Having worked with many thousands of students at – and beyond – many colleges and universities both in the United Kingdom and more internationally, I have seen at first hand many of the most common problems that students experience and also been involved in their resolution so I feel that I am able to provide some comment here.
Therefore, in this article I am going to now look to provide you with guidance on some of the areas where the most common problems have arisen for students studying at college and/or university and as to how these problems may be resolved. This is because it is an inescapeable fact that studying at college or university in modern time can be both a daunting and fun period in your life that has only been exacerbated by the current world’s economic problems that are being experienced internationally in almost every country.
As a result it is perhaps little wonder that money and issues of finance are a central concernt to students. This is because almost all students are constantly lacking funds and have to find ways to finance their housing, nutrition and – of course – their entertainment. Therefore, it cannot be overstated that there is a need for students now more than ever to look to work to a budget and plan what you are going to do with your money throughout the whole academic year – you may also find that getting a part-time job will help so go to your college or university’s employment bureau and see what they can offer you.
Another common problem – those of us who experience the dreaded ‘Clearing System’ will know just how bad that this can be! – is with getting on the course you want in the first place at your chose college or university. There is a need to appreciated that the more popular your course is with students like you, the more difficult and competitive you will find it to get a place studying that subject. Therefore, you need to look to make your decisions and sign up for the course that you want to have a place on as quickly as you possibly can to stand a better chances AND also look to have a back-up second choice subject or institution in mind where you may experience trouble.
There is also a need to make sure that you have the time to work AND study both on your course and as part of your homework – these problems are then only further exacerbated where there is a need to work to make ends meet. As a result, this often means cramming in a lot of studying in a short period of time. You can help yourself by planning your time carefully so that you have time to go to classes, study AND work so that you can meet all of your deadlines in both your personal and academic lives so that you are then able to get the results that you are seeking
Classes can also be difficult in practice where your teachers/professors arrogance or own self-importance affects a student’s professional relationship with their professor or their actual grades. As a result, unfortunately, worst case scenario there is often a need to bite your tongue and do some ‘sucking up’ big style in order to retain a good working relationship that allows you to achieve the results that you need. Of course there are many, many great teachers who will bend over backwards to help you in any way that they can, but there are also others who have become tainted by the profession and do not get the same enjoyment that they once did.
Now we shall get to another significant problem – drugs and alcohol.
The unfortunate reality is that, in college and/or university, however much effort is put in by the institution’s administration to limit their availability, drugs and alcohol are also a common problem as they are everywhere. Matters are then also not helped by the fact that since students at college and university are adults they often take full advantage to the detriment of their studies, social life, and health. Therefore, you must look to avoid temptation because students have died of drug overdoses or alcohol poisoning so you need to get help as soon as possible where you think that you need it since the consequences can be dire.
Similarly, there is also a need to be aware of the dreaded hormones . . .
This is because whilst colleges and universities (as well as high schools) do their best to raise awareness of the potential for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases/sexually transmitted infections (STDs/STIs) and unwanted pregnancy, responsibility rests on the individual. Therefore, the easiest piece of advice I can give you is to take precautions (e.g. condoms, the pill, etc . . .) and, if there are none available, just DO NOT do it!!