Common problems for college students free essay sample

The following tips are for students to help themselves avoid some of the negative affects of these problems. While these issues are certainly not exhaustive, many college students will be affected by a number of them during their college experience. Reducing feelings of homesickness may be difficult for some but may be accomplished by remaining on campus during the week and on weekends. This may help students to get to know their campus and become more involved in athletic and social events. Students learn more about campus resources and make friends with other students, with whom they may find common ground. Stay in touch with those back home through phone, mail and email but force yourself to become part of the culture within your new academic world. Eating right and staying healthy will help you accomplish your academic goals and make your college experience much more fun. Get enough exercise and monitor the amount and quality of your food and drink consumption. This will increase the odds of staying physically and mentally healthy. Poor sleep habits will leave you ineffective in your work and play as a college student. Take this challenge and read a current study related to the need for sleep and the effects of sleep deprivation on our health, both our physical and mental health. Unresolved relationship problems commonly cause bitterness, resentment and anger. Any of these feelings can cause us to loose focus of the goals we are attempting to achieve. Even if we must move, separate or even just â€Å"agree to disagree,† successful attempts at relational conflict resolution are necessary in each of our lives. While the temptation to skip classes may be high at times, you are spending your money to gather information given during class times. When you are not there, you are not receiving the benefit of the instruction as well as information regarding grading, future assignments, and opportunities outside the classroom of which you may want to take advantage. You may also be failing to spend time with professors and classmates who may, upon graduation, become part of a valuable network for you. This takes us into problem six. When we do not get to know and spend time with classmates, professors and other academic advisors, we lack support and a place to go for ideas and answers when a problem does arise. Practical experience and internship opportunities should always be taken advantage of, in order to provide maximum networking opportunities for students. Know what your resources are and develop an appropriate spending plan. Seek the advice of a financial planner or counsellor. Don’t spend money unnecessarily or borrow money that may be difficult or even impossible to repay. Only the federal government can do that. Be careful about being drawn into credit card opportunities offered to college students. â€Å"Easy cash† is never easy and may also come with high interest rates. Facing considerably more freedom than the high school years, coupled with a lack of accountability it becomes easy to fall short of completing the necessary reading and studying to increase your odds of academic success in college. Failure to dedicate the appropriate time to studying and reading is likely to have a negative impact on grades. Some ideas to increase your odds of success are to be in class, every class if possible, be accountable to others for you academic performance, know each course, the syllabi, the requirements and the professor along with his/her expectations. While college is a social as well as an academic experience, these must be balanced in order to maximize success in both areas. Procrastinating may have been an acceptable exercise in high school but will likely become problematic in college. While getting to know other students/faculty, establish deadlines for assignments that minimize your stress level. In as much as college is a time when many people feel overwhelmed with the requirements of life, don’t let this go on for long. Consider seeing a professional counselor to help you organize, prioritize and better manage the demands being placed upon you. Every college student wants their experience to be memorable, but in the right way. High school students envision their college years will be full of fun, new social encounters, new experiences, and fond memories. However, there are also many problems college students face throughout their years there, and how they deal with them is essential in their academic, emotional, physical, and social success. Here are some common problems and some possible solutions for working through them. Finances One of the major challenges college students face is that of finances. Many students drop out prior to graduation because they cannot afford the cost. Some have help from parents, others have financial aid, but still with the rising cost of tuition, textbooks, room and board, gasoline, clothing, and other necessities, the challenge is often a difficult one to overcome. Planning is an essential part of handling the expense of college. Sound money management skills are required, and being creative and responsible when it comes to saving money is essential. Buying used textbooks, finding alternate means of transportation (bicycle, walking, and carpooling), eating out less, and doing without some luxuries can mean the difference is maneuvering your way through school free of debt or having to drop out. Studies College usually requires more studying than high school along with more assignments. It is easy to become quickly overwhelmed and fall behind. For those trying to attend school and work part or full time, the study problem is often a great hurdle to overcome. Dont overdo it, especially in your first semesters at school. It is best to pace yourself and adjust to campus and academic life at college. Carefully consider the number of credit hours you are undertaking as well as their level of difficulty. It might be a good idea to juggle classes so your schedule is not loaded with all the hardest subjects in a single semester. Your advisor can be a valuable resource in helping guide you in your