Call – Age - Life
While time spent at college is a fond memory and a happy experience for most, the student life is not without its rough patches. Everyone's situation is unique, but there are a few problems that almost all college students deal with at least once during their time at school.
If you are on your way to college, get a jump on how to deal with the challenges that may come your way.
Time Management
Problem:
College is academically challenging. For many, college courses require much more effort than high school classes did. Unlike most high schools, colleges often pack two years of content into one year. Many students take a full 15 credit semester, while others try to cram in up to 18 or even 21 credits. At times, it seems impossible to stay on top of it all.
Solution:
Know your limits. If you can't handle 18 credits in one semester, it is worth it in the long run to slow down and take only 15. While the purpose of a college education is to learn as much as you can, that doesn't mean studying all the time. It is important to schedule time for fun and to take breaks to keep your mind fresh and clear. For more ways to manage this kind of academic stress, see this guide of effective study habits.
Debt
Problem:
Tuition costs are rising at alarmingly high rates. Add to that the cost of housing, meals, supplies, transportation, and textbooks, and you have a recipe for unmanageable debt. Most financial advisors recommend borrowing no more than one expects to earn their first year out of college. However, soaring tuition costs make this rule difficult to follow. According to an article in , almost half of today's students say that the cost is making them reconsider finishing their degree. Students are increasingly dropping out of college because they cannot afford the expense. Others are forced to juggle full academic schedules with full-time jobs to make ends meet. Graduating debt-free is almost unheard of.
Solution:
Student loans are relatively easy to get. Many students, however, don't know how repayment works and how many years they may spend paying off their loans. This lack of understanding only adds to the stress. An important part of your education is educating yourself about the structure of the loans you take on to pay for that education. Sit down with a financial advisor to get a firm grasp on the debt you're taking on.
Consider an on-campus job. Working on-campus will cut out potential transportation expenses and help you stay more focused academically. If you had a job in high school and are going to college locally, see if you can continue working while in school. If you are going away to school, inquire about transferring to a job location near your school. In addition, create a budget for shopping trips and eating out and stick to it.
Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Problem:
To afford the high price of college tuition, many students must get jobs. Juggling a job, 15 to 18 credits, relationships, and extracurricular activities is extremely difficult. Many students try to cram all of these activities into one day and do not get enough sleep. Without proper rest, students are vulnerable to physical and mental health problems.
Solution:
Decide what is important. Prioritize and schedule events, games, meetings, social events, and studies accordingly. Also, be aware of your options when getting a job. Universities often offer jobs that fit into a student's schedule.
Homesickness
Problem:
Whether they admit it or not, most students will at one point get homesick, especially those who attend a school that is more than three hours away from home. Freshmen suffer more, as it is presumably their first year away from home.
Solution:
If you live within three or four hours from home (a comfortable day's drive), plan to visit home once every month or two. Ask friends and family to email, call, and send care packages. These steps should greatly assist in reducing feelings of homesickness.
Many campuses have support groups for students. Talking to others who are having similar experiences can help. You may even form friendships with some of the people you meet there. Remember that the other students you come into contact with every day may be feeling the same things you are, and you can help each other.
Depression
Problem:
Every problem on this list can raise a student's stress level and contribute to emotional lows. Some find temporary relief in partying which, in excess and in the long run, may contribute to depression.
Solution:
If stress and depression are an issue, seek professional support. Many campuses have free counseling programs for students. Counselors are trained to listen and help students get back on track.
Sickness/Health Conditions
Problem:
Heightened stress, poor self-care, and lack of sleep can cause health problems. Living in close quarters also poses health risks and can increase a student's chances of contracting illnesses.
Solution:
Eat healthy, balanced meals. Get a good night's rest as well. Wash your hands often. If an illness does develop, visit your campus clinic.
Social Problems
Problem:
If you're lucky, you'll make many new friends. Establishing connections and spending time with classmates and roommates is important for building community. However, spending too much time together can be challenging, and conflicts can arise. Social relations can become a distraction.
Solution:
Take some time out for yourself. If possible, get away from campus for a break and visit a coffee shop or a mall, take a walk in a neighborhood, or visit a local park. Prioritize time for studying and taking care of yourself. If conflicts do arise and you need help, get your RA or another friend involved.
Partying
Problem:
Partying in itself is not a problem. Parties can be a great way for students to blow off steam. However, sometimes partying can cause problems. Drugs and alcohol can lead to poor choices, risky behavior, health risks, and even potentially deadly situations. Having sex without sober consent and without taking the necessary precautions can be traumatic, dangerous, and even criminal.
Solution:
While parties are important, enjoy them in a responsible and legal way so you don't create problems for yourself or others. Know your limits. Ask for a ride home if you've been drinking. Keep track of your friends and make sure they're being safe, too. Make sure to eat and drink enough water when consuming alcohol. Carry a condom. Understand what it means to have "affirmative consent."
