Starting university can be compared to starting a whole new chapter of life. Whenever a student leaves his/her home for college, a new journey is bound to begin. This journey’s main twists and turns are centred around self-discovery and self-reliance, which in turn shape up the student`s general outlook on the dynamics of life.
A good number of students are not usually prepared for the possible challenges that university life has to offer, hence causing them to get overwhelmed. The aftermath of such a situation are students taking valuable extra time to try and adjust to this new life. However, as much as all these facts are a reality that students have to face, one can have the upper hand if adequate preparation is made beforehand.
For you to be braced for the new aspects of life that you will find in university, it is of importance for you to know the most common problems like the ones that have been elaborated on below.
Adjusting to a New Life
Regardless of whether you’re a new student to the university environment or if you are headed back to campus after long months of vacation back at home, you will require some adjustment period. In university life, the first year is often extra hard due to the change in your routine among many other things. You should expect to get a shock in the general university culture due to how different things are in comparison to life at home. Give yourself an allowance of adjustment time and also expect to have some bamboozling experiences such as tough exams. However, amidst all these uncertainties, ensure that you remain confident that you will eventually adjust and fall in love with university life.
Homesickness
Because it is the first time for most students to be away from their homes, getting homesick can be one of the hardest blows that you have to deal with. However, with the myriads of modern forms of communication, a significant number of students that feel homesick can still keep in touch with their loved ones via the internet.
Pressure Arising from Studies
Most students around the globe usually pay their education costs all by themselves and, thus, making the demand for them to achieve good grades, build up with each passing day. Even for those that do not pay, the presence of massive educational and social repercussions, if they do not succeed in their studies, is a reality. You should expect university curriculums to be significantly harder as compared to other educational levels and prepare yourself for more hard work to emerge successfully with your university studies.
Education Costs
Since the recent increase in higher education with a 213% increase in public 4-year institutions in the US, the numbers of students that are in search of professional counselling has increased significantly. In light of this, it is vital for you to realize that the most foolproof method of avoiding mental anxiety as well as making the most out of these expenses is by enjoying your university life. Make sure that you have an experience outside the classroom while concurrently enjoying your studies, and you’ll be on the right track!
Finding a New Set of Friends
It’s quite hard to make new friends, especially in new environments. However, you should ensure that you avoid making a mistake of thinking that it is mandatory to link up with people of different interests so that you can acquire new friends. On the contrary, you can only be yourself, and you`ll find some friends without having to put on a mask that doesn`t belong to you. Practice patience and become actively involved in activities that you love.
Housing Problems
It is indeed possible to get a place in dorms or a hostel, but the truth is that finding perfect accommodation is an uphill task. You are needed to consider a variety of factors like rent rates, facilities, roommates and distance, among many others. As a student, it is prudent to get ready to face accommodation problems. However, always be aware that you need to have arranged for a place to stay as you leave home as this is the best option to avoid massive housing issues.
Time Management
From living alone to trying to balance between doing your chores and studying among other activities, university life can be one of the phases in your life that you can wish for a day with more than 24 hours. The things that you are required to accomplish within a single day can be too many to the extent that you develop irregular sleep patterns and develop a habit of doing everything just before their deadlines.
This kind of behaviour is unhealthy as well as unsustainable, thus, requiring you to have a functional timetable to enable you to make more efficient use of your time. With this at hand, you will end up being surprised at the vast number of extra hours that you’ll have at your disposal.
For example, a lot of university students are overloaded with homework assignments and have no time for submitting them timely within deadlines. They definitely need professional essay writing help which can be easily provided by experts from academic writing services such as CustomWritings.com.
Choosing Your Preferred Major
When it’s time to select your major, you will realize that a lot of pressure is attached to this choice. Most of this pressure arises from the thought of your future career as well as the money that you’ll be earning in your workplace depends primarily on this decision. However, as much as this is a stage that most students have to pass through, you should instead focus on acquiring life skills and gaining knowledge.
Health/Sickness Conditions
Poor self-care, inadequate sleep, and heightened stress are among the factors that can lead to most of the health problems in university life. In addition to these, living close to large numbers of people can also pose health risks by increasing the likelihood of students acquiring illnesses. To avoid this, see to it that you eat balanced meals, practice proper sanitation and in case you have any signs of disease, don`t hesitate to visit your university clinic.
Time spent in the university comes with many fond memories and happy experiences but truth be told, there are many rough patches in the beginning. In case you are headed to college, this article has talked about some of the challenges that you’re likely to face in a bid to make you better prepared to handle them.
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