Stress Experiences and Reactions of University Students Studying in the Education Faculties

The aim of this research is to analyse the reactions of university students in situations where they experience stress in order to create a psychological counselling program with a group based on Rational Emotional, Behavioural, Cognitive and Existential Approaches in order to improve the ability of first year students studying in the Counselling and Psychological Guidance and Preschool Teaching Department to cope with stress. The study examined the behaviours and thoughts of students in the context of these reactions as to the situations in which they experienced and believed to experience stress. In the study, face-to-face interviews were conducted on 45 students in the Counselling and Psychological Guidance and Pre-School Teaching Departments by using the semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. Data were collected on the perceptions and the stress experienced or believed to be experienced by the interviewed university students, who formed the study group, and their thoughts and behaviours in line with these cases. The data obtained from the interviews were analysed by content analysis. It has been revealed that the first year students in Guidance and Psychological Counselling and Preschool Teaching Departments usually produced negative thoughts against the stress experienced within the university life and their behaviours appeared in the form of falling academic performance and avoidance in social relations.