By Jordan Cook
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
The purpose of college is to give students a chance to achieve their academic goals and provide them with opportunities for employment, which has now changed due to debt and internships.
Many students now find their college experiences to be overly stressful and difficult. Finding employment while managing student debt seems to be the most common stressors that make receiving a degree feel unattainable to some students.
“The thought of finding work after school is stressful to me. Finding internships has already been difficult for me. I haven’t found any while being a junior,” says Amber Hopkins, a junior majoring in biology pre-med at Morgan State University.
Hopkins’s goal, like other students’, is to get an internship through university programs. However, expecting students to balance academic work, extracurriculars, and an internship can have negative impacts on students’ overall health.
The Journal of American College Health conducted a study on the Role of Financial Strain in College. Their study showed there was a correlation between college students’ “financial strain” and “increased work hours, resulting in “sleep disturbances” and “depressive symptoms.”
“I know that mental health resources are available for me if I need them; it’s great to have easy access to mental health resources or counselors,” says Marcus Johnson, a junior studying Sport Management at Towson University.
Jonas Sheckler, the assistant director of financial well-being at Towson University, is a resource for students undergoing financial stress. Sheckler facilitates workshops and tabling events in order to support students’ financial health.
“Student loans are a big concern right now,” says Sheckler. “If a student is stressed due to financial hardship, they can book an appointment with me. Depending on the hardship, there are options, and I can help them create a plan.”
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