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Common Challenges College Students Face and How to Overcome Them

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Photo : Tima Miroshnichenko

Getting ahead in life requires a certain degree of preparedness, solid personal resolution, and the creativity needed to find a way around the challenges that life throws at you. With education, you are more likely to unlock new doors of opportunities for success in life. This pathway, however, comes with its own challenges. As you advance your education, it is important to consider common problems college students face. Here are some of such challenges and practical ways of tackling them. If you apply these tips, you may become a source of hope to other college students.

1. Feeling Homesick

Homesickness is among the most common problems you will face as a college student. When you are away from family and friends in a distant city for studies, you are most likely going to miss home very much. If you are determined to enjoy your college life, you must find a way to tackle this challenge.

Firstly, you must be open-minded to adjust to your new environment and all that comes with it. Instead of isolating yourself, try to make new friends, learn new skills, and explore the campus and its surroundings. Keep communication with your family moderate while sharing with them your experiences from your campus exploration and socializing. You can also consider bringing along some of your favorite things from home when going to school. This will help you feel less homesick and more at home.

2. Feeling Overburdened

As a college student, you will be required to take full responsibility for your academic success, starting from selecting your desired courses to developing relevant soft skills. You must also track your academic progress and properly prepare for a fulfilling post-graduation career. Of course, you'll still cater to your social life and fulfill other commitments.

Being able to juggle all these at the same time can make you feel overburdened. Says CompassPhoenix.com, “Just like families utilize commercial cleaning services in their houses when they need a thorough cleaning, college students can use such services when they have too much on their plate. You should also work very closely with your student support advisor, who will help you strike a balance between your academic commitments and your social activities.”

3. The Need for More Time

Students often feel the pressure of not having sufficient time to meet up with deadlines for their school work, participate in extracurricular activities, and maintain a healthy social life. They feel like a day should have more than 24 hours. If you're one of those who feel this way, then you need to make efforts to improve your time management skills.

Gaining more time in a day is possible when you are better organized. Start with making a list of the things you need to do and the times they must be done based on prioritization. Avoid procrastination and adopt a do-it-now principle. For better results, you will need self-discipline and a routine of rising early and planning your day while ensuring that you follow through with your drafted to-do list. Consider creating times for exercise, as it can help your mind with some degree of clarity needed to better plan your daily activities.

4. College Financing

One major problem faced by college students is the issue of financing their schooling. Many students worry about having enough to pay their tuition and other bills. With this kind of burden, having a social life even begins to feel like a luxury. Some students quickly jump at the option of student loans which can become a critical issue of debt after graduation. There are certain ways you can avoid being in such a difficult situation. These days, wealthy individuals and corporate bodies offer scholarships to college students.

You can apply for as many scholarships as possible to help relieve your financial burdens and help you save. Be mindful of credit cards, as inappropriate use can create a financial nightmare for you. Ensure you do not spend more than the money available to you. Learn to save for rainy days, especially if you are receiving financial assistance from family, friends, and scholarships. You should consider learning ways of making passive income without compromising your academic performance.

5. Staying Healthy

To get the best of your days in college, you need to consciously work on staying healthy. If you find yourself spending every available time during the week in the library, you can consider creating time for social activities over the weekend. Such times can be spent going out with friends, visiting the gym, attending dance classes, or just taking walks. Maintaining your physical and mental health will go a long way in keeping you focused on your academic pursuit.

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