Relationships
Problem:
Relationships are good, but they can be overwhelming. Sometimes they take a lot of time and can begin to encroach on your education. There are times in every relationship when a couple will have a disagreement which can distract them from schoolwork and add to stress levels. Break-ups can drive some students even further into depression.
Solution:
Relationship advice is hard to give, since the solution varies on a case-by-case basis. Establish a clear communication of your needs and expectations from the outset. If you do break up, consult with a school counselor to work through the experience.
Choosing a Major
Problem:
There is a lot of pressure to choose a major. It is easy to think that your major will determine your future career and how much money you will make, which means that making the right decision now feels hugely important (and stressful).
Solution:
College majors are important, but they do not chisel your future career or wages into stone. Choose something that you like. If you are unsure about what major to choose, choose something broad and versatile, such as communications. Many students who get their undergraduate degrees in one field progress to get a Master's degree in a different area. Worrying too much about your major is simply not worth it. Focus instead on gaining knowledge and life skills.
Lack of guidance
Problem:
In our country, students face a lot of problems during their educational career.
They are the most unguided students in the world. Neither the parent due to their ignorance due to which they can’t chose proper subject and proper filed nor the teachers due to lack of professionalism are able to guide them. Lack of guidance is very serious problem which students face.
The purpose of early education is to induce in to the students an interest of education but children are taught by untrained teachers in their early stage, so they lose interest in education. The high expectation of families and absence of guidance affects the ability of the students.
Solution:
Students should get basic knowledge about any profession before deciding to take it as their future profession. For this purpose they should consult the persons which are already attached with that profession are great source of information. So you can consult a person which is related to the profession which you want to join in future.
Examination system
Problem:
Students are evaluated in our institutions not on the basis of their abilities but on the basis of their class. This disheartens students who have weak financial/social backgrounds. Also our examination system evaluates students not on the basis of their cognitive abilities but is more of a rote memory test. All this is simply due to the fact that modern evaluation techniques are not applied.
Solution:
The Examination system should be based on research work with the effort to explore world not on the ability of cramming.
Imposed study programs
Problem:
One of the big problems faced by students is, usually they are not free to choose study program of their own choice. Parents imposed a field of study which is not suitable for the child or he couldn’t feel good to study in that field. This is very common problem of our society. Student wants to be journalist or photographer but parents select engineering for him. So when he gets admission in engineering college he could not perform better. He feels that he is not fit for this field.
Solution:
Here parents should think about it and please don’t impose any study sequence to their children. You should make aware students about the scopes and problems of every field where they have interest and let them choose a study program. Aamir Khan, famous Indian actor produced a film “3 Idiots” on this topic that students can perform better in that field which they select themselves.
Difference in Theory & practical world
Problem:
In our colleges and universities students got bookish and theoretical knowledge but to get job they need practical knowledge and skills. In fact, students required theoretical knowledge for their professional growth and development but in job market they need something more. Now there is too much competition in the market and owners only hire that person which has some kind of experience regarding the required job.
Solution:
This problem can be solved very easily by students themselves. Students can join a company or organization during their studies for the experience. This will gives you much experience and also professional knowledge which would boost your personality.
Teachers’ insincerity
Problem:
This is very common problem and nearly all the students talked about it. In our society teaching is not considered a good profession and people, who are in this profession not sincere with it. In colleges and universities mostly teachers doesn’t come in time and mostly classes are off due to the unavailability of teachers.
Solution:
The only solution of this problem is that the teacher’s must be sincere to their profession and should pay his best to the students.
Teacher-Student relationship:
Problem:
A careful analysis of the teacher-student relationship at any level, inside or outside the school, reveals it fundamentally narrative character. This relationship involves a narrative subject (the teacher) & listening objects (the students).
Education is suffering from narration sickness. The teacher talks about reality as if it were motionless, static, compartmentalized & predictable who else he expounds on a topic completely alien to the existential experience of the students.
His task is to fill the students with the contents of his narration. Content which are detach from reality disconnected from the totality that engendered them & could give the significance & words are emptied of their concreteness & become a hollow, alienated verbosity.
Communication Gap
Problem:
There exists a lot of communication gap between students and teachers. Due to this gap neither the teachers nor the parents come to understand the students, resultantly they enforce upon them their wishes. This enforcement develops a rebellious or a docile nature in the students, which retard the positive abilities.
Solution:
The environment of the class must be such that a student asks anything to the teacher without the fear of insult or criticism.
Unhealthy environment
Problem:
Students usually have to study in unhealthy and un-friendly environment. As sometime the fellows and teachers are very un-friendly and behave rudely. Students can’t study at home due to certain reasons as load shedding or have to do some domestic households etc. Some students who are from other cities face lots of problems of food and residence.
Solution:
It’s the responsibility of the teacher to create a healthy & friendly environment so that students can ask any question from the teacher. A healthy & friendly environment not only develop interest in the studies but also give confidence to the students.
I hope this book will help you in your CALL – AGE – LIFE (college life).........
