Being Fit In the University: The Culpability of Exams and Self Esteem

Abstract

Transiting from home to the university environment could be distressful to some students but some factors are inherent in the school which can be more distressing, coupled with the fact that the number of students from higher institution presenting with symptoms of mental ill health in recent years has increased, the study considered the influence of test anxiety and self-esteem on psychological distress of University students. Undergraduate Students inPsychology on practicum rounds at Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Uselu, Benin City, Edo State, were selected as participants in the study using convenient sampling technique. I47 participants in which female were 84 (57.1.9%) while male were 63 (42.9%) and the mean age was 28.54 while SD was 5.124. Test anxiety was measured using Test Anxiety Inventory, (TAI), Self-esteem was assessed through Index of Self-esteem while psychological distress was measured through Symptoms Checklist-90. It was found out that those who score high on self-esteem have less psychological distress than those who score low on self-esteem; while participants with high scores on test anxiety are more psychologically unfit than low scorers on test anxiety. The study is a call for more proactive measures in the area of academic and exam structure of university students that will cause less psychological distress and also call for a supporting school structure that will enhance the monitoring and support of esteem issues of university students.