CHAPTER
III
DISCUSSION
This
chapter discusses about what are factors that affect freshmen become under
pressure, what characteristics that we can find when freshmen get stressed, and
what shall we do if freshmen get stressed.
3.1 Factors that
Affect Freshmen become Under Pressure
Figure 3.1 Illustration
of a Freshmen Experiencing Stress
There are so many people saying
that teenager’s life is the most pleasant life phase in someone’s life period.
That statement can be true or false, it is based on someone’s itself. When it
comes to false, there are some factors that affect teens (especially freshmen) become
under pressure. Based on our research (simple questionnaire) at College Literature University, the factors are as follows.
a)
Achievement
pressure
This
thing is one of the biggest sources of freshmen’s problem. Because the
Achievement Standard is too high and haunt them, whether it is set by their
parents, their family, their relations, or their environment, freshmen can not
set their standard to the freshmen with their own way. Their parents,
relations, or their environment must set the demand based from freshmen’s
majority, freshmen’s minority, and freshmen’s condition.
Usually,
freshmen will be more stressed if the achievement pressure was set up as an adult’s business that is based on
adult’s prestige. This maybe a bit like blacksmith who beat and burn irons to
be formit according to what the buyer wants. If this thing is coupled with
negative parental attitudes, such as nagging, threatening, or boycotting their
pocket money, it is not impossible that freshmen will be depressed.
b)
College
duty
Other
things that can cause freshmen experiencing a state of stress is when they are
faced with so many tasks, quizzes (whether it is small or big quiz), in a
continuous period for a long time.
For
some freshmen, they think that it is an interesting challenge and they want to
fight to get good marks at it. On the other hand, another freshman will take it
as a very deep burden or very frightening specter.
Because
of that frightened feels, they are keep studying all night long, sleep at
midnight – or more extreme, not sleep – in order to understand and occupy
college’s duty. This will affect a disastrous effects that not good for freshmen!
They will be easy to experience stress.
c)
Love
affairs
Another
problem is about love affairs. Based from psychology study, passion of love in
teenagers (especially freshmen) has doubled. There are positive and negative
things in this thing called love. Example of positive things: they could feel
the sensation of love, love encouraging their growth; create independence
feeling in their life, support, motivation, and fun.
However,
there are also negative things, for example: love brings jealous feelings,
revenge, possessive (the impulse to control their couple’s freedom), great
depression, or maybe the extreme one – commit suicide because they lost a
special person in their life. Also, it can affect their college life in many
factors, more or less.
3.2 Characteristics
that can Appear when Freshmen Get Stressed
When freshmen get stressed, they
will show strange attitudes and characteristics, but it only appear when they
get stressed. Based on our research (simple questionnaire) at College Literature University, the attitudes or characteristics are as follows.
a)
Lack
of enthusiasm or motivation
When a freshmen experience stress,
it can clearly be seen from the stance they do. Some freshmen will show it very
clearly if they are not in good state because they lack of enthusiasm and/or
motivation.
b)
Experiencing
extremely moody state
Based from some case that happened
on freshmen (especially at College Literature University), when they are not at in good
state (or stress). Then, their emotional potency will be grown rapidly. That is
fair. Many of them wreak it (extreme mood changes) with anger. This is often
called bad mood.
The other thing, they are also
resentful, too sensitive, too reactive, or too silent, not like usual.
c)
Run
away from their family, friends, and hobbies
Many cases when freshmen get into
stress, they suddenly become a closed and a withdrawn person. They do not want
to interact with other people around them and did not even want to do things
they like (like hobbies). Also, they absolutely did not want to interact with
people with rights to control them (like parents). They do not want to be
controlled when they are not in a good state.
This kind of freshmen prefer to
solve their problems by themselves than discuss it with other people.
d)
Change
of Teenager’s Lifestyle
Problems that come over again,
again, and again, whether it is internally or externally from college life
(campus affairs) can not be denied that it can be burden for freshmen. Some of
the problems even interfere, or even, change their lifestyle.
Because they keep thinking of their
problems, most of freshmen will get things like insomnia (hard to sleep) or
other things (or even diseases). They want to forget the problems, but they
keep thinking of their problems.
The other things (as mentioned
above), the problems can also affect into their eating habit, which they can
significantly increase or decrease their weight.
e)
Lack
of Concentration and Getting Senile
Because of the problems freshmen faced, some
of them often lose concentration when they are performing an activity (or more
than one activity). That thing is also reasonable, because, basically, when a
person (in this case is freshmen) is confronted by a problem, they will keep
thinking of it, and that thing is always inside their mind. So, they can
concentrate for one hundred percent.
f)
Feelings
of Worthlessness or Extreme Guilt
g)
Excessive
sensitivity
3.3 What
Freshmen do when They are Get Stressed
From simple questionnaires’
dissemination that given to College Literature University’s freshmen, below are something
that College Literature University’s freshmen do when they are experiencing stress. These
things are also mentioned at research of Elizabeth Scott M. S. at April 20,
2009.
a)
Pray
Some
of freshmen will pray and ask for help from God when they are facing problems.
Praying is one of good solution and refreshes our heart.
b)
Sleep
There
are a lot of things that can be done when freshmen experience stress. But, most
of them prefer to sleep. Sleep is an instant activity to forget the problems at
hand, but maybe they will only forget their problems only when they are
sleeping. What will happened if they wake up? They will remember the problems
that they face. However, sleeping can make freshmen’s body relaxed, and
recharged (for face their problems).
c)
Do
Something Fun
To
forget the problems for a moment, some of freshmen prefer to do their hobbies,
for example: play with their pets, drawing, drink coffee, playing cards, play
with computer, listening to music, and so on. That thing, based from some freshmen,
can change their bad mood that caused from problems they faced.
d)
Pretend
to be Alone
Some
of other freshmen prefer to be alone when they are experiencing stress.
According to them, they need some time to reflect on their problems, and find a
way to solve it.
e)
Crying
and Yelling
These
two activities are very expressive. Some of freshmen argue that crying and
yelling can relief them and at least, decreasing their burden.
3.4
How
to Fight Stress
From simple questionnaires’
dissemination that given to College Literature University’s freshmen, below are something
that College Literature University’s freshmen suggestion about how to fight stress. These
things are also mentioned at research of Elizabeth Scott M. S. at April 20,
2009.
a)
Identify
and recognize the sources of stress
Every
problems faced by freshmen until they experience stress, must have roots that have solution. To solve the
problems, the first thing to do is identify and recognize the cause of their
problems.
b)
Be
more mature (via education and life experience)
Every
person in this world will surely pass through all growth phases, namely
infants, children, teens, and adults. When getting through those phases, every
person absolutely faces many problems, whether they are little or big problems.
When the problem happens, that’s very reasonable when someone get stressed. Nevertheless,
when all of the problems are solved, it surely has a turning point from the
problems, so that the person can take lessons and wisdom from the problems
he/she solved.
c)
Run
a healthy life
For
example: being grateful for what they had, being patient to achieve their
desire, realizing the difference between wants and needs, and so on.
d)
Say
thanks to God Almighty for everything that has happened
e)
Ask
for guidance to close friends, people who are more mature, psychologists, and
so on.
f)
Avoid
Negative Attitudes
For
example: rebelling against the situation, apathy, angry, and so on. Those things
will not solve the problems, but create new problems.
When
teenagers (especially freshmen) experience stress, they are venting this
frustration feeling to other person, which will blow up the situation and
create new problems. Why? Because they will say something bad that can hurt
someone’s feelings.