ude “hypervigilance” (excessive alertness to a stressful situation resulting in panic-for example, overstudying for an exam) and “premature closure” (quickly choosing a solution to end a stressful situation-for example, rushing through an exam). (Falk,1995). Students react to college in a variety of ways. For some students, college is stressful because it is an abrupt change from high school. For others, separation from home is a source of stress. Although some stress is necessary for personal growth to occur, the amount of stress can overwhelm students and affect the ability to cope. Since World War II, changes in American higher education includes growth has been a loss of personal attention to students. One measure of excessive stress, or distress, in college students is the use of mental health services. Symptoms commonly report by campus psychiatrists portray a general picture of school related stress, for example, the inability to do school work and the fear of academic failure. One way for teachers to promote more of a healthy learning environment is to reduce stress among students. Studies of teachings that produces the most learning suggest that “effective” teachers use an analytical and synthetic approach to the subject matter, organize the material well to make it clear, and establish rapport with their students. Most studies identify enthusiasm as important in promoting students’ learning. The key seems to be to make college courses challenging but not threatening. Many stress models emphasize a “mismatch” between the individual and his or her environment. Both too little and too much stress inhibits learning. Stress is difficult to define because individuals react to it very differently, and a situation that is stressful for one person may not be for another. Further, stressed individuals vary widely in the effectiveness of their coping. Some ...
