, growing up in this society has a multitude of expectations, especially on physical appearance. If there was not this constant need of looking a certain way, maybe women would not be so obsessed with the way they look all of the time. Magazines, television shows, movies, and all different types of advertising convince women they need to look a certain way in order to be socially accepted. This is a huge factor of stress of young women.

Why are college women more prone to stress than males?

• Social expectations of women (how to look, dress, weigh, ect.)
• More insecure about physical/ emotional health
• More worried about how to pay for college
• Males are more concerned about partying and having a good time
• Women and men have very different priorities 

Causes of Stress for College Freshmen?

So you've arrived on campus - your room is unpacked, you've met your roommate, and the parents have driven away.

What now?