African American Students on a Predominantly White Campus: Stressful Experiences and Coping Strategies

Stressful experiences and coping strategies were examined in African American college students at a predominantly white institution. The Ways of Coping-Revised and the Survey of Recent Life Experiences were mailed to all full-time African American students both on and off campus. The results indicated that African American students are not more likely to experience high stress; that stress level does not predetermine coping strategy and that academic class standing does not influence stress level. However, females are likely to experience more stress due to the pressures of time than males. Furthermore, Wishful Thinking was preferred by students who encounter high stress experiences. Administrators and counselors must consider unique attributes of African American students to help them reach their full potential