Exploring stress with focus on students in a higher educational institution: a case study in Universiti Sains Malaysia

Stress management of degree students in their final year at the School of Housing, Building and Planning (HBP), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) was explored and analysed in this study. The factors, the effects and the effective ways to cope with stress were delved into. The stress levels between genders were also compared. The results of the feedback of 157 final-year HBP students were subjected to statistical analysis. The top five factors contributing to stress were identified: academic workload, frustration, conflict and pressure, unexpected situations, financial problems and grade pressure. The positive effects of stress made the students more responsible, much more prepared for stress, and enhanced their performances. On the contrary, the negative effects of stress were difficulty in concentrating, feeling stressed out, and tiredness. There were several ways to cope with stress: self-control, calmness in facing problems, taking care of one self and seeking support from others. The comparisons between genders showed that male students were more affected by stress. Stress had positive and negative effects on male students in comparison to female students. In terms of coping with stress, the analysis revealed that female students were able to deal with stress more effectively