Challenges and responsibilities of a student

All work and no play! It seems as if that is the average college student’s life nowadays.
The average college student faces many challenges with their education, sometimes on a
daily basis. Students also have many problems and they struggle against numerous
challenges every day and their life is not a piece of cake. Student responsibility is
demonstrated when make choices and take actions which lead them toward their educational
goals. They should be actively involved in the learning process and should behave
appropriately for a learning.

Beginning life at college naturally generates both excitement and anxiety for many
reasons including the move, academic responsibilities, and meeting new people. For some,
this apprehension is quickly overcome as they adapt to a new environment; for others the
transition takes longer and sometimes emerges as homesickness where there is a
preoccupation with home-focused thoughts. Based on Trudy Haywood (2015), research
shows that up to 70% of students will experience homesickness in their early days at
university. It is a normal part of the experience of leaving home. However, homesickness can
have a significant effect on student success, and in severe cases it can result in withdrawal
from school. According to Dr. Klapow, “even if no one’s saying anything, chances are most
people are feeling homesickness at one point or another. Feeling homesick is part of learning
to live a new life.

Time management can be a common problem for any student. Time is one of our
greatest resources. This is most important things you will learn in college on how to manage
time, balancing between classes, study time, social time and work if they have a part time job.
College students spend much less time in class and are expected to do much more
coursework outside of the classroom. Coursework is often given in larger chunks rather than
smaller daily assignments. Students spend less time in structured activities than they did in
high school.

“Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it
will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” Carl Sandburg

You need to manage time effectively if you are going to be successful student. All other things
being held constant, better time management skills can improve your grades, help you keep
stress in check, and help you be competitive in the career you undertake following our
university education (Gortner, Lahmers & Zulaut, 2000).
 Research regarding sources of stress confirms the influential role that personal
financial problems play in the lives of college students. Financial difficulties are often cited
among college students as sources of stress (Northern, O’Brien & Goetz, 2010) .There’s all
kinds of stress in college life. Academic stress of worrying about grades and GPA, the financial
stress of worrying about their college loans and whether they will find a job after college and
the day to day stress of making decisions for themselves in all aspects of their lives. The
pressure from the amount of work necessary to pass these classes can weigh heavily on some
students. As we all know now, stress can have adverse effects on health in many subtle ways.
Having to learn to deal with stress is just another thing students have to learn in today’s
colleges.
As a college student, you are committed to understanding many responsibilities. As a
maturing individual a college student must learn social responsibility. These social morals and
values become a great asset in your development. Some of these responsibilities include
remaining updated on current events and new information, and fulfilling your obligation to cast
a vote in a democracy. Remaining focused with current events allows you to advance your
social skills and involve yourself in social interactions. In addition a great part of maturity
involves the ability to formulate an opinion for the outcome of your future.

A good student must be punctual, organized, and know how to develop self-discipline.
For instance, you must always come to class and the assignments and projects on time. You
also can be more prepared for your upcoming assignments, papers, labs, and exams. It is
hard to be prepared for upcoming assignments if you do not go to class on a regular basis.
Many individuals find it hard to prioritize tasks, manage time effectively and ask for help when
it is needed. Developing a good time-management and self-discipline is, in fact, a part of
professional development for students and directly related to their success. You will be
responsible for going to class, navigating around campus, and finding help where you need it.
Adjusting to college life can be difficult, which is why most universities have a strong network
of people, organizations, and services that will help you get involved and make the most of
your college experience. If you are sick and miss class it is your responsibility to get the notes
from someone in the class and to catch up. All of these commitments can often lead to an
overwhelmed student. Therefore, it is safe to say that managing commitments is the second
most frequent challenge faced by college students today.

In conclusion, the successful integration into college life depends on the ability of the
student to make transition into the new role of a college student.
 References

Gortner-Lahmers, A., & Zulauf, C.R. (2000). Factors associated with academic time use and academic
performance of college students: A recursive approach. Journal of College Student
Development . 41(5), 544-556.
Trudy Haywood. (2015). Counselling Service : Homesickness - Settling in to University. Accessed on
23 August 2016 at
https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/tutors/counselling/informationpages/homesickness/
Northern, J. J., O’Brien, W. H., & Goetz, P. W. (2010). The development, evaluation, and
validation of a financial stress scale for undergraduate students. Journal of College
Student Development, 51(1), 79-92.