Academic Stress

Engineering students talking in library

What is Academic Stress?

Academic stress is one of the biggest causes of stress, anxiety, and depression among University students. It is very common and it can become quite overwhelming at times. The key to managing it is being aware of what you need to do and work through each challenge.

Academic stress affects everyone differently

Our THRIVE surveys asked students in July 2021 about their academic stress, we found that for students:

more than 40% found exams very stressful, difficult and time allocated too short; 44% feared failing their courses; 44% felt their teachers were critical of their academic performance; 30% felt their workload was too much; 40.3% feel like they can't catch up when they fall behind; 60.2% were still worried about getting a job even if they pass their exams; 30.1% felt that worrying about exams was a weakness of character

Here are some tips to help you stay on top of your study and exams and avoid the build up of academic stress (where possible):

Try to get organised, early!

A good tip for staying on top of your coursework is to create a calendar to track all the assignments coming up. It can help to predict how long each assignment will take and schedule for that too by breaking it down into manageable chunks.

If you plan everything out early, it's easier to keep track of what you need to do and be able to take time off without feeling stressed that there is something due.

 
 

Don’t let it build up

When you start University it can be very tempting to skip lectures or classes and watch them later. However doing so can allow them to build up and stress you out, particularly when the content is required to complete assessments.

Try your best to attend all your classes in their scheduled time. If you have any questions you can ask your lecturer and tutors in real time. If it isn’t feasible to attend them all, make sure you schedule some time to go over the content yourself.

Ask for help if you need it

If assignments are building up or you find that you are still struggling despite trying to restructure your time, let your lecturer and tutor know. They could help you by providing extensions or rescheduling tests if you need to take some time away from studying.

You can also speak with Monash Connect or submit a course advice request to see if you can make any adjustments to your course to better suit you. There are also study programs are available that provide peer and academic English support.

 
 

Forgive yourself if things don’t go well

You won’t get everything right all the time (especially when you first start out) and if you do happen to receive a disappointing grade, try not to let that negatively affect you too much.

You are much more than your grades and this only gives you an opportunity to reflect on your previous habits and grow from it.

The best thing is to read the feedback and ask questions to learn from what might have been incorrect. At the end of the day it is just one mark and doesn’t define you or your worth.

Look after yourself

Although it might seem like a good idea at the time, staying up all night studying and eating only convenience food can actually have a negative effect on your ability to study.

It's important for you to take care of yourself and make sure you are getting enough sleep and the proper nutrition needed. For more details go to our Lifestyle page.


you can have a cup of calming tea