Dampak transisi dari sekolah menengah ke pendidikan tinggi terhadap kesehatan mental mahasiswa baru matematika: studi kasus kecemasan belajar

Abstract

The transition from high school (SMA) to higher education (PT) is a crucial and stressful phase for new students, particularly in study programs requiring a high level of cognition such as Mathematics. This paper explores the impact of this change on the mental health of new students in Mathematics, with an emphasis on the specific phenomenon of learning anxiety. This study employed a qualitative-phenomenological approach to a group of first-semester Mathematics students at UIN Malang. The findings indicate that learning anxiety among new students is caused by several factors, including difficulty adjusting to evidence-based learning methods, social pressure to achieve, and significant differences in the basic curriculum that are perceived as knowledge deficits. The effects of this anxiety not only impact academic performance but also lead to psychological disorders such as insomnia and social isolation. This article emphasizes the crucial role of institutions, instructors, and peer support in mitigating the negative effects of this transition. A comprehensive intervention involving academic coaching and psychological counseling is needed to ensure students' mental well-being from the outset, enabling them to maintain academic performance in a higher education environment.