Buma Tete's days are carefully orchestrated, with all upcoming assignments plotted out on a master calendar and broken up into daily to-do lists. It's this level of organization that allows Buma, a senior accounting major at the University of Maryland at College Park, to successfully balance a full academic schedule, an internship and a role as a student ambassador at McGraw Hill.
So far, his system has had only one major hiccup, during the fall of 2021, when he and his classmates returned to campus. Excited to be with his friends again, Buma focused less on timelines and test banks and more on hanging out. To stay on track academically, he resorted to cramming sessions and all-nighters, which left him feeling stressed. At times, he says, the sheer amount of work in front of him was "overwhelming."
Feeling anxious about schoolwork is nothing new for learners. However, the number of college students reporting mental health struggles has spiked in recent years. A recent survey conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of McGraw Hill has shed more light on the extent of study stress and its impact on learners. (The survey was part of our research for the development of SHARPEN, a new mobile app launched last fall that delivers content in social media-friendly formats.)
According to the survey's findings, students broadly face challenges when it comes to studying. A lack of time and a lack of engagement with schoolwork were among the top obstacles.
In fact, 92% of undergraduate students we surveyed said they regularly feel negative emotions because of studying. "Stressed," "overwhelmed," "unmotivated," "distracted" and "boredom" were among their most-cited feelings. What's more, one in four learners (26%) considered dropping out of school because of study difficulties they faced the previous semester.