The most amazing part of being a student is college life. The time spent in college is full of happy memories and enthralling experiences for most of us. Student life comes with its rough patches, everyone’s situation is distinctive from each other in many ways, but there are few problems that almost every college student faces or deals with at least once during their time at college.
If you are on your way to college, get a jump on how to deal with the challenges that may come your way.
Time management: Unlike most of the high schools, colleges encase a full course content into 3-4 years where exams of each subject imply the full syllabus of that subject. For almost every student college requires much more effort than high school classes did. College is academically more challenging than school. At times it seems impossible to stay on the top of it all.
Solution: A student must know his limits. A college education doesn’t always mean studying all the time and being stressed up, the main purpose of the college education is to make you learn as much as you can. It is very important to keep your mind fresh and clear and for that, you should schedule time for fun and take breaks at regular intervals.
Spreading yourself too thin: Without proper rest, students are vulnerable to physical as well as mental health problems. Students try to cram all of the activities like juggling a job, studies, relationships and extracurricular activities at the same time and are not able to get enough sleep that they need.
Solution: Prioritise your schedule and your events- decide what is more important for you. Schedule your studies, games, meetings and social events accordingly. Be aware of your options while getting a job/extra class. It should suit your career and you should not have to exert yourself over it.
Homesickness: Most of the students at a certain point mainly get homesick, especially those who used to go school which is probably a little bit far from their home which actually involves time in returning home. Fresh students suffer more as it is their first year away from home.
Solution: If you live a few hours away from your home you can easily visit your home at weekends or even once in a month and can spend some of your time with your family. You can even ask your friends or family to email you and have regular conversations. These few steps can greatly assist in reducing the feelings of homesickness. Ensure you engage in mindful activities to stay positive throughout!
Depression: Every problem in this list can elevate student’s stress level and results in depression. Depression contributes to student’s emotional lows. Many of the students find a temporary way of relief by partying in excess which afterwards also leads to or may contribute to depression.
Solution: A student must seek a professional support if stress and depression are the major issues. Even many campuses and institutes have regular counselling sessions to help the students in fighting stress and depression, counsellors help students to get back on their track.
Health conditions: Lack of sleep, poor self-care, and heightened stress can cause health problems. Even living in close quarters, sharing rooms pose health risks and may increase the students’ chances of falling ill or poor health conditions.
Solution: Get proper rest and sleep, eat healthy and balanced meals, wash your hands often, stay hygienic and even after illness develops do not delay and visit your campus doctor as soon as you can.
Social problems: Establishing new connections and spending time with classmates and roommates is important for building a new community. However, even spending too much time together can lead to conflicts; social relations can even become distractions.
Solution: Also take some time out for yourself as well, if it is possible to go out visit coffee shops or malls near your campus, take a walk alone and spend some time with yourself. You should prioritise time for your study and take care of yourself.
Partying: Partying is not a problem, parties can be a great way for students to release their stress as well as for enjoyment. However sometimes parties can even cause problems, students may indulge themselves in bad addictions and habits. Drugs and alcohol can lead to poor choices of students.
Solution: Parties are an important part of every student’s life, but enjoying them in a responsible and legal way will help students in indulging in bad habits and addiction. Know your limits and keep track of your friends and make sure they are being safe, make sure to eat and drink enough water while you have been drinking.