6 Common Problems Faced by College Students

College life is full of surprises and excitement in Australia. Students experience new feelings, and environment when they first visit Australia. Along with the feeling of starting everything from the beginning, various challenges come across the life of a student. The challenges that may arise during international students can range from migration to placement.  Also, there are more responsibilities that a student is responsible for taking care of.
 

There are 6 common challenges faced by college students in Australia:

 
1. Stress
 

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

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

a) Lack of enthusiasm: Decreased motivation and interest in activities, and tasks that once brought joy or motivation may now feel like burdens.
b) Fatigue: Persistent tiredness and exhaustion, even after getting enough sleep and rest. 
c) Negative thoughts: Experiencing a persistent pattern of negative thinking, such as excessive worrying, self-doubt, or a bleak outlook on the future.
d) Forgetfulness: Difficulty in remembering things or concentrating. Stress can impair cognitive function, leading to lapses in memory and concentration.
e) Difficulty in making decisions: Indecisiveness and hesitancy in making decisions. You may feel overwhelmed by options or fear making the wrong decision.
f) Increased nicotine, alcohol or caffeine use: Turning to substances like cigarettes, alcohol, or caffeine more frequently or in larger quantities as a way to cope with stress
g) Headaches: Regular or intensified headaches as a physical manifestation of stress.

Simple Ways to Manage Stress are:

a) Regular exercise: Exercise also helps reduce levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, promoting relaxation and improved sleep.
b) Planned relaxation: Students should set a dedicated amount of time for relaxation activities such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness practices.
c) Excellent organisation of time: Prioritising tasks, creating realistic schedules, and breaking large tasks into small, manageable ones will help you to enhance productivity and reduce stress.
d) A balanced diet: A healthy diet is mostly ignored by students, they should rather eat a nutritious diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats can support overall well-being and stress management.
e) Talking to others: Students usually bury their emotions rather than discuss them with others. Talking about your stressors will help you process your emotions, gain insights, and explore potential solutions.
f) Seeking help: Even after these tips, if you are not able to manage the level of academic stress, you can get help from assignment helpers in such complexities. 
 
2. Relationship Issues
 

Students are prone to face a lot of romantic relationship issues.  Some of them have their first romantic relationships. Therefore, a huge amount of emotions are involved. But, when those come to an end, students become 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 behaviour to let out their frustration.

So, it is advised to dear students that don’t over-expect your boyfriend/girlfriend. Also, don’t promise things which you know you can’t commit to. 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 about what kind of partner you want to have to start a relationship with. Assess yourself what kind of person you are and what kind of person you are compatible with. After you have thoroughly analysed 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. So, don’t rush before entering into a serious relationship. Think wisely, and 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 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 leagues take certain kinds 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, their effect lessens and students increase the intake quantity. This way, they indulge more and more in drug abuse, which in turn affects their social life, their grades and their relationships.

It is hard to realise 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 before ceasing drug abuse, as some people experience severe withdrawal symptoms. The doctor will gradually decrease the dosages and suggest 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 counsellor’s help. Joining a support group will help. You will get to hear other people'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 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. 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 for 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 to the new social norms. Students need to be flexible when it comes to interacting with the 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 practise 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 make 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, and 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, and practising relaxation techniques. It is beneficial to practise slow breathing exercises. 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 counsellor who will assist you in managing depression.
 
Conclusion: 

The above-mentioned problems are a synopsis of overall aspects of a student's academic life. People who think that the local students are privileged as they are not away from their families and have the advantage to access everything, are somewhere wrong. The challenges mentioned above are actively faced by both local and international students. Those who do not know the reality think that the lives of these students are fun but it's not like that. Be it managing stress to facing challenges, a student has to face it all alone. Therefore they must try to avoid the chances of these problems, and try to inculcate healthy habits. 

Students can explore our website Oz assignments for more accurate and reliable content. This resource can provide valuable insights for developing a lifestyle based on healthy habits.

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