Causes Of Academic Anxiety Among Tertiary Institution Students
[A CASE STUDY OF ILORIN METROPOLIS OF KWARA STATE]

Anxiety is your body way of telling you that there is something in the environment in need of your attention. It is basically a series of biochemical changes in your brain and body, such as an increase in adrenaline (causing your heart to beat faster) and a decrease in dopamine 9a brain chemical that help to block pain). These changes result in a state of heightened attention to the cause of the anxiety. High levels of anxiety cause one’s body to prepare to fight or runaway from the perceived threat commonly called the “fight” – or fight response”.
    Also, if anxiety level is too low one may be experiencing the same low level of academic performance as a student with an excessively high anxiety level. When student are falling weeks behind on home work, spending little or no time preparing for exams, and feeling to turn in assignment while not feeling particularly motivated to change, that student may be suffering from too little anxiety.
Theories of Anxiety
    Berne (1990) citing Freud’s work, referred to anxiety as that which occurs as a result of repression which distorts the life forces associated with instinctual impulses. This view seems to suggest that whenever the organism is prevented from carrying out an instinctually motivated act, anxiety will take place. Repression occurs when the individual experiences anxiety. Berne (1990) described he individual as a colouful energy system, full of dynamic strivings and like any energy system, he is continually trying to react a state of tranquility. When the stage of energy off balance, or tension, transforms itself physically and mentally, anxiety ensures. Berne (1990) stated that this feeling arises from an urge to seek something which is able resolve the balance and relieve the tension such urges are called wishes and from the psycho-analytic view point, anxiety result from an unconscious conflict between that impulses and the constrains imposed by ego and upper-ego.
    Franz (1993) contented that individuals wish and live by wishing; sexual desire, ambition and the desire for approval are some of the mere complicated human wishes to which the individuals have give names. Also there are many other conscious and unconscious wishes which give rise to anxiety.
    Anxiety is also linked to motivation. This theory explains that motivation arises from anxiety (Wolpe and Lazarus, 1996). Although, Franz (1993) believes that anxiety may increase diffusion of water activity and boost readiness to perform responses connected with the muscles and their movements, it helps to reduce tension in human beings. Ashaolu (2001), supporting Olayinka (1993) expressed the face that some dosage of anxiety is necessary for a healthy personality because it helps us react against danger or what is perceived as dangerous. Ashaolu (2001) earlier asserted that individuals need some anxiety to prompt them into actions in tacking some of the problems of daily living that are perceived dangerous. This reveals that anxiety could be a positive driving force. 
    In tertiary institutions, students who are anxious about education pursuits and how they with perform may find anxiety driving them to reading and preparing well for the academic success and according to Olayinka (1993), that may eventually help the child to adjust and perform well in the study. Though, Ashaolu (2001) believed that motivating forces always work in collaboration with predisposing causes and by so doing produces a drilling force that could be too strong to resist.
    The existential theories view anxiety as a product of individuals growing awareness that they exist and from the fact that they must make choices and be responsible for them. Ibrahim (2005). The theory equally asserted that anxiety is tied up with the existence of possibility and freedom in life. Freedom is related to individual’s ability to become aware of a wide range of possibilities facing him as well as wishes and choices to make. According to Ibrahim (2005), the existentialist asserts that, when it becomes defined that individual must pass, anxiety sets in. tertiary institution students have possibilities and the goal in life, when still in school or is to pass and this goes with a lot of possibilities. By passing, the individual will score high grade, his parents and friends would be happy and want to associated with him, his teachers will sin his praises and he will develop positive self-concept. Due to all these expectations or as Ibrahim (2005) puts it premiums, the individual will strive to perform better and many become anxious, whenever he tries to attempt carrying out these possibilities to action. But Ibrahim (2005) pointed out that the extent to which anxiety disturbs the students would depend on his or her behaviour pattern.
    From the behavioural counselling perceptive, anxiety is referred to as a learned response just as most human behaviour is learned. (Ibrahim 2005). The behaviourist theory in a total departure from the psychoanalytic view point which focuses on ways in which anxiety becomes associated with certain situations through earning just as a young child learns to be afraid of snakes because of its associations with a fear producing stimulus and how his fear generates to other fearful objects. So also do students learn to be anxious during academic pursuit because academic pursuit are synonymous with passing, moving ahead, praises, rewards and personal qualification. Ibrahim (2005) opined that in line with the behaviour theory, the students to get over the anxious moments. Must unclean the anxious behaviour to become adjusted and cured.