Academic stress & Coping mechanisms: An

investigation of the

relationship between Academic stress levels and

coping mechanisms among university students.

By

Ashley Ngugi
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE............................................................................................................................................3
1.0 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Background of the study......................................................................................................................3
1.2 Statement of the problem.....................................................................................................................4
1.3 Purpose of the study.............................................................................................................................4
1.4 Research questions...............................................................................................................................5
1.5 Significance of the study......................................................................................................................5
1.6 Scope of the study................................................................................................................................5
1.7 Definition of terms...............................................................................................................................6
1.8 Summary..............................................................................................................................................6
CHAPTER TWO...........................................................................................................................................7
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW........................................................................................................................7
2.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................................7
2.2 How Often Do University Students Experience Stress?......................................................................7
2.3 The Most Common Academic Stress among University Students......................................................7
2.4 The Challenges Accompanied by the Stress University Students Experience....................................9
2.5 Coping Strategies.................................................................................................................................9
2.6 Summary............................................................................................................................................10
CHAPTER THREE.....................................................................................................................................11
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY...........................................................................................................11
3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................................11
3.2 Research Design.................................................................................................................................11
3.3 Population and Sampling Design.......................................................................................................11
3.3.1 Population...................................................................................................................................11
3.3.2 Sampling Design.........................................................................................................................11
3.4 Data Collection Methods...................................................................................................................13
3.5 Research Procedures..........................................................................................................................13
3.6 Data Analysis Methods......................................................................................................................13
3.7 Chapter Summary..............................................................................................................................13
References....................................................................................................................................................15
 CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

In every individual’s life, they go through transitions as they progress to the next stages of their

lives. Among the many transitions they make is moving from high school to university. This is

usually a very exciting yet scary experience to everyone. Joining the adult life and gaining your

freedom may seem enjoyable and makes one powerful enough in their own way but it comes

with its limitations as well. Transitioning from high school to university can be stressful and can

cause quite some pressure on an individual as this marks the beginning of their adult life through

the acquisition of higher education. This is the period where students create new connections

with new people, learn and teach themselves how to manage their time, their finances, their

social lives. It is also during this period where they move away from the safe and familiar place

called home. All these new changes consequently cause stress on them either physically,

psychologically, intellectually and emotionally.

Academic stress can be defined as a psychological aspect during the learning process of an

individual whereby they experience mental disorders or pressure from learning activities in

school. With this definition, it is easy to find a number of issues causing stress in a student’s

academic life. Having in mind that their future career survival depends on them being

academically excellent in their university studies, this exposes them to stress for extended

periods of time and in turn they may have adverse effects on them mentally. However,

students are able to combat stress using ‘defense mechanisms’ called coping strategies.

(Auerbach and Gramling, 1996). These techniques focus on a variety of emotional regulation

mechanisms, thought processes, and behaviors (Mathew, 2017). The most common coping
strategies that students use include: ‘seeking social support, problem solving, distraction,

emotional focused problem solving, self-reliance’ (Mathew, 2017).

However, if individuals fail to use adequate stress coping techniques to deal with stressful

events, their stress might continue over time, increasing their chance of developing serious

physical and mental disorders (Yikealo, Tareke, & Karvinen, 2018). While this particular

statement has been backed by dozens of research studies, it still begs the question of whether

there is a correlation between the stress level and the kind of coping mechanism employed.

This research, therefore, seeks to investigate the relationship between academic stress and

coping mechanisms among students.

1.2 Statement of the problem.

The youth between the ages 18-25 are still at the stage of learning about life and understanding

the real meaning of adulting. This is the age group where most individuals are finishing high

school and joining university and clearing their undergraduate studies as well. Life in

university tends to be a bit difficult when it comes to keeping up with good grades,

establishing new friendships as well as being a responsible individual. These factors can result

to stress to college students. This in return, has led to universities and parents finding solutions

on how they can assist students to cope up with stress.

1.3 Purpose of the study.

• To investigate how often students experience academic stress.

• To investigate the most common academic stressors faced by students.

• To investigate the most common academic stress coping mechanism that is used by

the students.
1.4 Research questions.

1. How often do you experience stress?

2. Which is the most common academic stress that you experience?

3. What are the challenges that come with the stress that you experience?

4. What are the stress coping mechanism you have employed?

1.5 Significance of the study.

By including university students, this study will help to;

1. Understanding what factors in the academic lives of the students causes them most

stress.

2. Investigating the coping mechanisms that the students have employed when it comes to

academic stress and how helpful they have been to them.

