Freshman Year Challenges

Who is a first year student? First year student means any university student who has finished high school and commenced their first year in college. Getting into the University for the first time in a person's life can be extremely challenging. A common expectation of any student is that a university education will enhance their academic and vocational prospects but also provide opportunity to become independent and enjoy themselves.

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Transition from school to University can cause concern for many students, one issue is the gap between students prior expectations and the realities of university life which can cause significant distress, poor academic performance and increased dropout rates if not managed effectively. Research has shown several similarities in the expectations of staff and students in regards to which factors determines academic success One of the challenges first year students face in the University is the adjustment to new life. 

1. Adjusting to a New Environment: as a person can be hectic for the first few weeks or months or even years, the amount of time it takes to adjust to a new school depends on the student and the support they receive while some students feel comfortable in a new environment within a few weeks, others can take much longer to adjust. The ability to adjust to the lecture timetable and your personal time as a person can be challenging. Fortunately, there are tips that can help first year students adjust to new school life and some of them are: 

- Making team effort 

- Keeping a positive focus 

- Encourage school involvement 

- Take a trial run 

- Stock up on supplies 

- Prepare the night before 

- Get a healthy start

2. Homesickness: This is one of the challenges of first year students in the University. It is normal for people to feel home sick considering that they have left the place of their comfort to a totally new place. As freshers who are usually on their own for the first time, home sickness can show up as sadness, depression or anxiety. Homesickness could affect the academic performance of a student if not handled properly. Usually first year students begin to feel home sick during the first month of their stay in the University. Dealing with homesickness as a university freshman can be easy and one of the ways are let yourself be homesick for a while. It is totally okay for one to miss the place of their comfort, all they have to do is to go out and keep themselves busy so as to forget the comfort of their homes 

3. Pressure of Studies:This is another challenge of first year students in the University, the pressure of studies especially during the first semester can weigh down heavily on any student if not handled properly. A lot of times, the students find their new courses strange and complex since they are different from the elementary subjects they are used to. For instance, a first year student of Cross River University of Technology in the department of Mass communication might find Legal system as a course strange considering that he or she is not used to the course and has never heard of it. One of the best ways to handle pressure of studies as a University First Year Student is by interacting with senior colleges of the same department and asking questions, by doing so, one could get the guidance and counselling the need in order to excel in their studies 

4. Cost of Education: The cost of Education for most students in their First Year could be challenging, considering the financial challenges that is being faced in the country. While most students may be able to handle cost effectively, some others may not and this could have a strain on their academics. 

5. Finding New Friends: Settling into a new environment for the first time in a person Life could be hectic and for most people finding new friends requires careful selection and observation. Finding someone who fits into your perspective and shares same ideologies and goals with you is a basic requirement for any first year student in the University as making friends and mingling with the wrong people could be misleading. So finding new friends for a first year students in a University could be challenging 

6. Time Management: For a person who's basically had all time to themselves, managing time in a University could be strange, shuffling between school time and personal time would be hectic for them. However, in order to manage time effectively, it is important that first year students in the University should have a to do list in order to successfully achieve their goals.

Embarking on a university career is a great adventure, a learning curve, and an important part of a person's life. However, it does come with some rough patches here and there. These are more apparent in first year as you transition from the comfort of Sixth Form to University with familiar faces and teachers who may have known you for years, to a whole new environment where you'll need to make new friends, meet academic expectations, and live independently. However, as time goes on, these challenges can be overcome in order to enable you achieve your goals successfully.