Factors Affecting Academic Stress of Undergraduates: with Reference to University of Sri Jayewardenepura

Abstract

Academic stress can affect any person who engages in academic works, and the level of stress can vary from person to person. According to Mashi and Gulrez (2006), stress is one of the crises of a lifestyle which affects a person’s mentality. Students’ academic stress may be caused by different factors such as difficulty to adapt to a new academic environment, huge work load, financial problems, loss of a family member, lack of close friends, and exam failures (Furneaux, 1961; Sagar & Silgh, 2017). Most of the undergraduates confront emotional pressure when entering the university system. Moreover, they have to build interpersonal skills with different people who come from diverse backgrounds. Most of the students who have already enrolled in degree programs are required to do well in academic programs since their expectation is a good career at the end. Thus, academic stress can be formed automatically among the undergraduates. Hence, managing stress is very important to undergraduates to reach their expected academic performance. Similarly, graduates who can work in any work environment and are able to handle stress are necessary for the sustainable development to the country.