Tips for College Students: How Does School Affect Mental Health?

College can be one of the most transitional, transformative stages of life. A rite of passage in discovering your independence and personal and academic growth, moving into higher education is like standing at a crossroads — abundant educational and future career aspirations in every direction you turn, where the sky, seemingly, is the limit.  

However, these potential opportunities can bring challenges that can affect students ‘ mental health. You might be just starting undergrad and overwhelmed with living on campus, meeting new people, and acclimating to a heavy courseload unlike anything you had in high school. Or you might be a long-time student pursuing a graduate degree and worried about looming deadlines and high expectations to follow through and succeed. 

You’re not alone if you identify with these feelings; studies show that more than 60% of college students potentially experienced at least one mental health issue stemming from school, according to the American Psychological Association (APA).  

The APA cites another survey where nearly three-fourths of students indicated moderate-to-major psychological distress — insights illustrating the inextricable link between college and mental health.  

What can you do to nurture your mental health so your well-being, self-esteem, and academic performance can thrive? Keep reading for some tips.  

How Does School Affect Mental Health? 

College is a huge time of adjustment. Even though it can — and should be — an exciting time, offering opportunities for learning, self-discovery, and finding yourself as a student and young adult, there are new stressors accompanying it. Transitioning from a structured high school environment to a more independent collegiate atmosphere may conjure uncertainty about the future and intensify feelings of anxiety unlike anything you’ve felt before. 

A 2023 study from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation discovered that nearly three in 10 adult college students (40% between the ages of 18 to 24) claim that emotional stress and personal mental health matters are key factors in why they remain unenrolled in classes. Apart from other reasons, they remain the two biggest considerations in halting their coursework within the last six months. 

The survey further indicated that 41% of current college students admitted staying enrolled remained difficult and that 44% of associate degree and 36% of bachelor’s degree students considered stopping coursework for at least a semester. Among those students, 55% and 47% further cited emotional stress and mental health, respectively, as determining reasons. 

What explains these concerning school and mental health statistics for students who are on the brink of dropping out? 

Academic Pressure 

“Academic pressure together with stressors typical of starting and attending college may precipitate the first onset of mental health and substance use problems or an exacerbation of symptoms,” states a study published through the National Institutes of Health.  

Another study indicates that as many as 87% of college students cited education as their main source of stress. “College students are exposed to novel academic stressors, such as an extensive academic course load, substantial studying, time management (and) classroom competition”  

This weight of expectations — either self-imposed or external (such as from professors or parents) — can lead to anxiety and burnout that may result in falling behind academically. 

Social Challenges  

College isn’t — and shouldn’t — only be about academics, but the pressure to get good grades also gets mirrored in a need to fit in socially on campus. Students ‘ mental health is closely linked to feelings of belonging and acceptance, which is something we all deserve. 

Going from four years of high school and the friendships you made can leave you feeling disconnected when starting again in a new school, with new people and new dynamics. Shyness, introversion, or awkwardness around others can make earning new friends a challenge and invoke feelings of loneliness. Even if you’ve forged some close friendships, there’s additional pressure to participate, whether it’s through extracurricular activities, getting involved in clubs, or joining a fraternity or sorority. This environment of constant social comparison might intensify concerns about your self-worth.  

In addition, all of this can prove more difficult being away from home and the social network you’ve had up until now.   

New Sleep and Eating Habits  

Our bodies tend to flourish through habits like a balanced diet and a regular sleep schedule. But your routine in college might look very different. For students and mental health, pulling all-nighters, skipping meals due to back-to-back classes, late-night takeout and inconsistent sleep can throw off everything from your circadian rhythms, your cognitive functioning and your mental and emotional clarity — regardless of if you’re a new undergrad or seasoned grad student. 

“Diet, exercise and sleep often fall low on the priority list,” says psychologist Susan Albers, in a Cleveland Clinic report. “Students feel like they don’t have time for them. But those three things are the cornerstones of mental health. It’s like pulling the rug out from underneath someone who’s already struggling to stay balanced.”  

Financial Stress 

Money becomes one of the biggest negative factors in how school affects mental health. The Gallup/Lumina poll reveals that financial strain is the number one reason many students remain unenrolled (either foregoing college or dropping out) — 55% are concerned about affording tuition and fees, and 45% are worried about inflation’s effect on cost friendliness. “Nobody should have to decide between paying rent, food, gasoline, groceries and paying for education,” one unenrolled student is quoted. 

Indeed, even if you’ve received grants or financial aid, they may not be enough to cover the entire cost of tuition, and student loans, with interest, can become costly. Without them, the financial responsibilities of students can exacerbate mental health since tuition, accommodations, and daily living expenses can cause significant worry about managing your finances. 

Many students end up juggling part-time jobs to pay their way through college while struggling to keep up with schoolwork. The combination of financial strain/stress with spreading oneself too thin can impact your ability to truly devote focus on academics, self-care, and personal relationships. 

Experimentation with Substance Use 

On-campus parties and dorm hangouts open opportunities to experiment with substances, from alcohol to other drugs. Occasional social drinking or use might not become problematic if you’re responsible, but substance use can quickly turn to abuse, especially when some students may turn to substances for self-medication to cope with stress, depression, or anxiety.  

Unfortunately, even if excess substance use doesn’t develop into abuse, it can still trigger, worsen, or exacerbate student mental health issues. Substance abuse, notes the Cleveland Clinic, makes tangible changes in the brain that can cause someone to develop a mental illness, and with repeated use, the brain’s reward centers are overstimulated, causing you to want to keep taking a substance, a clear pathway to addiction. 

According to a recent National Survey on Drug Use and Health, substance abuse is linked not only to poor mental health in school but also to long-term health problems. In the study of college students aged 18 to 22:  

• Nearly 6 million smoked cigarettes within the last month 

• 12 million drank alcohol (with 7.8 million binge drinking) 

• 4.5 million students used cannabis 

• 299,000 experimented with cocaine