College is hyped up to be the best time of your life. You discover who you really are, meet your future bridesmaids and, perhaps most importantly, get an education. However, due to the academic pressures and economic insecurities plaguing students today, the overwhelming stress to perform has superseded the desire to learn. The larger mentality of this country to succeed and make money at any cost has permeated the college classroom. Thus, the stress and anxiety of creating one's future through the lens of a college course guide accompany students through their years in school.

Instead of taking an art history class out of curiosity or a science class other than for a school requirement, students are pigeonholed into believing every class must be a stepping stone toward their future professional endeavors. Not only is the sanctity of learning soiled, but, more than ever, college students are failing to cope with the tremendous stress of exams and school work. According to the American Institute of Stress, 75 to 90 percent of the visits college students make to their physicians are a result of stress or stress-related disorders.

I would say that it is this discernible change in colleges from learning for the sake of learning to cramming for the sake of getting an A that has led some students to effectively self-destruct. According to numerous studies, coping mechanisms ranging from binge drinking and drug abuse to cheating and suicide are all on the rise. A study conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that between 1993 and 2005, the rate of college students abusing dangerous drugs like heroin, cocaine and hallucinogens had risen across the board. The same study found that the number of college students who abused prescription medications tripled from 1992 to 2003. This seems to be indicative of the overworked and overstressed college environment that students are living in now.

According to a survey of approximately 17,000 college students by the American College Health Association, only 13 percent of students said they were able to get enough sleep to make them feel rested in the morning. Given the course load students are subjected to, homework takes priority over sleep and rest.

The stress of academic competition manifests itself even more dangerously in the rising depression and suicide rates of college students. According to a recent survey by the National Mental Health Association, 10 percent of college students have been diagnosed with depression. To those that argue that depression has always been prominent among college students, a recent survey by the American College Health Association reports otherwise. The survey indicates that the suicide rate among young adults aged 15 to 24 has tripled since the 1950s. Moreover, suicide is currently the second-most-common cause of death among college students. It's undeniable that students now have more to worry about than ever before.

Additionally, the prevalence of cheating has also increased markedly. In a recent article published in the Columbia Spectator, Columbia University's newspaper, the number of cheating cases at Barnard College reportedly doubled from 12 cases in the 2008 to 2009 academic year to 30 for the 2009 to 2010 academic year. Is a C or D on a paper really capable of derailing a student's entire future that he would consider compromising his integrity to perform well? Spurred by the stress of academic competition, students are dispensing with learning and instead are turning to cheating to get ahead.

Similarly alarming results of college pressure are the methods through which students attempt to alleviate the stress. The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that college students have much higher alcohol and drug addiction rates than the general public. Compared to the 8.5 percent of the general public who have substance abuse problems, 20 percent of college students are predisposed to struggle with addiction during their time in school.

Finals week will send the college population scrambling to find Adderall or Ritalin, two prescription drugs notorious for being abused to help students stay awake longer and study for longer hours. Logically, the stress of multiple papers and final exams will only exacerbate the abuse documented on college campuses.

The purpose of going to college has essentially changed for the worse. College is no longer the arena for self-discovery when the pressure to succeed is constantly hounding students. The stress of finding a major that correlates with your career choice and only taking classes that fulfill the requirements for your major have produced overworked students with dangerous drinking habits and psychological problems. However, the stress plaguing college students stems from the greater societal issue of success measured by how much money one makes and how reputable one's job is. Only when we change this mentality will we be able to help destress the overworked college students of America.