As Oakland University students continue navigating their college experiences, many are turning to surveys as a way to gather valuable data on campus challenges, mental health, food options and stress levels.
From freshmen grappling with the transition to college life, to sophomores reflecting on the ongoing pressures of academics and finances, student-run surveys are shedding light on how students are coping with these issues.
Jasmine Huggins, a freshman at OU, is one of many students using surveys to address specific campus concerns. Her project centers around the lack of food options available to students on campus, particularly the absence of a Beyond Juice or similar healthier alternatives.
“The main focus for this survey was seeing how others feel about having more food options available on our campus for everyone, specifically Beyond Juice,” Huggins said. “I chose this topic because this is a real issue that I believe we have. We really only have three restaurant options on campus and most of them always have crazy long lines so I’m never able to get food at my own convenience. I really wanted to see if other students feel the same way as I do.”
Brendan Danko, a sophomore at OU, focused his survey on stress, specifically the academic and financial pressures students face. His survey includes questions on how students cope with academic demands and the financial burden of college life. While the results have confirmed his expectations, the real challenge has been recruiting enough participants.
“I wanted to create this survey as I know college is stressful for many students academically and financially,” Danko said. “And if nothing else, I want to make people more aware and hopefully give students ways to be able to reduce their stress. I plan to incorporate this survey’s results by having percentages of each question answered to show how students are stressed along with some of the responses in the written questions but making sure it is still anonymous and not using any real names.”
Danko plans to analyze the survey results by comparing written responses and statistical data on stress levels, aiming to share insights that could help alleviate student stress. The support from professors and classmates is also proving invaluable, offering a sense of community as students work together to better understand and improve the college experience for everyone at OU.
“I want to raise awareness and hopefully provide students with ways to manage stress better,” Danko said. “It’s helped me learn how to use the data I collect and explain it in my writing. I think the creation and analysis of this data helps me as a writer by being able to use data I’ve gathered and put it into writing and being able to explain it.”
For students interested in participating in these ongoing surveys or creating their own, reaching out to professors for guidance and collaborating with peers can be an excellent way to gather insights and make an impact on campus. Whether you’re concerned about mental health, dining options or academic stress, your survey responses can help spark the change you want to see.
