Comparative Analysis of Stress Level in University Students

This study aims to compare the levels of academic stress among first semester and higher semesters students in a public university, considering variables such as gender, job and career.A sample of 72 students was surveyed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), with stress levels categorized as low, medium, or high.The results show that first semester students present higher levels of stress, which coincides with previous research pointing to difficulties in adapting to the university environment.In addition, students who work reported higher levels of stress than those who do not work, reflecting the challenge of balancing academic and work responsibilities.It was also observed that female students were found to experience higher levels of stress compared to their male counterparts.These findings suggest the need to consider the contextual factors that affect academic stress in different groups of university students.