3. It is important to understand that the students are going through in their schools that

bring up the pressure of academic stress on them.

More information regarding the interrelation of these variables and how it might affect

university students can be known by including students themselves to this research by getting

their opinions and in return aid them in making better life choices and healthy choices and how

they can cope up with their academic stressors now and in the future.

The results derived from this research study will put universities and parents at a better

position to understand their students and children and how they can assist them with coping

with academic stress.

1.6 Scope of the study.

This study on ‘Academic stress and coping mechanisms among university students will be

conducted here in Nairobi among the few universities located there for example, USIU,
JKUAT, UON & STRATHMORE between October 16th to October 30th. The research study

will quantitative and qualitative approach and measures. A sample of 50 students will be

selected from the mentioned universities population. Data will be collected through an online

questionnaire throughout the month of October.

1.7 Definition of terms.

Academic stress: the feeling of anxiety or apprehension over one’s performance in their

academic activities.

Coping mechanisms: the factors that enable an individual to regain emotional equilibrium

after a stressful experience.

Data: information collected, observed and recorded usually in numeric or textual form.

Population: the target group under investigation. For our case, it will be the university

students.

1.8 Summary

This chapter has indicated a clear introduction to the research area of academic stress and

coping mechanisms among university students. When university are going through academic

stress, they are often overlooked and perceived to be in the right state of mind as they are

assumed to be working hard to maintain the good grades for the success of their future careers.

This sectioned has also justified the purpose of the study. It is of importance that the research

is conducted in order to assist university students to manage to cope up with their academics

and the stressors that tag along with them.

 CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
Academic stress has been determined to be the most prevalent mental state that university
students experience in the course of training. Barker et al (2018) suggests that indeed, the mental
health among university students has grown over the recent years. Various studies have exposed
the high rate of psychological symptoms linked to this specific stage of education. Stress has
been recognized to be one of the prevalent psychological problems of university students. In
their day-to-day lives, these students face an array of demands, academic one s and non-
academic ones, which affects their wellbeing. The primary academic demands consist of
performance pressure, preparing and doing exams, lack of time to complete academic tasks, as
well as coping to a new context (Frazier et al., 2019). Non-academic demands on the other hand
include habitat change, the pressure to create new relationships, partner, friends or family
conflicts, and money problems. Stress, in this case, brings harms to the academic performance of
student and their psychological and psychological health.
2.2 How Often Do University Students Experience Stress?
According to Bouchrika (2022), statistics indicate that student stress is not a myth, and the
results show that it might be on equivalence with the anxiety adults are dealing with. Bouchrika
(2022) also reveals that national research investigation conducted in 2018 revealed that in the
United States, university students are stressed because they are worried by their future and
whether they will secure a job after they graduate. Additionally, Bouchrika (2022) explains that
research conducted in Japan shows that approximately five hundred university students take their
lives every year. Most of these students are below the age of twenty. The suicide rate is higher
during the first day of school, considering that it is three times higher than any other day. As
Bouchrika (2022) demonstrates, six out of ten university students experience irresistible anxiety,
and more than 40% are saddled with crippling depression.
2.3 The Most Common Academic Stress among University Students
Jones et al., (2018) demonstrate that one of the most common academic stress faced by
university students is financial stress. Each university student is concerned about their financial
position as they pursue their different courses. Students are worried about how they will manage
to pay for classes, loan repayment, as well as how they pay for necessities and housing needs. As
a result, they develop stress because they are worried about meeting the different academic and
personal needs and desires (Jones et al., 2018).
Reddy et al., (2018) explain that the pressure to create new relationship is another prevalent
academic stressor that university students face. In most cases, universities across the globe admit
or enroll students from different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. It means that
students with poor interpersonal and social skills find it difficult to interact and create
relationships with others. In the end, they feel rejected and can develop stress which affects their
academic performance (Reddy et al., 2018).
Gallagher et al., (2019) demonstrate that most university students are worried by their future life.
Most students hope to lead successful careers but they understand that they have to work hard
and achieve good and competitive grades. They understand that failure to get good grades they
will struggle to secure well-paying jobs, considering the high competitiveness demands in the job
market (Gallagher et al., 2019). As a result, university students develop anxiety and are worried
whether or not they will be successful in future. They develop stress because they are mentally
tortured by the thoughts of being a failure in their future lives.
Barker et al., (2018) also reveal that another academic stressor student’s in higher learning
institutions experience is conflicts with friends, family, and partners. Stress develops when
students try to balance their personal lives with college life. Students waste more time and costs
dealing with conflicts with family members, partners, or friends. As time passes, students end up
lacking enough time to complete university task. When they get poor grades, their mental health
is affected because they are worried about their future and success.
Bouchrika (2022), demonstrates that 29% of university students in the United States are victims
of bullying and harassment. Imed (2022) goes ahead and points out that female students in the
United States are more likely to get bullied and harassed at their institutions compared to their
male counterparts. Students face this type of stress because they can be abused physically, their
rumors being spread, or being barred from key functions and activities on purpose.
Reddy et al., (2018) reveal that stress also arises among students due to workload. New students
find it difficult to cope with university workload. They have to go to classes, complete
assignment in time, attend to personal needs and desires, and balance their social life. These
overloads their mind, affecting their psychological health. Their concentration levels decrease as
their motivation in school diminishes.
2.4 The Challenges Accompanied by the Stress University Students Experience
Gallagher et al., (2019) reveal that peer pressure is the most common challenge that university
students experience due to academic stressors. Stressed students find themselves associating with
friends who introduce them to drug and substance use. Students who lack control are lured that
using drugs and drinking alcohol reveals stress, but they end up ruining their lives and wasting
time. Peer pressure is high in higher learning institutions because students have full control of
their life without parents being around. In this case, they have total control of their lives, and
those that fail to stay on course end up developing bad habits and move towards the wrong
direction.
Reddy et al (2018) suggest that time mismanagement is a challenge that stressed students
encounter. A student can waste more time addressing conflicts that may arise with family,
friends, or partners. University students are individuals at that age where interaction of opposite
sex is high. It means that they have affairs and can get stressed when things are not right with the
other partner. It is the same case for friends and family, and as students spend more time
addressing such issues, they fail to meet their academic expectations. Stress, in this case, brings
harms to the academic performance of student and their psychological and psychological health.
Frazier et al (2019) also reveal that poor performance is a common challenge stressed university
students encounter. The combination of time mismanagement, failure to attend classes, and lack
of a balance in social life causes poor performance. In higher learning institutions, students have
to create relationships with colleagues because team work is vital.
2.5 Coping Strategies
Zhai & Du (2020) demonstrate that proper planning and time management are the core coping
strategies embraced by university students. Students have to plan their day and have to adhere to
strict timeframes. When they plan their daily schedules, they will be free from activities that are
time-wasting. Time management reduces the academic stress levels of university students
because they have time for accomplishing and completing academic and non-academic duties.
Students make time for co-curricular activities like sports which help them minimize the stress
they encounter.
Freire et al (2020) narrate that increasing the social networks and relationships has been proved
by students to be a coping mechanism for the stress they face in school. Social interaction is vital
for the physical and psychological development and health of all individuals. While in school,
students have coped with stress levels by making more friends, thus increasing connectivity and
interaction. It is a move that increases self-esteem because students feel accepted and their
culture appreciated (Freire et al., 2020). Indeed, stress among university students can affect their
mental health, and this has been a prevalent issue most university institutions are struggling to
address.
2.6 Summary
Indeed, this chapter reveals that stress has been recognized to be one of the prevalent
