Social Support and its Reflection on Academic Stress Among University Students (A Descriptive-Analytical Study)

Abstract

            This research aims to identify the level of academic stress among university students and the role of social support in coping with and alleviating this stress. The researcher adopted a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing a questionnaire distributed to a sample of university students, with a total sample size of 128 male and female students.
​The study reached a set of results and recommendations, the most important of which are: At the social support level, the results indicated that family and friends are the primary sources of social support, and that financial support plays a role in reducing academic stress by ( 85.2%) . At the academic stress level, (93% ) of the study sample reported that the abundance of assignments and academic coursework causes psychological exhaustion, and (83.6%) feel severe anxiety and fear as exams approach, while the fear of failure or dismissal from the university stood at ( 69.5%). Among the most prominent recommendations are: activating the role of academic and psychological counseling within the university environment, and involving families in supporting their children through communication with the administration of the educational institution.