University students are often told that better time management is the key to academic success. Study planners, productivity apps and carefully organized schedules are commonly promoted as solutions to the mounting pressures of higher education. Yet new research suggests that when stress intensifies during the semester, students frequently turn to a very different set of coping strategies.
A recent study led by Luli Faber from The University of Queensland, Australia, found that while students initially planned to manage stress through organisation and study techniques, many eventually relied on exercise, work-life balance practices, meditation and other well-being focused approaches. More importantly, the study found that students who employed a wider range of coping strategies tended to achieve better academic outcomes.
The research, titled Sources of stress and coping strategies employed by undergraduate students over a semester: motivations and implications for academic success, was published in the journal Advances in Physiology Education. The findings offer fresh insights into student stress, academic performance and mental health in higher education, challenging conventional assumptions about how students successfully navigate university life.
The growing burden of student stress
Stress among university students has become a global concern. Numerous studies have reported rising levels of psychological distress among students across Australia, Europe, Asia and North America. Academic demands, financial pressures, social adjustment and concerns about future careers all contribute to an increasingly complex university experience.
The University of Queensland study examined the experiences of 203 first-year undergraduate sport science students across two academic years. Participants were asked about the sources of stress they encountered and the coping strategies they intended to use and ultimately adopted throughout the semester.
The results revealed that academic pressures dominated students’ experiences. The most frequently reported stressor was workload, particularly the large volume of content students were expected to learn across multiple courses. Closely behind was the challenge of balancing university responsibilities with employment, family commitments and social activities.
Assessment pressure also emerged as a major source of stress. Students reported concerns about examinations, assignment deadlines and achieving the grades required for academic progression. Difficulties with self-regulation, including maintaining motivation, organising study schedules and adopting effective learning strategies, were also commonly reported.
What students planned to do versus what they actually did
One of the most intriguing aspects of the study was its examination of how coping strategies changed over the course of a semester.
At the beginning of the academic term, students overwhelmingly intended to rely on problem-focused coping strategies. Time management was by far the most commonly cited approach. Many students planned to create study timetables, organise their workload more effectively and stay up to date with course content.
Study techniques were also frequently mentioned. Students described intentions to improve concentration, establish productive study environments and adopt learning strategies designed to maximise academic performance.
These approaches reflected a common belief that stress can be managed by directly addressing its source. In theory, becoming more organised should reduce academic pressure and improve productivity. However, the picture looked very different by the end of the semester.
Why exercise became the preferred coping strategy
Exercise is widely recognised for its positive effects on physical health, but the study revealed that students valued it for a broader range of reasons. Participants frequently reported that physical activity helped them clear their minds, improve concentration and return to academic tasks with renewed energy.
Rather than viewing exercise solely as a way to reduce stress, many students regarded it as a tool for enhancing academic effectiveness. Physical activity provided mental breaks from study, improved mood and supported sustained focus during demanding periods of the semester.
This distinction is important because it highlights how students perceive the relationship between wellbeing and academic performance. For many participants, exercise was not separate from studying. Instead, it formed part of a strategy to improve learning and productivity.
The findings align with a growing body of scientific literature linking physical activity with improved cognitive functioning, enhanced concentration and better academic outcomes. Previous studies have demonstrated that regular exercise can reduce stress and burnout while supporting memory, attention and learning.
The University of Queensland research suggests that students may intuitively recognise these benefits and actively incorporate exercise into their academic coping repertoire.
The surprising psychology behind coping strategies
Traditionally, coping mechanisms have been divided into two categories. Problem focused coping involves addressing the source of stress directly, while emotion focused coping aims to regulate emotional responses without necessarily changing the underlying problem.
However, the findings challenge the simplicity of this distinction. Students frequently reported using exercise, meditation and social engagement not only to reduce stress but also to improve academic focus and productivity. At the same time, strategies traditionally viewed as problem focused, such as goal setting and planning, were often described as calming and emotionally reassuring.
In other words, many coping strategies appeared to serve multiple functions simultaneously. Students commonly reported that their chosen strategies helped them feel calmer, improve their mood and avoid becoming overwhelmed. Yet they also stated that the same strategies improved concentration, productivity and study effectiveness.
This dual purpose challenges the long-standing assumption that coping strategies can be neatly categorised as either emotional or practical. Instead, the findings suggest that the benefits of a coping strategy may depend largely on the student’s motivation for using it. This is one of the first studies to examine students’ motivations for selecting coping strategies across an entire semester.
I see effective coping and emotion regulation as an essential skill for students to learn, to set them up for success as they move through university and beyond.
—Luli Faber
The academic advantage of having a coping toolkit
The study also examined whether coping strategies were associated with academic performance. Interestingly, no single strategy emerged as a clear winner. Exercise, meditation, time management and other approaches all appeared beneficial in different ways. The researchers found no evidence that any individual coping strategy consistently predicted better grades.
However, a different pattern emerged when the total number of coping strategies was considered. Students who reported using a greater variety of coping strategies tended to achieve higher course grades. This finding suggests that academic success may depend less on identifying one perfect solution and more on developing a flexible toolkit of responses.
University life presents a constantly changing set of challenges. Academic workloads fluctuate, assessment demands increase and personal circumstances evolve throughout the semester. Students who possess multiple coping strategies may therefore be better equipped to adapt to different situations as they arise.
The study argue that flexibility may be a key component of resilience in higher education. Rather than relying exclusively on a single approach, successful students appear capable of drawing on several strategies depending on the nature of the stressor they encounter.
What universities can learn from the findings
Many university support programmes focus heavily on time management, study skills and productivity techniques. While these approaches remain important, the findings suggest that students may be more likely to engage with strategies that offer immediate psychological benefits.
Exercise, mindfulness practices and activities that promote work life balance may therefore deserve greater emphasis within student wellbeing initiatives.
The study also highlights the importance of helping students understand not only which coping strategies are available but also why and when particular strategies may be effective. Encouraging students to build a diverse coping toolkit could improve both well-being and academic performance. Such an approach recognises that student success is influenced by a complex interaction between emotional health, motivation, self-regulation, and learning behavior.
Reference
Faber, E. S. L., Campbell, J., & Carniel, L. (2026). Sources of stress and coping strategies employed by undergraduate students over a semester: Motivations and implications for academic success. Advances in Physiology Education, 50(2), 341–351. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00292.2025