psychological problems of university students. The section demonstrates that the daily lives of
university students, they face an array of demands, academic ones and non-academic ones, which
affects their wellbeing. Additionally, research illustrates that the most common stressors of
university students include worries about the future, financial stress, bullying and harassment,
conflicts with friends, partners, or family, and the pressures that emerge to create new friends
and relationships. These are a combination of both academic and non-academic demands that
university students face. The chapter also elaborates the challenges accompanied by the stress
university students experience, including poor performance, peer pressure, low self-esteem, as
well as time mismanagement. Finally, the section concludes by identifying the various coping
strategies university students have embraced, including increasing social networks and
relationships and proper planning and time management. With these strategies, university
students have managed to cope with the stress levels when pursuing their education desires
 CHAPTER THREE
3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Introduction
This section of my research proposal will cover important information on the specific
procedures and techniques that I will use to not only identify, select, collect process and analyze
data for my topic which is Academic stress & Coping mechanisms: An investigation of the
relationship between Academic stress levels and coping mechanisms among university students.
This section is important to my research proposal because it will prove with a guiding framework
on the research methods and techniques which I will use to conduct my actual research.
3.2 Research Design
The research design that I will use in my research paper is experimental research design
study. Creswell, 2014, defines experimental research design as one of the commonly used
research design methods that is used to obtain important information on the research question by
describing the phenomenon, the situation or the population being studied. In my research this
research design will be obtaining information on the population that I am studying by answering
the questions on what, when, where and how. The reason why I selected this method is because it
works well with both qualitative and quantitative data. The advantage of using experimental
research design in my topic is that I will be able to manipulate and control the dependent
variable.
3.3 Population and Sampling Design
3.3.1 Population
According to Otzen and Manterola 2017, the term study population refers to a group of
individuals, objects and events in a study and it is the subset in which the target population from
which the sample will be selected because since it is broader and then observed in the research
process. In this research proposal, the study population is university students from United States
International University Africa where I am a student.
3.3.2 Sampling Design
[Link] Sampling Frame
Kumar, 2011, in the book, Research methodology: a step-by-step guide for beginners,
writes that a sampling frame refers to a list of things that a research draws the sample used in
conducting the research from and the list has all possible outcomes that are used in the
experiment. Since my study population is based on university students with a focus on those
studying at the United States International University of Africa (USIU) my sampling frame will
have students from the following levels
a. Freshmen
b. Sophomores
c. Juniors
d. Seniors at the university
[Link] Sampling Technique
Since it is impossible to collect data from each and every person in the study population
which is university students, I will select a sample which I will use to conduct my study and the
selected sample will take part in the research process. There are different sampling techniques
that I would use to get my sample but the most effective sampling technique that I will use in my
research is probability sampling technique. The probability sampling technique is a sampling
technique which involves randomly selecting participants for the research and by doing so I will
be able to make strong statistical inferences about the whole population targeted by the research
question. According to Kumar, 2011, probability sampling technique is effective when using
experimental research design because it is random and each unit is qualified and has equal
chances of being selected as research participants.
[Link] Sample Size
Kumar, 2011, defines a sample size as the number of participants who are included in the
research study representation the whole population target by the study. In my research study, I
will include a sample size of both genders, those who study on-campus and those who study
online and students aged between 18 years and above. The reason why I selected the age bracket
is because I want to deal with adults enrolled in the university and will give their consent to take
part in the study without worry. I am looking forward to working with the appropriate sample
size because a small sample size will not yield valid results and the realities of my population. In
addition to that I am avoiding a huge sample because the probability of errors is high and it will
increase the cost and time for completing the study.
3.4 Data Collection Methods
Data collected is the data used to prepare the final report and in my research study I
intend to collect two types of data which are qualitative and quantitative data sets and these sets
which will be collected from primary and secondary sources. I will collect primary data through
different ways because I want to collect as much data as possible. The first method that I will use
is self-administered surveys, the second one is interviewing my participants and the third one is
by conducting experiments with consenting participants. By using these methods, I will be able
to collect primary data from my participants with ease and having spent less resources and time.
When collecting secondary data, I will review existing data from books, articles and journals that
have been published on the topic and are of academic relevance.
3.5 Research Procedures
Once the preparation for the research are ready, the first thing that will follow is to get
consent from the selected sample. According to Kumar, 2011, informed consent is important in
research process because it ensures that participants are volunteering to take part in the research
and also, they know what it means to take part in the research and also, they willing to take part
in the process. The next procedure is to prepare my participants for the process by giving
detailed expectations on what the research is about, what it wants to achieve and the role that
each participant will take in ensuring that the process has become successful. I will also plan
with the participants when is the best timings for conducting interviews and the self-administered
surveys.
3.6 Data Analysis Methods
Once the data has been collected, there are several methods which I will use to collect the
data. Since I will be working with both qualitative and quantitative data, I will use different
methods to analyze the data. The quantitative data collected with be analyzed by the help of
Microsoft Excel which is an application software that has been developed to analyze quantitative
data. On the other, the research study will collect qualitative data and this data will be analyzed
through narrative analysis of qualitative research.
3.7 Chapter Summary
This chapter has covered important information on how my research process will be a
success. Some of the things that have been covered in this chapter is the different methods that
will be used to analyze both qualitative and quantitative data, the research procedure to be
followed to ensure that nothing has gone wrong in the research process, the methods that will be
used to collect data, the population and sample design to be used in the research and research
design method to be used.
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 References

Creswell, J. W. (2014). A concise introduction to mixed methods research. SAGE publications.

Kumar R. (2011). Research methodology: a step-by-step guide for beginners (3rd ed.). SAGE

Publications.

Otzen, T., & Manterola, C. (2017). Sampling techniques on a population study. Int. J.

Morphol, 35(1), 227-232.