Student life is usually associated with well-known (and so inevitable!) things: moving away from home, encountering tons of academic challenges, dealing with financial issues, and coping with homesickness. Is that it? Absolutely not. The life of a college or university student is like a rollercoaster taking them up and down. In this article, we’ll take a look at the main student challenges and discuss time-tested tricks and strategies to combat any issues with resilience.
Time Management and Academic Balance
Time management is one of the most universal problems. Most undergrads tend to make the same mistake – they fail to calculate the amount of time and energy they have to cope with a particular task, a part-time job, or extracurriculars. They believe they have their time under control until they realize they don’t. To win this battle with time, make sure to prioritize tasks, create a schedule, break down goals, cut off distractions, and use professional help from companies like customwritings.com to share the overload.
Dealing with Homesickness and Emotional Well-being
You meet many personal challenges in life as a student, and homesickness is definitely on the list. You’re excited and busy at the same time; however, you feel lonely, too. According to research, 94% of students experience homesickness during the first ten weeks of their first year in college. Whether you’re studying overseas or are 10 miles away from home, there’s something you can do to deal with homesickness:
- Stay in touch with family and friends. Staying connected to your loved ones is one of the best ways to keep your emotional well-being at the right level. Decorate your room with their photos, reminisce about positive memories, and introduce your co-students to the activities you used to enjoy with your friends from home far away.
- Establish a routine. One of the personal challenges in life as a high school student moving on to college is the sudden change of routine. To get back on track, stick to a routine for at least the first couple of weeks.
- Explore. Don’t be isolated all the time; go out and attend local festivals, as well as visit restaurants, cafés, museums, and other popular tourist destinations.
Establishing a Support System
Loads of research on what makes undergrads successful in academics point to resilience. Resilience in students is the ability to focus, bounce back, and stick to your goals while dealing with challenges. The latter are an essential part of your first year in college. As mentioned above, you’re far from home, you haven’t made new friends yet, and you are trying to somehow handle academic pressure. That is why having solid support systems is essential – not just in the form of peer relationships, but through support services offered by your alma mater. It is highly recommended that you get proper academic advice throughout your major. At the same time, an engaging and supportive faculty is one of the cornerstones of college success. Providing personalized support inside and outside the classroom, the reps of the faculty will make the academic journey less painful for a young person.
When facing personal challenges in life as a student Brainly and other social platforms’ users recommend using mentorship programs in college. By providing encouragement, guidance, and advice, a mentor is someone to ask for assistance and guidance throughout college.
Overcoming Financial Stress and Budgeting
According to the 2022 National College Health Assessment provided by the American College Health Association, almost 49% of undergrads reported having financial issues. Financial stress is something that people from all walks of life tend to experience all over the globe, especially during their college years. After all, the cost of tuition, academic materials, and living expenses are sky-high. Besides, if you’ve enrolled in college right after finishing high school, it’ll definitely be the first time in your life that you’re the one managing funds. If you don’t know where to start, follow these simple rules:
- Create a budget. You have to know how much money you have coming in and where exactly your funds need to go.
- Use the help of the School’s Financial Aid Office. If you can’t pay for higher education, the reps of the School’s Financial Aid Office may provide you with some info on the types of support you may qualify for, like grants, scholarships, loans, etc.
- Get a part-time job. There’s no doubt that finding extra time in college is difficult; getting some extra income may help you combat financial stress.
- Visit counseling services. Financial stress can have negative consequences for your mental and physical health. If you feel anxious or depressed and in need of coping strategies, approach your alma mater’s counseling or health services department for support.
Navigating Social Relationships and Peer Pressure
College is the time when your social life is the most diverse. You make lifelong friends and connections to get established socially. However, when you’re in the middle of creating new relationships, peer pressure is something to keep in mind. Most peer pressure can be easily spotted. You may notice the other students making subtle (non-verbal) signals that imply that you have to behave, talk, think, and dress in a certain way to meet the demands of the community. Here’s how you can deal with it:
- Use your brain. Always make sure to draw your own conclusions about a particular situation, and don’t look for people’s approval.
- Trust your instincts. If every person in the group is OK with it, but you feel like something just isn’t right, trust your inner voice.
