Theres an interesting editorial on Page A4 today on the woes of todays college students. The piece, from The Oregonian in Portland, Ore., points to a study from UCLA that shows a higher degree of poor emotional health among a group of 200,000 incoming students at four-year colleges the result of stress and fear about the future. The study found 53 percent of students ranked their emotional health as above average. Back in 1985, that percentage was 64 percent.
The Oregonians view is pressure to succeed may be greater than ever, and yet the dark corollary of achieving in such a climate is a toxic rise in the fear of failing.
I have to admit Im not sure if I buy the argument. But it caught my interest, so I Googled the study to find out a little more. Sure enough, lots of news outlets covered this study, which UCLA puts out annually.
This years class of U.S. college freshmen is reporting record-low levels of emotional health, with more students saying they frequently felt overwhelmed by work as high school seniors, The Washington Post reported.
Odd I thought we werent challenging our students enough. Isnt that what the whole Tiger Mother argument is all about? That American youth need to be directed more on academics, and less on nonproductive social and recreational pursuits, in order to remain competitive in the world marketplace?
The Post reported the number of students reporting above average emotional health dropped 3.4 percent points from the previous year. The studys lead author called the drop troubling. It went on to say the author wasnt sure of the reasons behind the decline, but the result may be that freshmen are less able to cope with the stress of their new academic and social environments. That could lead to poor decisions in terms of time management and alcohol consumption.
And this is different than it was in 1985? I entered college in the fall of 1984, and I can attest that amongst my peers, there were plenty of academic, social and time management stresses, and perhaps even some poor decision-making in regards to alcohol consumption.
And didnt we face a lot of economic uncertainties back then? The recession in the early 1980s was, and still is, considered the worst economic climate from Great Depression to that point in time. It may not have been as bad as the past few years, but a lot of us headed off to college uncertain of how we would pay for it, if there would be a job waiting for us when we got out, and if we would be nuked before graduation day.
So, Im scratching my head. Have things really changed that much in the past 25 years? Or is it just history repeating itself?
nnn
A reminder from a caller Monday: Beware of scam artists. Theyre always lurking out there, casting their nets for as anyone they can get to fall for their con game.
From time to time, the Times runs a story about scams usually in response to local law enforcement agencies receiving multiple reports of shysters calling or e-mailing with some type of scheme. These scams are so commonplace, unfortunately, we cant report every attempted scam that pops up.
But the advice always holds true: Dont send anyone money in order to claim a prize. Dont give out your personal banking information. (If its really your local bank calling, they already have that information.) Dont fall for high-pressure tactics from someone you dont know forcing you to make a decision on the spot. Dont respond to bulk e-mails or pleas from imprisoned or impoverished dignitaries overseas who need your help.
And above all else trust your instinct: If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Mary Jane Grenzow is the editor of The Monroe Times. She can be reached at editor@themonroetimes.com.
The Oregonians view is pressure to succeed may be greater than ever, and yet the dark corollary of achieving in such a climate is a toxic rise in the fear of failing.
I have to admit Im not sure if I buy the argument. But it caught my interest, so I Googled the study to find out a little more. Sure enough, lots of news outlets covered this study, which UCLA puts out annually.
This years class of U.S. college freshmen is reporting record-low levels of emotional health, with more students saying they frequently felt overwhelmed by work as high school seniors, The Washington Post reported.
Odd I thought we werent challenging our students enough. Isnt that what the whole Tiger Mother argument is all about? That American youth need to be directed more on academics, and less on nonproductive social and recreational pursuits, in order to remain competitive in the world marketplace?
The Post reported the number of students reporting above average emotional health dropped 3.4 percent points from the previous year. The studys lead author called the drop troubling. It went on to say the author wasnt sure of the reasons behind the decline, but the result may be that freshmen are less able to cope with the stress of their new academic and social environments. That could lead to poor decisions in terms of time management and alcohol consumption.
And this is different than it was in 1985? I entered college in the fall of 1984, and I can attest that amongst my peers, there were plenty of academic, social and time management stresses, and perhaps even some poor decision-making in regards to alcohol consumption.
And didnt we face a lot of economic uncertainties back then? The recession in the early 1980s was, and still is, considered the worst economic climate from Great Depression to that point in time. It may not have been as bad as the past few years, but a lot of us headed off to college uncertain of how we would pay for it, if there would be a job waiting for us when we got out, and if we would be nuked before graduation day.
So, Im scratching my head. Have things really changed that much in the past 25 years? Or is it just history repeating itself?
nnn
A reminder from a caller Monday: Beware of scam artists. Theyre always lurking out there, casting their nets for as anyone they can get to fall for their con game.
From time to time, the Times runs a story about scams usually in response to local law enforcement agencies receiving multiple reports of shysters calling or e-mailing with some type of scheme. These scams are so commonplace, unfortunately, we cant report every attempted scam that pops up.
But the advice always holds true: Dont send anyone money in order to claim a prize. Dont give out your personal banking information. (If its really your local bank calling, they already have that information.) Dont fall for high-pressure tactics from someone you dont know forcing you to make a decision on the spot. Dont respond to bulk e-mails or pleas from imprisoned or impoverished dignitaries overseas who need your help.
And above all else trust your instinct: If it sounds too good to be true, it is.
Mary Jane Grenzow is the editor of The Monroe Times. She can be reached at editor@themonroetimes.com.
