This document discusses the effects of stress on college students who work. It defines three types of stress: acute stress from minor events, episodic acute stress from taking on too much, and chronic stress from never-ending issues. Acute stress has short-term physical and mental effects but can be beneficial in small amounts. Episodic acute and chronic stress require more help to manage and can negatively impact physical health if left unchecked. A survey of 50 college students found those who worked full-time while being full-time students had higher GPAs, possibly because their stress acted as a motivator.
2. What is Stress?
• Stress: a state of mental or emotional strain
resulting from adverse or very demanding
circumstances.
• There are 3 different types of stress
o Acute Stress
o Episodic Acute Stress
o Chronic Stress
3. Acute Stress
• This is the most common form of stress
• A short lasting stress, due to minor events in life
• Usually easy to treat and manage
• This stress can be good stress example: roller-coaster, cliff diving
etc. ( a sense of thrill)
• Some symptoms are:
– Gastrointestinal problems- upset stomach, heart burn, diarrhea and
even bloating
– Muscular problems- tension headaches, inflammation of muscles,
tension in the body leading to pulled muscle or tissue and even
ligaments.
– Back and jaw pain.
– Elevated blood pressure or even heart rate
– Anger, depression, anxiety, and irritability
4. Episodic Acute Stress
• These are people who tend to take on too much in life. Are always
Late and always worrying about something ( the "worry warts”)
• Lifestyle and personality factor into this level of stress, usually the
person doesn’t see anything wrong with their lifestyle. (they try and
blame their stress and problems on everything and everyone
around them)
• This level of stress usually requires a professional’s help such as a
Doctor or therapist for a few months
• Signs and Symptoms:
– Chest pains, migraines tension headaches and even heart disease
– Excessive competitive drive
– Uneasy feeling all the time
– Aggressiveness and impatience
– Extreme cases of time urgency
5. Chronic Stress
• This is considered the stress of “never ending troubles” such as
family stress, marital stress, etc..
• Usually experience this type of stress while you are young, people
get used to it and almost familiar with it. This makes them notice
acute stress a lot more than the chronic stress
• Chronic stress can kill because it physically and mentally wears
people down. Symptoms are difficult to treat and take an extended
period of medication, behavioral treatment and even stress
management.
• Chronic Stress kills by suicide, violence, heart attacks and even
cancers.
• Signs and symptoms:
– Overreacting, withdrawing from people, gastrointestinal problems,
heart racing
– Migraines , drug use and drug overdoses, Lack of motivation.
6. Overall Effects of Stress on The Body
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7. Our Surveys
• For our surveys we handed out about 50 questionnaires .
We found that girls tended to have higher GPAs than
boys. Also the people who worked and came to school
full time had higher GPAs than the people who didn’t.
• Our overall conclusion was that people who are going to
school full time and working full time seemed more
stressed out but also tended to maintain a higher GPA.
We think that this type of stress might work in a positive
way as a type of motivator.