choice of subjects. Time, Energy and Competitiveness -Side by side the challenge of financing college education is the need to manage time and energy and staying competitive as a student. Many students, especially freshmen, have problems on how to divide their time and energy to the various school and personal tasks they need to do. A few will find coping with academic struggles difficult. Even non-freshmen can encounter the problem once in a while. College studies is very competitive. You have to be proficient in your field of discipline because you are preparing to become a professional in your chosen career. To solve the problem of time management and academic inadequacy, you have to master managing your time and develop study habits. Students Today Here are five of the most common problems facing college students today and solutions to overcome these problems. As a former instructor at a small community college in Indiana, I am always astonished at the number of students who begin the semester with so much enthusiasm and ambition, yet suddenly lose that eagerness to succeed academically just within a few weeks into the semester. Over time, I have recognized five of the most common problems facing college students today and offer strategies that could help bring students back on course. 1) The Problem: Lack of motivation. According to The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, one of the biggest obstacles that prevents students from obtaining a college degree is a lack of motivation. The most common mistake I have seen students make is skipping class. Sure, it’s tempting to skip that boring English class on a  warm, sunny Tuesday afternoon in October, but skipping class is usually never without consequences. Students who make a habit of skipping class often miss out on lectures that provide them with crucial information for upcoming exams and assignments. Not only could this possibly result in an overall poor grade for the class, but you are cheating yourself out of knowledge that can help you in your prospective career. The Solution: Consider the rewards of your education to help jumpstart your motivation. Did you know there is so much more to earning a college degree than just the financial benefits? In fact, according to College Board, a college education can lead to a healthier lifestyle, with reduced health care costs for individuals and society. Also, children with college-educated parents are more likely to be better prepared for school than other children. College is also an outlet for making lifelong connections with your professors and lasting friendships with fellow students. 2) The Problem: Lack of note-taking skills. Students might attend every class lecture, but this effort may be in vain if their note-taking skills are poor. I have observed several students sitting through entire lectures without writing anything down. Other students have complained they are unable to take notes because the professor speaks too quickly or issues too much information at once. Without knowing how to take sufficient notes during lectures, this can lead to disastrous results on assignments and exams. The Solution: Practice. Effective note-taking will improve immensely through plenty of practice. One helpful exercise you can try is a mock lecture. Have a friend or study partner read aloud passages from your text book while you practice taking notes. Practice writing in short-hand rather than in complete sentences. If you try to write everything at once, this can cause you to fall behind and miss out on other important information in the lecture. Be sure to revise your notes neatly and in complete sentences following the lecture while the material is still fresh in your head. 3) The Problem: Failure to proofread. Many students write their essays as if they were typing a text message to a friend, resulting in a paper full of spelling errors and SMS abbreviations. Failure to proofread your essays can have a negative impact on the overall grade for the assignment. The Solution: Avoid handing in the first draft of your essay. You must proofread your work for errors at least once, revising if necessary. If you think your essay looks OK, play it safe by asking a friend to proofread it for you. Sometimes an extra pair of eyes will spot a mistake you overlooked. Improving your writing skills isn’t only necessary for college essays, but for job resumes and cover letters as well. The Problem: Failure to seek outside help. Students oftentimes feel too shy or proud when it comes to seeking additional help. Rather than seeking outside help for a course in which they are struggling, they settle for the failing grade or simply drop the class entirely. Either way, they will more than likely still have to take the class again. The Solution: Schedule appointments with your professor or a tutor. There is nothing shameful in seeking outside help if you are having trouble understanding the material from class. In fact, getting tutored will not only help improve your study skills, but it offers you the one-on-one instruction you typically wouldn’t receive in a traditional classroom. By seeking additional help, you are showing your professor your dedication for learning the subject matter and your willingness to succeed in the class. 5) The Problem: Lack of confidence. I am surprised by the number of students who do not believe in their ability to do well in college. Rather than focusing on their abilities and what they are capable of achieving, they place more emphasis on what they feel they can’t achieve. I have observed that the â€Å"I can’t† attitude almost always reflects the grade of the individual student. If you tell yourself, â€Å"I’ve always been lousy at math, I am going to fail this course,† then chances are, you probably will. The Solution: Change your thinking. I always tell my students, â€Å"You are what you think. † Not too many people ever achieve their goals by concentrating on what they can’t do. Instead of â€Å"I can’t† or â€Å"I’ll try,† tell yourself â€Å"I can† and â€Å"I will. † Maintaining a positive attitude in both college and life will produce more rewarding results. Sara OConnor