CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

This study examines the factors that cause stress among university students, the effects of that stress on their academic performance, and techniques that can be used to manage it. Its main objectives are to establish the extent to which stress affects students’ academic success, health and general lifestyle, and to identify measures that can reduce the effects of stress on students. The University of Nigeria is used as the case study. The main limitation anticipated is the difficulty of collecting primary data from a large student population within the time available. The study is delimited to students of the University of Nigeria, Nigeria.

1.1 Background to the Study

The word stress is often associated with depression, anxiety, heart disease and other serious health problems. For many students, it also describes an ordinary day. A student may hurry from one end of the campus to the other to catch the next lecture, with back-to-back classes leaving little or no time to eat. By mid-afternoon the student is hungry, with three mid-semester tests to prepare for and a backlog of reading, a study group meeting in the evening to finish a presentation, and three assignments due the next day, which means very little sleep that night.

Such a schedule would leave almost anyone tense, and many students recognise it as their normal routine. Faced with so many demands at once, students can feel overwhelmed, frozen or unable to cope. A timetable packed with lectures, private study and extracurricular activity can damage physical and mental health, especially when eating and sleeping are neglected, and stress that is left unaddressed tends to build on itself over time.

Research confirms that stress is a common part of student life. Reviews of the evidence indicate that stress has a negative effect on students’ learning, performance and well-being in both secondary and higher education (Pascoe et al., 2020). Stress has also been described as an impediment to academic performance (Frazier et al., 2019), and a large international survey of college students found that sources of stress were associated with mental disorders among them (Karyotaki et al., 2020). Typical sources include the transition to university life, heavier study loads, new responsibilities and, for many students, pressure to succeed academically.

Nigerian studies point the same way. In a survey of undergraduates in two universities in Kogi State, almost all respondents (97.8%) reported at least some academic stress, and personal inadequacy, poor relationships with lecturers and fear of failure were significantly associated with it (Oladipe, 2025). Among students at a Nigerian university, perceived academic stress differed by sex, level of study and course, with final-year students and students in the physical sciences reporting more of it (Aihie & Ohanaka, 2019). Mental health problems linked to stress are also common: among pharmacy students in Nigeria, the prevalence of stress, anxiety and depression was 35%, 63.5% and 44.6% respectively (Aluh et al., 2020).

Given these findings, there is good reason to consider how effective coping strategies might protect students from the harmful effects of excessive stress. Students’ coping strategies are related to their sense of self-efficacy (Freire et al., 2020), and stress and coping patterns can differ between male and female students (Graves et al., 2021). Interventions that help students identify their own sources of stress and develop self-management and coping skills have therefore been recommended (Oladipe, 2025).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Stress has become one of the most commonly reported obstacles to academic performance, and students today report high levels of it. Evidence from Nigerian universities shows that stress is widespread among undergraduates (Oladipe, 2025; Aihie & Ohanaka, 2019) and that it goes together with anxiety and depression, which are themselves linked to students’ perceived academic performance and year of study (Aluh et al., 2020). In that study, depression was strongly correlated with stress (r = 0.739), and students in lower years and those who perceived their performance as poor had higher levels of distress (Aluh et al., 2020). Mental health problems in Nigerian students, especially medical students, have been the subject of systematic review, which also indicates the need for more research (Esan et al., 2019).

Headaches, fatigue, low mood, anxiety and an inability to cope are among the physical and emotional symptoms that are common in the student population and can be caused or worsened by stress. When stress is left unmanaged, it can reduce the effectiveness of study, harm health and quality of life, and contribute to poor results or withdrawal from the programme (Pascoe et al., 2020; Frazier et al., 2019). Despite the evidence, much of the Nigerian research has been conducted among particular groups, such as pharmacy and medical students, or in a small number of institutions, and the causes, effects and management of stress among students of the University of Nigeria need to be examined directly. This study addresses that need.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to identify the factors that cause stress among students of the University of Nigeria, Nigeria, and to examine its consequences. The specific objectives are to:

1. identify the causes of stress among students;
2. identify the specific areas of student life in which stress is experienced;
3. determine the effects of stress on students’ academic performance, health and general lifestyle; and
4. identify techniques that students can use to deal with stress.

1.4 Research Questions

The study seeks answers to the following questions:

1. What are the main causes of stress among students of the University of Nigeria?
2. To what extent does stress affect students’ academic performance, health and general lifestyle?
3. How do students feel and behave when they are stressed?
4. Should stress awareness and management be taught at the university?

1.5 Hypotheses

The following hypotheses, stated in null (H0) and alternative (H1) form, will guide the study:

Hypothesis One

H0: Students of the University of Nigeria do not experience significant stress.

H1: Students of the University of Nigeria experience significant stress.

Hypothesis Two

H0: Academic workload does not cause a significant amount of stress in students’ daily lives.

