Using the DYSA Programme to Reduce Stress and Anxiety in First‐year University Students

With recent increases in the number of students attending universities without a proportional increase in resources, it is likely that there has been a decrease in the quality of life students experience and an increase in the stress they feel. This is of course added to by tuition fees and the need to take out student loans. The writers review research into student stress and highlight the fact that many researchers have noted the need for stress‐reduction courses, though this has been a recommendation that has not generally been taken up. A specific stress‐reduction programme for school pupils and university students is described. This programme was tested with first‐year undergraduates. The students involved all felt that the programme had been valuable. Apart from its clear relevance to the support of university students, this paper raises issues which are of importance to those working with sixth‐form students.