Academic stress among university students has emerged as a global phenomenon of unprecedented magnitude, with widespread implications for student well-being, academic performance, and institutional outcomes (Barbayannis et al., 2022).  This interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) explored how fourth-year BSBA-HRM students make sense of their lived experiences with stress related to conducting feasibility studies. Using semi-structured interviews with 12 participants, the study investigated students' meaning-making processes, coping strategies, and professional identity development during this challenging academic milestone. Through Smith, Flowers, and Larkin's (2009) six-step analytical framework, three superordinate themes emerged: "The Weight of Academic Expectations," "Navigating the Maze of Coping Strategies," and "Transformation Through Adversity." Findings revealed that students construct complex meanings around feasibility study requirements, interpreting them simultaneously as overwhelming academic burdens and comprehensive assessments of professional readiness. Participants employed diverse coping mechanisms, with varying effectiveness based on individual differences in meaning-making capacity and contextual factors. Significantly, many students demonstrated sophisticated meaning transformation, reframing stress experiences as catalysts for professional identity formation and personal growth. The study provides empirical support for Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Park's Meaning-Making Model, while extending understanding of how academic challenges can facilitate professional development. Results suggest need for individualized, multi-tiered support systems that recognize diverse student coping preferences and meaning-making processes. Recommendations include specialized capstone support programs, faculty development initiatives, and curriculum redesign incorporating progressive stress management and professional identity development throughout BSBA-HRM programs.