Hanze study reveals: positive link between stress and planning

There is a link between study stress and the problems that students have with planning their study activities. Professor Lies Korevaar’s conjectures about this link were confirmed Friday last week by a statistical analysis of the data provided by a survey among 2800 students.

Researchers at the Professorship of Rehabilitation measured the stress experienced by students using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). They found a correlation between ‘the difficulty students experience with planning’ and ‘the disruption they suffer due to planning problems in their studies’. This correlation was positive: the higher one factor was, the higher the other.

‘The fact that planning problems and student stress are connected could already be assumed’, says Professor Lies Korevaar. ‘Now this link also appears to be statistically significant, but we don’t yet know what causes what.’

The fact that planning problems and student stress are connected could already be assumed

The link between stress and planning problems is important because it indicates that ‘learning to plan’ can lead to a stress reduction among students (which forms part of one of the priorities of Education Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven: improving student welfare).

Korevaar has previously expressed her concern about stress being pathologised. ‘Stress is a normal phenomenon. Not a disorder or an illness.’ However, it does make sense to avoid stress if this hinders students in their daily functioning. The question is which approach is effective here.

Stress is a normal phenomenon. Not a disorder or an illness

Korevaar doesn’t beat about the bush: ‘The student can learn how to deal with exam stress, but the better option is for him to ensure that he comes well-prepared to the exam room.’