We’re All Stressed, It’s College: An Exploration into the Perceptions of Stress Among College

Between jobs, clubs, classes, families, roommates, social expectations and the transition into adulthood, the traditional aged college student faces a great deal of stress in their day-to-day lives. Adding to the perplexities of this topic, each individual experiences different perceptions of stress. Physical activity is often recommended to reduce stress, but little to no research has been done in the context of the benefits of physical activity and stress reduction in college students. This research compares two specific groups of college students that fall within specific criteria. The comparison will be made between any differences in perceptions of stress between students who are runners or students who practice meditation . The criteria being that each group\u27s demographics are college students from 18-25 years old. Students in group one will be those of a group from the University of Montana who are runners which is defined as participants who run 3-5 times for 20 minutes or more a week for this research. Students in group two will be those of a group from the University of Montana who practice meditation which is defined as participants who meditate 3-5 times for 20 minutes or more a week for this research. Students from each group will be given a survey consisting of questions related to their demographics, frequency of exercise, their perceptions of stress, and coping methods (if any) for stress. Information and data from these surveys will be compared and contrasted. This research will highlight whether or not exercise or mindfulness is more effective, or equally effective in providing positive perceptions of stress. Stress was the top health impact on academics for University of Montana students surveyed by the American College Health Association National College Health Assessment in the spring of 2014; so finding possible outlets for reduction of stress will provide valuable insight for University administration and students