Why Queensland’s university students are struggling with stress

Queensland university students are suffering among the highest levels of stress in the country – ahead of NSW and Victoria – with more than two thirds experiencing anxiety about their studies every week, new research shows. Here’s why.

Queensland university students are suffering among the highest levels of stress in the country, with more than two thirds experiencing anxiety about their studies every week.

New research from online study support service Studiosity found students in the Sunshine State were more likely to be stressed than their counterparts in New South Wales, Victoria or the Australian Capital Territory with academic performance, assignments and worrying about career prospects among the top triggers.

While about 73 per cent of Queensland students reported feeling stressed every month and 65 per cent of at least once a week, alarmingly one in five also said they felt stressed about their university studies more than twice a day.

Queensland university students are suffering among the highest levels of stress in the country. (Pic: iStock)

More than a third pointed to not having enough time to prepare for exams and assessments, while more than half said the high workload was causing them stress.

James Cook University student Stuti Govil said he struggled with stress and anxiety around assignments, and completing studying within timelines.

“The anxiety and stress of my competency coming down to one memory-based test causes me to blank out during exams,” he said.

“Avoiding consuming excessive amounts of caffeine and making time to rest are important, (and) therapy and medication are also part of my toolbox.”

But Studiosity founder Jack Goodman said it was positive to see student stress levels overall were on a slight decline, a change researchers largely attributed to the removal of Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns.

University of the Sunshine Coast nursing student Robyn Palmer.

“We’ve seen a huge amount of disruption in the lives of university students in the last couple of years, and with those changes comes a significant amount of stress and pressure to keep up with online learning,” he said.

“It’s good to see that students feel well-supported by their universities, leading to a trend of declining stress levels across the board.”

The research also found a “gap between students’ aspirations and the reality of their performance”, which could be leading to increased stress.

While about 57 per cent of students declared high grades was “extremely important to them”, only about 18 per cent – less than one in five – were achieving high distinctions in their studies.

One student commented in the research “if I don’t get high grades then I feel like my career development worsens permanently”.

University of the Sunshine Coast nursing student Robyn Palmer said balancing life commitments such as work and relationships, along with trying to study, was one of the most stressful parts of attending university.

“It can sometimes feel like you are being pulled in multiple directions,” she said.

“Assignments and exams are another biggie. The lead up to exams and due dates is very stressful and requires a lot of preparation, prioritising, planning and a little bit of a balancing act.”