Research Blog 3: How Might Privatization Connect To My Topic?

Much like my Analytic Essay, I intend to explore stress and mental health among first-year college students. This strongly relates to privatization through various mechanisms. The most notable connection between privatization and stress lies in the financial implications of privatization. Due to a lack of public funding for students to attend college, individuals are perpetually forced to seek out loans from private lenders often charging exorbitant interest rates. This instills in the student a sense of financial insecurity, and by extension stress and anxiety related to the ability to pay back their student loans.

Also examined in my Analytic Essay is the correlation between privatization and social stratification in modern day higher education institutions. As the price of college increases, higher education caters more and more to the wealthy elite who do not struggle with financial insecurities or rely on student loans. Students of these families also attend school for very different reasons than their financially disadvantaged counterparts. Armstrong and Hamilton cite examples of various pathways college students take such as the party, professional, and mobility pathways (A&H 15). Each pathway brings with it differing academic and social goals and priorities. This social stratification has infiltrated the education system so strongly that specific academic programs have been developed to exemplify the needs and purposes of students on the party pathway, yet fail to account for students on the professional and mobility pathways. Author's Armstrong and Hamilton also reference Steven Brint's term "Ivy Islands" to describe the inaccessabilty of high tier college institutions to the majority of Americans (A&H 4). Skyrocketing loan prices along with a changing demographic at these schools inhibits many students from reaching their full potential at one of these schools, resulting in failed expectations of incoming freshman.

Prior to the rise of privatization, college was an opportunity for a young American to achieve his or her American Dream and further their future. College was not necessary to create a successful future, yet a student would benefit immensely from a college degree and was able to put themselves through college entirely without loans and nothing more than a part-time job. Yet in today's time, recent high school graduates are all but required to attend college. Jobs are made accessible to only those with a college degree, often times only those with several, while individuals with nothing but a high school diploma are left working minimum wage positions. Because of the priority of a college degree, the study of the implications of privatization are of paramount importance as an increasing majority of young Americans are forced to deal with it's implications.

Inital Topic Idea

My initial research interest is in stress among college students. After working on the Analytic Essay, I found the connections between privatization and stress to be undeniable and very intriguing. I would like to examine questions like what causes stress in college students? And, what resources are available to these students to manage their stress? While thinking about this research topic I also found myself wondering what factors  contributed to stress among college students before privatization and how have stress factors shifted with the implementation of such a concept? Being a currents college student myself, I have found myself overwhelmed with anxiety and stress at times and while, "I'm so stressed!" is a common exclamation to hear on campus, the physical implications for stress are important to be examined when determining whether privatization is really worth it. Is the capital gain worth the sacrifice of an entire generation's mental health?

Last but not least, I think it would be helpful to examine the European model of higher education as I believe it would offer some potential solutions to the predicaments we find ourselves in while funding higher education in the United States.

Scouting the Territory

I was initially interested in researching stress among college students in a broad sense- What factors contributed to stress in college students? What resources are available to college students to cope with stress? Is stress experienced more in females or males, and why? And to what extent is stress a product of the collegiate institution? However, I choose to change my topic after reading more about the first-year experience at college. For my own personal reasons I am interesting in learning more about factors which shape the first-year experience since my first year was filled with obstacles. While I am still interested in answering all the aforementioned questions, I would like to explore them in the context of the first year experience and learn how and why stress manifests itself in this period of collegiate life.

The following sources appear helpful in further investigating this topic:

Krumrei-Mancuso E, Newton F, Kim E, Wilcox D. Psychosocial Factors Predicting First-Year College Student Success. Journal Of College Student Development [serial online]. May 1, 2013;54(3):247-266. Available from: ERIC, Ipswich, MA. Accessed February 18, 2014.

This article addresses factors such as GPA, life satisfaction, stress and time management as affecting a students success as a first-year student. 

Fielder, Robyn L., et al. "Sexual Hookups And Adverse Health Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study Of First-Year College Women." Journal Of Sex Research 51.2 (2014): 131-144. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

This article discusses the psychological and social effects of sexual promiscuity among first-year college women and offers evidence for the correlation between casual "hook-ups" and depression. 


Krieg, Dana Balsink1. "High Expectations For Higher Education: Perceptions of College and Experience of Stress Prior to and Throughout the College Career." College Student Journal 47.4 (2013): 635-643. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

This article focuses on the role of unrealistic expectations in shaping a student's first year. The author cites the the importance of this transitional period where students are expected to adapt to new academic expectations, a broader and more diverse peer group and a much greater deal of individual responsibility. 

This is a test.