Common Problems
Since transitioning into college is such a large change in one's life, people are destined to face challenges. These are some common problems students face:
Mental Health Issues
One study from Ronny Bruffaerts found that nearly 35% of college freshmen face a form of mental disorder, which is more than one in three college freshmen experiencing mental disorders. 36% of freshmen who face mental disorders suffer from at least one additional disorder, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and substance abuse. It is clear that some students may need mental support once they begin their studies at college.
Students Do Not Have Access to Services
According to a study done by Cindy Veenstra, students are much more likely to remain enrolled at their current college if they believe they are receiving enough support from the college itself. Despite this, one study found that colleges are disappointing students in almost every service that is offered by the university. Granted, some students have difficulties finding these support systems. In fact, some are even unaware that these services are provided to them by the university. For this reason, it is important that students research services that the college offers them prior to the first day.
Isolation
Some college students move across the nation to attend the college of their dreams. Though this is exciting, the student will need to meet new people, which can be intimidating. Though many eventually find their group of people, some remain isolated. In a recent survey, roughly 25 percent of people report feeling lonely their first semester of college. If students feel as if they are not making good friends in their first semester of college, they may feel more inclined to leave.
Heavy Workload
Remember, this isn’t high school anymore. Though students have more freedom to choose what classes they want to take and at what time, these classes that students want to take could have hours of homework a week. In addition, exams in college are usually graded to be a higher portion of students final grade than they were in high school. According to polls from a major university, almost half of all college freshmen reported difficulties in adjusting to the workload in college. Clearly, students entering college are not fully prepared for the work they will receive once they enter college.
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