A recent study discovered what many might have already suspected: The time considered to be the best of a student's life can be much more difficult than traditionally imagined.

The study, conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles, took responses from 3,680 first-year students from 50 four-year institutions in the fall of 2000 and then again in the following year. With this information, the report, "Your First College Year," was assembled.

What some experts find to be one of the most startling statistics is the dramatic increase in the number of first-year students experiencing depression. From the beginning of the 2000 academic year to its end, the percentage of students who reported feeling depressed at some point during the past year increased from 8.2 percent to 16.3 percent.

"It's a transition point in life," Kelly Manion, Residence Life coordinator, said. "You're trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in. You're trying to find your place in the world."

Coinciding with the significant rise in depression that the study indicated is a significant drop in the students' ratings of their own emotional health. Though 52.4 percent of the first-year students surveyed ranked their emotional health as "above average" at the beginning of their freshman year, this percentage dropped to 44.9 percent by the end of the year.

"Standing alone these figures sound surprising," said Ken Nafziger, a staff psychologist at the Penn State Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

Nafziger explained that most studies of adjustment show an initially high level of anxiety, with these levels tending to decrease as students become adjusted to their new environments. This is why the results of the study came as a surprise.

Christine Ackerman, area coordinator for Residence Life in East Halls, emphasized the move from home to college as a contributing factor to students' feelings of depression.

"(The first year) is a very transitional time for students. Some may have difficulty in acclimating to the university," she said.

Ackerman agreed that the portrayal of college as the time of one's life might add a certain pressure to students regarding their experiences. She recommended that students experiencing increased feelings of depression should talk to their resident assistants or speak to the counselors at the CAPS office.

"A lot of times the perception is that students coming here should be having fun," she said. "We've been here and we understand that this is not always the case."

Manion said students who start to feel depressed should find someone close to talk to about their feelings.

"It's being able to recognize that if they are starting to feel depressed, it's OK to reach out and talk to someone," she said.