To the overworked, under-rested college students out there, the idea that American college students face an increased level of anxiety isn’t really a surprise. Because many students at highly selective schools focus on the future, their focus on the present (and experiencing the college environment) is diminished.
 
Many highly competitive schools come with a large and ever-growing price tag, which increases the pressure parents put on their children. Students can’t slack in classes that cost so much.
 
According to a study conducted by the American Institute of Mental Health, 80 percent of college students suffer from stress every day. According to the University of Richmond Counseling and Psychological Services, the number of students seeking their services increased more than threefold from 2003 to 2012.
 
The University of Richmond Health Center also claimed that more than half of the cases they saw were related to mental health, and the physical symptoms that are manifested are due to mental health.
 
Many of this anxiety begins in high school, where students push themselves in all areas of life to earn themselves a spot at the most highly competitive schools. However, the race doesn’t stop when they enter college, and the pressure to perform well in classes and set themselves up for the next step in their lives mounts once again.

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