6 Common Problems Faced by College Students

College life is full of surprises and excitement. Students get new experiences. Also, students have many responsibilities to take care of. Here are 6 Common Problems Faced by College Students.

 

1. Stress

Being stressed is harmful but a certain level of stress keeps us get going and makes us do our work on time. It motivates us to improve our performance. However, too much stress can have a negative effect on health. So, before you reach to that state of high stress, I suggest you to manage your stress levels. I advise you to look for the symptoms, if you have any, which indicates increasing stress levels.

 

Some of the symptoms you may observe in you, when stressed are:

1. Lack of enthusiasm

2. Fatigue

3. Negative thoughts

4. Forgetfulness

5. Difficulty in making decisions

6. Increased nicotine, alcohol or caffeine use

7. Headaches

Simple Ways to Manage Stress are:

1. Regular exercise

2. Planned relaxation

3. Excellent organisation of time

4. A balanced diet

5. Talking to others

 

2. Relationship Issues

Students are prone to face a lot of romantic relationship issues.  Some of them have their first romantic relationships. Therefore, huge amount of emotions are involved. But, when those come to an end, students become really sad and they start to think that there’s something wrong with them.  This feeling of emotional vulnerability makes them prone to depression. Sometimes, students exhibit aggressive behavior to let out the frustration.

 

So, it is advised to dear students that don’t over-expect from your boyfriend/girlfriend. Also, don’t promise things which you know you can’t commit for. Think before you say anything. Respect the individuality of the other person. Give him/her deserved space. Encourage your partner whenever he/she is working on something big. Remember my friends, love is not about only receiving, but giving affection, care and your time.

 

So I think, instead of trying to attract anybody who will take you, you should think that what kind of partner you want to have to start a relationship with. Assess yourself that what kind of person you are and what kind of persons who are compatible with. After only you have thoroughly analyzed a person, you should go for relationships. Because if you go randomly, you may end up lucky but if you don’t then you may face heartbreak. Because after the initial charm, you get to know the real person with whom you don’t feel compatible with. So, don’t rush before entering in a serious relationship. Think wisely, choose well.

 

3. Alcohol & Drugs

Alcohol and drug usage is a common thing in Engineering and Medical colleges. A drug can be any substance that brings about physical or psychological changes. Drugs include tobacco, alcohol, over-the-counter medication, caffeine and illegal substances like cannabis, heroin, etc. Students do the substance abuse for fun, to relieve stress, to get pleasure or to relieve pain, emotional or physical. Sometimes, just to get in a cool friend circle, students have to comply with other students. Sometimes, students involved in sports league take certain kind of injections to help increase their stamina, concentration and performance. This negatively impacts their health.

 

Substance abuse starts as a weekly thing but after prolonged exposure to these things, there effect lessens and students increase the intake quantity. This way, they indulge more and more into drug abuse, which in turn effect their social life, their grades and their relationships.

 

It is hard to realize that your substance abuse is causing you problems because it gives you pleasure. It is even harder to admit it. Here is how you should proceed before quitting.

 

I advise seeking medical guidance prior to ceasing drug abuse, as some people experience severe withdrawal symptoms. The doctor will gradually decrease the dosages and will suggest you appropriate exercises. Also, change your friend circle if you can’t deny them when they offer you drugs. Spend time with people who motivate you and support you in cutting down this habit. I advise you to develop a new interest or revive an old hobby. Also, if needed, seek a counselor’s help. Joining a support group will help. You will get to hear other’s stories and will learn from them.

 

4. Low Self-esteem

The term ‘Self-esteem’ is used to explain how we feel about ourselves. It impacts the ways we think and view ourselves. Having a realistic view of our abilities and strengths can strengthen our feelings of confidence.

Students often have a low self-esteem as a result of unpleasant experiences. Low self-esteem makes one think negatively. They start believing that the negative thoughts are facts. It is not unusual to have a negative reaction in a specific situation. Self-esteem changes according to the experiences we have. Sometimes we feel more confident than other days because of a pleasant experience. Feeling loved and accepted by our families can form a solid foundation for our self-esteem. While feeling as if you are not meeting other people's expectations, receiving no praise for your efforts and bullying, etc. can contribute to negative beliefs about yourself.

 

How to improve self-esteem?

Acknowledge your positive points and strengths. Be proud of your strengths , this will make you feel confident. Try to figure out your weaknesses and shortcomings. Work to improve them. Change things which you don’t like and if you can’t change it, change your attitude. Don’t worry about things which are not in your control. To improve self-esteem, work hard to gradually increase your efficiency at work. Reward yourself on small achievements and appreciate the improvement.

 

5. Cultural Adjustment

International students have to adapt to the new social rules of the country they are studying in. They have to adapt to the new culture. Some things may be offensive to the new people which may be funny at their home. So this may be both exciting and frustrating for the students. But, it takes time to adjust with the new social norms. Students need to be flexible when it comes to interacting with local population. Monitor your thoughts and feelings, it is completely fine if you are feeling anxious when you are out of your comfort zone. It is my advice to students to practice relaxation techniques like talking to friends & family, listening to music, taking a walk, meditation, etc. Maintain a journal. This will help you to process your thoughts as well as create a useful record of your experience.

 

Try to mix-up with the local population and learn the local culture and customs. This will make you feel comfortable and you will earn some good friends as well. Also, learn the local language. This can be tough but not impossible. Avail the opportunities to speak with native speakers.

 

6. Depression

Depression is a feeling of negative mood or sadness which involves a loss of interest or enjoyment from nearly all activities and lasts for two or more weeks.  Sometimes, there is also a lack of appetite. Different people experience different symptoms of depression like changes in eating or sleeping patterns, including frequent waking during the night, loss of interest in daily activities, loss of sex drive, feeling fatigued, persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, difficulty in concentrating and making decisions.

 

Depression can occur at any stage in life. I advise students to adopt a healthier lifestyle which includes regular exercising, a healthy diet, practice relaxation techniques. It is beneficial to practice slow breathing exercise. Also, it is advisable to spend “quality” time with family and friends. If the above mentioned techniques fail to help you, do visit a student counselor who will assist you in managing depression.

 

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