Students Under Stress Almost a third of freshmen feel over- helmed by all they have to do at th nning of the year: by the end, 44 pe overw recent study of students at three In a most vulnerable to negative life events, perhaps because they lacked experi- had the ence in coping with stresstil situations. Freshmen highest levels of depression: sophomores had the most anger and hostility, seniors may handle life's challeng better because they have developed better coping nisms. In the study. more seniors reported that they faced problems squarely and took action to resolve them, while younger students were more likely to respond passively for instance, by trying not to let things bother them. First-generation college students-those whose par- ents never experienced at least one full year of college encounter more difficulties with social adjustment than freshmen whose parents attended college. Secon generation students may have several advantages: more knowledge of college life, greater social support, more preparation for college in high school, a greater focus on college activities, and more financial resources. The percentage of students seeking psychological help because of stress or anxiety has risen dramatically the last 15 years. (See Student Snapshot "Are Students More Stressed Today? Excessive levels of stress can lead to increased headaches, sleep disturbances, and Students say they react to stress in various ways: physiologically (by sweating, stuttering, trembling, or developing physical symptoms emotionally (by becoming anxious, fearful, angry, guilty, or depressed: behaviorally (by crying, eating, smoking, being irritable or abusive); or cognitively (by thinking about and analyzing stressful situations and strategies that might be useful in dealing with them) Social support makes a differ- ence. Students with a truly support- ive network of friends and family available to them greater sat isfaction and less psychological di tress. In a recent study of