Introduction of the most stressful colleges
Want to know what are the most stressful colleges in the USA? Will you avoid these schools, or will you go forward? It is expected to think that high school is very stressful while college life is free and colourful. But the reality is that when you enter a very good and powerful university, you will find that it is really stressful. Although academics take up your relaxation time, this is a good thing. After all, going to college is all about learning more and more advanced things to improve yourself.
What makes the most stressful colleges and why
Financial Stress: 35%
Financial stress is a huge trigger for stress, tuition plus room and board.
Competitiveness: 35%
The academic rigour of the school; college students often have to deal with multiple courses and assignments at the same time, resulting in a high level of academic stress.
Acceptance rate: 10%
More competitive schools typically produce a more competitive student group.
Engineering: 10%
Is this school known for its particularly rigorous graduate engineering programme.
Campus Crime: 10%
An unsafe campus environment can also be very stressful for students.
10 most stressful colleges in the USA
Here are the rankings of the most stressful U.S. colleges released by Collagexpress:
No.1 Stanford University
Standford is close to Silicon Valley; coupled with the school’s comprehensive strength, the employment rate of students after graduation is very high in the world-class top universities, surrounded by all the top students.
Stanford has 3 to 4 quarters a year, and the students’ study tasks are twice as many as those of other universities. Stanford students often say we are famous for learning; learning is life, and life is learning.
No.2 Columbia University
Columbia students thrive in a perpetual state of high pressure, always on the edge, striving to complete their endless lists of tasks efficiently. The library, a testament to their dedication, is open twenty-four hours a day and always occupied. One history major shared that to excel, you must read an average of 1,000 pages a week. It’s a place where resilience and determination are the norm.
Being located in New York City comes with both opportunities and pressures. The high cost of living and the self-planning of careers force Columbia students to look for internships from sophomore year on.
Busyness is a state of mind at Columbia, where opportunities to grow and develop are abundant. However, beneath the surface, there may be moments of confusion, going with the flow, and anxiety. It’s a place where you can truly polish yourself up, ready to take on the world.
No.3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)
Studying at MIT is not just about writing out the answers. It’s about mastering the principles behind complex problems, and being able to distill formulas from your knowledge to solve even more challenging problems. This journey of intellectual growth and achievement is what sets MIT apart.
No.4 University of Pennsylvania
The pressure on Penn students is not imposed from the outside, but is a result of their own choices. Many students choose to schedule their courses very full, seeing it as a cherished opportunity to learn and explore a wealth of new knowledge. This self-driven approach to learning is what makes the Penn experience so unique and empowering.
Penn has made groundbreaking contributions in many areas and is ranked among the best in several disciplines. However, the fame of the Wharton School of Business is probably higher than that of Penn. Wharton’s research work in business covers all aspects of business, with a great collection of talents and achievements.
Compared to other top schools, the academic pressure on Penn students mainly focuses on exam week.
No.5 Harvard University
Harvard University’s annual Naked Mile Festival before final exams is world-famous. A few years ago, a few photos of Harvard University’s library at 4 a.m. circulated on the Internet, with students sitting in the brightly lit library reading and taking notes seriously. Although these photos were later confirmed fake, the pressure from Harvard is not less.
Going to school in such a world-class institution, Harvard students feel more pressure from competing with themselves.
No.5 Princeton University
Princeton is the second most rigorous university in the United States in terms of admissions, second only to MIT. The high academic pressure comes from the school’s emphasis on teaching and learning, the rigour of the curriculum, and the strict control of the number of A’s in the grading process to prevent the phenomenon of Grade Inflation.
On the other hand, it comes from the competition between students. Most of the students at Princeton are dedicated to research and have a great interest in and passion for their majors.
No.6 Vanderbilt University
Although Vanderbilt is not very famous, many rich people in the United States like to send their children to study at Vanderbilt, where each college is small but has a full range of disciplines.
‘There are no A+’s at Vanderbilt’ is a joke circulating on the Vanderbilt campus. The school’s positive and negative grading system has taken a toll on the GPA of students here, and very few students are able to get an A+ in a class.
No.7 Carnegie Mellon University
Every course at Carnegie Mellon has an overload of homework assignments. Even the school motto is My heart is in the work. Under the guidance of this school motto, Carnegie Mellon University is exceptionally rigorous in the training of students, the heavy coursework, and most of the CMU course tasks are too large.
The most exhausting thing about CMU is the sheer volume of coursework. It’s only when you finish your assignments that you realise there’s a lot of extra stuff you need to learn on your own.
No.8 California Institute of Technology
There is a culture of ‘group problem solving’ at school, and it is common for students to stay up all night working on problems. It is rumoured that one student said, ‘The thing I hate most is finding out that the sun has already risen when I am halfway through a problem. So the students who stay here are known to be ‘workaholics’.
Each year, another 20 per cent of students fail to graduate or drop out for one reason or another, and those who remain are notorious studyaholics, studying an average of 50 hours a week, and each must complete 486 hours of classes before graduation.
In addition, each student must also take five physics classes, two chemistry classes, two maths classes, and one biology class. At Caltech, it is impossible to complete all of one’s homework, and staying up all night working on problems is commonplace here.
No.9 Northwestern University
Northwestern has the same academic standards as Ivy League schools and the spiritual atmosphere of a public school in the Big Ten. Northwestern University is highly recognised as a top-tier school after Harvard, Yale, Stanford and Princeton in the United States.
The Kellogg School of Business (KGSM) is recognised as one of the best business schools in the United States, and the Medill School of Journalism is recognised as one of the best journalism schools in the country.
Northwestern University has a heavy academic workload, and catching up with DUE until the early hours of the morning is the norm. Studying here feels spurred on because the people around you are too good. There will inevitably be a sense of disparity.
How to survive the most stressful colleges
Time management: time is precious for college students, so make a reasonable study plan, break down the study tasks into small goals and gradually complete them, to avoid piling up too many tasks at once, resulting in too much pressure. This method can effectively relieve one’s academic pressure.
Communication and support: Share your distress and stress with classmates, teachers or family members and seek their understanding and support. You will find that very often, you are not alone and everyone has similar troubles.
Mentality: Cultivating a positive mindset is the key to coping with academic stress. College students should learn to adjust their mindset and face challenges with a positive and optimistic attitude. By participating in activities such as physical exercise and volunteering, they can enhance their sense of self-worth and self-confidence, so as to better cope with academic pressure.
Conclusion
Anyway, the most stressful colleges are academically intensive but provide students with a wealth of learning resources and development opportunities. Through hard work and active participation in extracurricular activities, students can achieve excellent results in U.S. colleges and lay a solid foundation for their future careers.
It’s very tiring and busy every day but also fulfilling.
Being stressed means that there is a lot for you to learn, which equally means that you will get a lot out of it. Of course, if you don’t like the high-pressure feeling, you can also choose a school with lighter tasks
Overall, they are good; you will benefit from being in school. But take care of your mental health and de-stress.
