The Relationship of Anxiety Level and Adjustment Level Among Freshman College Students

Abstract

College education, generally deemed as the pivotal stage of a student's life, knowingly brings about the most challenging, grueling and complicated hurdles of an educational endeavor. A college student, who is by him/herself succumbing to the intensity and pressures of adolescence, is set to embark on an even greater challenge as he/she faces the astounding complexity of the demands of a college education. The researcher noted that the weight of the predicament is inevitably higher for a freshman college student who apparently is just about to experience the milieu. In several cases, college freshmen find themselves living away from home and likely suffer the consequences of such living condition. Hans Selye (1982), who has spent a lifetime studying stress, asserts that almost any change in our lives is a stressor because there is a demand on us to deal with a new situation. The review of related literature established significant information about the major concepts involved in the study. It as well presented several studies on anxiety and adjustment with concrete findings that are highly-relevant to this study. This study embarked to investigate three major problems: (1) to describe the occurrence of anxiety among freshman college students and their adjustment levels/mechanisms; (2) to determine the relationship of living condition with anxiety level and adjustment level among freshman college students; and (3) to determine the relationship between anxiety level and adjustment level among freshman college students. A group of 100 freshman students from the Department of Social Sciences of the University of the Philippines Manila was purposively-sampled as subjects. The group comprised of four (4) freshman blocks from the said Department under the following courses: (1) BA Area Studies, (2) BA Behavioral Science, (3) BA Political Science, and (4) BA Development Studies. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were utilized in the conduct of this study. With survey as the main method used in the data-gathering process, a Self-report questionnaire was formulated as a primary material in conducting the said process. Descriptive statistics was used in describing the anxiety and adjustment levels of the subjects. Descriptive non-parametric statistics, specifically chi-square, was performed in determining the relationships between anxiety level and living condition, adjustment level and living condition, as well as, on anxiety level and on the five domains of adjustment level. Results of the data gathered significantly established that the occurrence of anxiety among freshman college students is largely on the moderate level, while adjustment is significantly in tolerable and manageable levels, as well. Results indicate that 14% of the sample population experience high anxiety, 66% experience moderate anxiety, and 20% have low anxiety. Apparently, the data yielded that most of the subjects have moderate anxiety, and only a few cases of subjects experiencing both high and low anxiety. For adjustment, results revealed quite closely similar cases on the four aspects, as well as, on total adjustment. In the physical/health aspect, 16% of the sample population reported high adjustment, 72% with moderate adjustment, and 12% with low adjustment. In terms of social adjustment, 14% are accounted to exhibit high adjustment, 68% with moderate adjustment, and 18% with low adjustment. For mental/academic adjustment, 15% reported manifesting high adjustment, 75% with moderate adjustment, and 10% with low adjustment. Results for emotional adjustment, revealed that 18% belong to the highly adjusted group, 65% are moderately-adjusted, and 17% are poorly-adjusted. As for total adjustment, which refers to the collective mean of the four areas of adjustment, the results indicate considerable and manageable findings, with 15% of the sample population reflecting high adjustment, 70% of moderate adjustment, and 15% of low adjustment. The analyzed data further reveal that there is no significant relationship between anxiety level and living condition. The x? (chi-square) value obtained (.1788), which is significantly lower than the critical value (5.991) at .05 alpha level, led to the acceptance of the null hypothesis (Hg) which states that there is no significant relationship between anxiety level and living condition. Likewise, there was no significant relationship established between adjustment level and living condition. The x* value obtained (.2899), which is significantly lower than the critical value (5.991) at .0S level, led to the acceptance of the Hg, which states that there is no significant relationship between adjustment level and living condition. Hence, the occurrence of anxiety among the subjects is not contingent upon where he/she resides. Similarly, the person's adjustment in college is not related to where he/she is residing, whether he/she is living at home or living away from home. Significant relationships were found between anxiety level and physical adjustment, anxiety level and emotional adjustment, as well as, on anxiety level and total adjustment. Between anxiety level and physical/health adjustment, the Ho was rejected and the alternative hypothesis (Ha), which claims that there is a significant relationship between the two variables, was accepted, with x? obtained (12.7706) significantly greater than the critical value (9.488) at .05 level. For anxiety level and emotional adjustment, the H, which signifies a significant relationship between the two variables, was accepted, with x* obtained (11.2557) significantly greater than the critical value (9.488) at .05 level. For anxiety level versus total adjustment, the H, was also accepted, with x? obtained (12.849) significantly greater than the critical value (9.488) at .05 level. Anxiety, thereby, has an impact on the college freshman's adjustment mechanism towards physical/health stressors, emotional strains, and on the collective pressures as encompassed by the four defined aspects of adjustment. On the other hand, there were no significant relationships found between anxiety level and social adjustment, and on anxiety level and mental/academic adjustment. Between anxiety level and social adjustment, the x* obtained (3.7656) is significantly lower than the critical value (9.488) at .05 level, leading to the acceptance of the Ho, which states that there is no significant relationship between the two variables. A decision of no relationship between anxiety level and mental/academic adjustment was also derived with a x* obtained (8.8762) significantly lower than the critical value at .05 level. Consequently, anxiety and social adjustment are independent of each other, as well as anxiety and mental/academic adjustment. The results of this study generally suggest that a good number of the freshman population experience only moderate anxiety, and are considerably well-adjusted, especially, on the areas of social and mental/academic endeavors. Though the results are not largely alarming, the few cases who exhibit high anxiety and low adjustment among the subjects, still pose a significant target of concern. Certain recommendations were framed in the light of the findings of this study. Most importantly, it can be noted that the data reveal quite a favorable condition for the college freshmen, as signified by the generally manageable and tolerable levels of anxiety and adjustment reported. Nevertheless, despite these findings, it is strongly recommended that necessary actions from concerned parties of this institution, especially the Guidance Office, be pushed and encouraged in further promoting, enhancing and reinforcing the anxiety-dealing and adjustment mechanisms of the college freshmen, so that the adjustment process for them may not come as a huge burden.