Jason is a second year college student and lives at home with his parents so that he can save money to go to a four-year college. He has been having some problems with his parents who want him to account for his every move and require strict rules about curfew, household chores, the kind of places he can go and with whom. At 19 years of age, he is feeling like they are not trusting him enough to make responsible decisions. They have all been arguing more lately and this is beginning to take its toll on the family life.
This scenario is a typical example of a kind of stress that effects college students. There are a variety of stressors involved. Stressors for Jason include his parents and their reactions toward him, and the rules and regulations that he perceives as too strict. For Jason's parents the stressors include Jason and how he reacts toward their rules and regulations. How do we become aware of the amount and types of stressors in our everyday lives? The next slide explains five easy methods for measuring stress that can be used at any time during the course of your typical day.