- Make an excuse. If you aren’t really strong on some activity or topic, it’s fine to excuse yourself and leave.
- Stand up for your different opinion. You have your own bag of viewpoints and beliefs, so stick to it.
Utilizing Campus Resources and Counseling
Using on-campus counseling services and resources can be helpful when it comes to dealing with peer pressure in college. Find out more about the available support services that your educational establishment offers. These can be counseling centers, health services, and/or student support programs. Or, as an alternative, you are welcome to take part in workshops offered by the counseling center to address issues related not only to peer pressure but also to mental health and stress management.
At the same time, you can use peer mentoring programs. A lot of colleges offer these programs where experienced students provide guidance and support to their peers. There’s no doubt you can meet someone who has been in your shoes and can provide some valuable insights.
Strategies for Effective Learning and Coping with Academic Pressure
To get the desired grades and build a successful academic reputation, a lot of young people endure a tremendous amount of academic pressure. The pressure from parents, society, college, and peers that we mentioned above can result in feelings of discomfort, tension, and many other negative emotions. Altogether, they slow down academic progress and affect every aspect of life, including physical and mental health, social relationships, personal life, etc. Luckily, there are coping strategies that young adults can utilize to combat academic pressure and learn effectively:
- Maintain balance. When maintaining mental and physical well-being, having a balanced lifestyle is key. In addition to keeping healthy, you have to engage in your favorite hobby, communicate with friends, and sleep well. You will thank yourself for forming these simple yet effective habits when you step into post-college life down the line.
- Know your priorities. To know and focus on your priorities, you have to learn to say NO. Helping others is vital, but ensure that you don’t do it at the cost of your own academic progress or mental or physical health.
- Start/join a study group. If you’re not motivated by a subject, studying in a group of people is an excellent opportunity to stay on track.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices for Students
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is a must if you’re a college student who wants to perform well academically and live a happy life. There are dozens of ways to do that, but we’ve listed the crucial ones:
- A well-balanced diet. Eating well will help you maintain your energy levels and support overall health (both are the pillars of excellent college performance!).
- An adequate amount of sleep. To perform well in class, you need 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Needless to say, your overall physical and mental health will leave a lot to be desired without adequate sleep.
- Water. Staying hydrated is life. Ensure that you drink enough water to keep your energy levels high.
- Workouts. Exercising must be part of your daily life. With it, you will be able to boost your mental and physical health and cut down on stress.
- Stress management. Stress is part of life, but make sure that it doesn’t dominate yours. Find time to relax, unwind, do something you enjoy, and communicate with the people you love. Homework is important, but it’s not everything.
Building Resilience and Personal Growth
Resilience is essential to a student’s success. Life is full of challenges that may pop up here and there (usually when you least expect them); however, during this new chapter of your life, you have to cultivate healthy resilience to be able to encounter and tackle obstacles of any nature. Some coping strategies that will help along the way include:
- Promoting positive emotions and gratitude.
- Taking control of the things you CAN control (not trying to save the world).
- Feeling useful (collecting money for students who suffered after a disaster or serving as a mentor for peers will help you boost your existing skill sets and contribute to someone’s well-being).
- Remembering that you are just a learner (you made it through high school, and you’ll succeed in college too), not a pro.
Whether you’re writing about personal challenges in life as a student essay or are a college undergrad stuck in a tough academic routine, we hope the info given above is useful for you. Enjoy the ride!
FAQs
How can students handle financial stress while studying?
To handle financial stress in college, young adults have to prioritize expenses, budget wisely, seek part-time work and/or freelance options, as well as find (if possible) scholarships or any other financial aid.
What strategies can help students in building strong social relationships?
College provides dozens of opportunities to build strong social relationships, such as various social events, gatherings, extracurriculars, organizations, and clubs. When you attend any social event, make sure to be approachable, start conversations, pay attention, and show what you are interested in the people you communicate with, as well as practicing the so-called inclusivity (including other people in conversations and/or activities you’re engaged in).
How can students utilize campus resources for personal and academic growth?
Campus resources can be used in different ways. For example, you are welcome to attend workshops to boost your skills in a particular niche. Or, you may visit career centers for professional job guidance. Finally, counseling services are at your disposal whenever you’re in need of personal support.