Whats Wrong with College Students?

Gabe:
Hey. My name is Gabriel Byram. Im a student, a freshman at Western Washington University,
and Im going to talk a bit about college students.
Im here with my friend and room-mate, Joe. The other day Joe was talking with a young man,
also a freshman, who we know both from our hometown.
Joe:
Yea, we were talking, and I asked him Are you depressed? He said yea that its hard
to know what you want to do in life when you arent sure you want life itself.
Gabe:
When Joe told me how our mutual acquaintance was depressed, I wondered how the transition to
college influenced his, or mine, or really any students health. We dorm in a suite with 6 other
guys in a living area called the Ridgeway Community.
I figured the Ridgeway Commons, which is where people eat and play some sports, would be a
cool place to see how students make their move into college.
Today when I went to dinner, as I was sitting down I saw a familiar face taking his empty dishes
towards the exit. It was a guy I knew from high school. It seemed like he was finished with his
food, but about a minute later he came back through the exit, backtracked across the dining hall,
got a slice of pizza, and came and chatted with me. Its always nice to eat with others. He ate
pretty slowly, so he was finishing his one slice just as I was finishing up my meal. He probably
saw me as he was leaving, and maybe the prospect of talking with a friend made room for
another slice of pizza.
I mightve done the same thing.
Proffessor Lynn Staeheli writes about place as a social process, combining the physical and
nonphysical of different levels. The Ridgeway commons is just that - a place where we take our
basic needs for food and human interaction and create a dining hall filled with grub to grab and
places to sit and talk with friends or gather as a group and watch the Sunday game.
Joe:
And late night is especially social.
Gabe:
Late night is a 9:30 pm meal with one advertised dish that changes each day. People tend to go in
groups.
Joe:
Yea, everyones out of their classes.

Gabe:
So if the commons is a process to meet our needs, then we can improve it to better meet our
needs.
We could promote healthier food ...
I remember a few weeks ago I asked for an apple and a banana. I was asked to choose one or the
other.
Joe:
Just have another slice of pizza.
Gabe:
And thats probably what I did.
And clubs could recruit and advertise on the bulletin boards or napkin holders, offering niche
groups for those who might feel left out elsewhere.
Exercise equipment could be made more accessible or signs could be posted about how sports
rackets and balls are available to rent.
And late night could be advertised more. Its meal selection could be more varied.
These changes would promote mental and physical health healthier, happier students doing
better academically. The effects can ripple.
Students increasingly report barriers to socialization, exercise, and stress management. All of
which decrease academic success and sense of well-being.
In a 1999 mental health report, the US Surgeon General said:
Americans are inundated with messages about successin school, in a profession, in parenting,
in relationshipswithout appreciating that successful performance rests on a foundation of
mental health.
Joe, why are you going to college?
Joe:
The money obviously.
Gabe:
In the last decade the number of students who believe that being financially well off is essential
has gone up 12%, the number who think they have above average emotional health has decreased
by more than 10%, and the number of young adults committing suicide has increased by 10%.
Students socialize, sleep, and exercise less. The number attending college has increased
dramatically while the percentage with diagnosable mental health issues has also increased.

Nearly 65% of students who drop-out report mental health issues as a factor.
We pressure kids to attend college and seek a profession, but dont tell them how to be healthy
while doing it.
Over the last 4 decades, South Koreas economy has exploded. They have one of the most
educated workforces, a booming technology sector, and a long-time spot at the top the education
charts. They also have the highest reported school related stress. 70% of students in South Korea
say they feel guilty when taking a break from their 12-hour schoolwork days. Their suicide rate
is almost two and half times that of the US.
Joe:
Isnt that comparison a bit stretched?
Gabe:
Yea, but it puts light to an important trend one that Americans should want to avoid.
Joe:
So, what then?
Gabe:
Well, thats the problem. We have need for an educated society. Physical health, crime decreases,
wealth distribution, and economic growth all correlate with education.
Every day in high school Id walk past posters reminding me how the less educated have lower
earnings and higher unemployment. And the gaps are just increasing. Kids are told that college
provides health and wealth, so thats where they go.
Joe:
And theres a stigma around community or trade schools too.
Gabe:
Yea, students who might do better elsewhere end up feeling pressured to go to a 4-year
university. So they rack up more debt and stress.
Students, including me, invest in an education because the figures point to social and financial
benefit, but what about the other side of the coin?
As students place greater emphasis on education they divert attention from their health, which in
turn decreases academic success. Its counterproductive.
Joe:
And its not exactly cheap to go here.
Gabe:

 We need to develop communities that view and encourage mental and physical health as a
means to bolster education. The issue is complex. Education has a large, beneficial role to play,
but a balance must be obtained.
We cannot continue to focus solely on large social and economic goals while ignoring the real,
often counteracting effects, that doing so has on the youth of our country.