H1: Academic workload causes a significant amount of stress in students’ daily lives.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings will help students, lecturers, counsellors and university management to understand the sources of stress in student life and to adopt a more positive, supportive approach that promotes academic success. They will give the university evidence on which to base stress-awareness programmes and counselling services, in line with the recommendation that stress management and coping skills be developed among students (Oladipe, 2025). The study will also add to the Nigerian literature on student well-being and serve as a reference for future researchers.

1.7 Research Methodology

To make the study productive, the following techniques will be used to obtain relevant information:

1. Relevant material will be accessed from the internet.
2. Related studies and journal articles on the impact of stress will be reviewed.
3. Questionnaires containing closed and open-ended questions will be prepared and administered to students in the study area to obtain facts, opinions and views.

These approaches give an overview of the methods used in the survey, which cover the research design, population, sampling, data collection and data analysis.

1.7.1 Research Design

The study adopts a descriptive survey design. It will examine the causes and effects of stress among students and the measures that can reduce it, in order to meet the stated objectives.

1.7.2 Population

The target population is the current students of the University of Nigeria, Nigeria. The sampling technique and sample size are described in Chapter Three.

1.7.3 Data Collection

Both primary and secondary data will be used. Primary data will come mainly from questionnaires administered in the study area and in related institutions. Secondary data will come from books, related studies and published journals, and the internet may also be used.

1.7.4 Data Collection Instruments and Analysis

Both closed and open-ended questionnaires will be used. For closed questions, respondents will tick the box or boxes that match their opinion, while open-ended questions will ask them to state their views in their own words. The data will be analysed using descriptive statistics, presented in tables, pie charts and bar charts, or by any other method recommended by the supervisor.

1.8 Delimitation (Scope) of the Study

The study is limited to students of the University of Nigeria, Nigeria.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

Because of limited time, the survey will not be extended to other universities in Nigeria. Respondents’ willingness to answer may also be a challenge, since some students may fear that their responses could be used against them.

1.10 Definition of Terms

Stress: a state of worry or emotional tension caused by demanding circumstances, which places strain on the body and mind.

Academic stress: stress that arises from the demands of study, such as examinations, workload, assignments and fear of failure.

Coping strategies: the thoughts and actions people use to manage the demands that cause them stress.

Academic performance: the level of success a student attains in coursework and examinations.

Attrition: the loss of students through withdrawal or dropout before completing their programme.

Cardiovascular disease: a disease affecting the heart and blood vessels.

1.11 Organisation of the Study

The study is organised into five chapters. Chapter One introduces the study and presents the background, problem statement, aim and objectives, research questions, hypotheses, significance, methodology, scope, limitations and definition of terms. Chapter Two reviews the relevant literature. Chapter Three describes the research methodology, including the research design, approach, data collection, population and sample size. Chapter Four presents and analyses the data collected from students. Chapter Five presents the findings, conclusion and recommendations for improving future work in this area. A reference list and a copy of the questionnaire are attached at the end of the study.

References

Aihie, O. N., & Ohanaka, B. I. (2019). Perceived academic stress among undergraduate students in a Nigerian university. Journal of Educational and Social Research, 9(2), 56–66.

Aluh, D. O., Abba, A., & Afosi, A. B. (2020). Prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety and stress among undergraduate pharmacy students in Nigeria. Pharmacy Education, 20(1), 236–248. https://doi.org/10.46542/pe.2020.201.236248

Esan, O., Esan, A., Folasire, A., & Oluwajulugbe, P. (2019). Mental health and wellbeing of medical students in Nigeria: A systematic review. International Review of Psychiatry, 31(7–8), 661–672. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2019.1677220

Frazier, P., Gabriel, A., Merians, A., & Lust, K. (2019). Understanding stress as an impediment to academic performance. Journal of American College Health, 67(6), 562–570. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2018.1499649

Freire, C., Ferradás, M., Regueiro, B., Rodríguez, S., Valle, A., & Núñez, J. C. (2020). Coping strategies and self-efficacy in university students: A person-centered approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 841. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00841

Graves, B. S., Hall, M. E., Dias-Karch, C., Haischer, M. H., & Apter, C. (2021). Gender differences in perceived stress and coping among college students. PLOS ONE, 16, e0255634. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255634

Karyotaki, E., Cuijpers, P., Albor, Y., Alonso, J., Auerbach, R. P., Bantjes, J., et al. (2020). Sources of stress and their associations with mental disorders among college students: Results of the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys International College Student Initiative. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 1759. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01759

Oladipe, T. (2025). Prevalence and sources of academic stress among undergraduates in Kogi State, Nigeria: A cross-sectional survey. FUDMA Journal of Sciences, 9(12), 233–240. https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2025-0912-4153

Pascoe, M. C., Hetrick, S. E., & Parker, A. G. (2020). The impact of stress on students in secondary school and higher education. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 25(1), 104–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823