You may have heard some of these before, but probably not all of them, so here are
7 facts about students you should know to help you better understand them and provide them with the best educational environment possible.
7 facts about students you should know
1) Students are under more pressure than ever before
Students today are under more pressure than ever before. The average college student graduates with $30,000 in debt, and millennials are four times as likely to live with their parents as young adults than previous generations.
The number of 18-year-olds living at home has risen from 6% in 2000 to 17% in 2011. What does this mean for the future?
From 2008 to 2012, only 55% of bachelor’s degree recipients finished within four years; between 1993 and 2008, it was 68%.
In 2005, 26% of recent high school graduates enrolled directly in some form of higher education (two-year or four-year).
In 2012 that percentage had fallen to 22%. 3.
2) Social media is a huge part of their lives
When compared to other age groups, nearly half of high school seniors say they spend more than three hours a day on social media (48%).
The average high school senior spends just over two hours a day on social media (2:07), which is the same amount of time they spend sleeping.
Nearly two thirds of teens with phones text their friends for help with homework, and an equal number use their phone for academic purposes.
3) They’re more focused on their career than ever before
The days of the student who just goes to class, does homework, and then parties are long gone.
With the economy in a downturn and the job market tough, they’re more focused on their career than ever before.
Students are putting more effort into internships and networking events to land a job when they graduate and that’s not just because they have no other options.
The days of the student who just goes to class, does homework, and then parties are long gone.
With the economy in a downturn and the job market tough, they’re more focused on their career than ever before.
Students are putting more effort into internships and networking events to land a job when they graduate – and that’s not just because they have no other options.
4) They’re more likely to be mental health issues
It’s hard to fit in with the rest of society when you’re a student.
It’s not only the fact that we’re still developing, but also the pressure from school work and daily life.
This can lead to mental health issues, which are more likely for students than other groups of people.
Students have less access to care due to lack of time, money, or transportation. Less than one-third of college students who suffer from depression receive treatment for it.
The financial burden is a heavy one: Students need more help paying for higher education and managing their day to day lives because they often don’t have any savings or help from their families.
In 2012, 75% of all students graduated college with an average debt load of $29K per person.
5) They’re more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression
It’s no secret that college can be stressful. Students are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression than the general population, according to a recent study published in JAMA Network Open.
Researchers found that 22% of the surveyed undergraduate students reported at least one incidence of depression within the past year, while 30% said they had felt so depressed they were unable to function for two weeks or more.
The average time a student spends on social media has increased by 10 minutes per day:
A report from The Next Web looked into data from Statista which showed that between 2013 and 2017, daily social media use among 18-29 year olds went up by about 10 minutes per day.
45% of surveyed American university students said they would change their major if given the chance.
In comparison to 34% of working adults who said they would make a different career choice if they could go back in time.
6) They’re more likely to be sexually active
Many studies have shown that teens are more likely to be sexually active, which can lead to a higher risk of unplanned pregnancies.
In fact, the Guttmacher Institute reported that more than one-third of U.S. women aged 15-19 who were using contraception became pregnant within the first year of use.
And those numbers only grow for older women: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that nearly half (45%) of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended.
They’re more likely to engage in risky behavior:
A survey from Yale University shows that 25% of high school students said they had used alcohol before coming to school on at least one day during the past 30 days.
Nearly one in four (23%) admitted to smoking marijuana before coming to school on at least one day during the past 30 days, and 10% reported having had an alcoholic drink or taken an illicit drug such as cocaine or ecstasy before coming to school on at least one day during the past 30 days.
7) They’re more likely to use drugs and alcohol
Students are more likely to use drugs and alcohol, they experience mental health issues such as depression at a higher rate, and they’re more likely to be victims of violence.
All of these things can have a negative effect on the student’s ability to learn and succeed in school.
There is also an increased risk for physical injury during periods when drug or alcohol use is heavy.
As mentioned before, students’ mental health is another area of concern.
One study found that 1 in 5 teenagers seriously considered suicide within a 12-month period. Young adults ages 18-25 had the highest rates of suicidal thoughts (1 in 6).
Conclusion
It’s important for parents and teachers to identify symptoms early so that intervention can happen sooner rather than later.
It’s even more important because 80% of people who die by suicide visit their primary care physician within one month of their death, but only 8% receive any psychiatric diagnosis.
