The University of the West of Scotland (UWS) has been identified as the most stressful university in the UK, according to a recent study. With campuses in Paisley, Lanarkshire, Dumfries, Ayr, and London Docklands, UWS has received a stress score of 73.67 out of 100, based on a significant number of negative student reviews.
Academic settings are often a significant source of stress for students, influenced by factors such as challenging coursework, high expectations, financial constraints, and the constant juggle between academic obligations and personal commitments. The research was conducted by Brown’s CBD, which assigned each university a stress score out of 100, with higher scores indicating more stress. The study analysed various aspects including accommodation expenses, cost of social activities, course complexity, levels of happiness and anxiety, job prospects, student feedback, transportation costs, and shopping expenditures.
University of the West of Scotland emerged as the most stressful university in the UK with a stress score of 73.7 out of 100, almost 10% higher than the second-ranked University of Sussex. The challenges posed by UWS courses, deemed among the toughest nationwide, coupled with negative student feedback, contributed to its top ranking. Edinburgh Napier University, another Scottish institution, secured sixth place on the list with a stress score of 64.09 out of 100, primarily due to course difficulty.
Among the top ten most stressful universities in the UK, UWS stood out as the most challenging environment for students. Laurence Brown, the director of Brown’s CBD, emphasised the importance of managing stress at university and highlighted effective strategies to alleviate it. Encouraging students to prioritize their mental well-being by taking breaks, engaging in physical activity, and maintaining a balanced diet, Brown also noted that remedies like CBD products could help manage stress and anxiety, particularly addressing sleep issues resulting from stress.
The study found that no universities in Wales or Ireland made the list, indicating a predominantly English representation among the top stressful universities. The research sheds light on the pressing need for universities to support students in managing stress levels effectively to ensure their overall well-being and academic success.