Challenges Faced by First Year Students Essay Example

and tutorials thus coming to school with different intensions.The only way one can improve on time management is by creating a time table that would keep one focused. A further major challenge that first year students are confronted by is financial matters.

There is a price for everything and pursuing higher education considerably involves a large sum of money. In the world today the prices of things fluctuate from time to time and never does it remain the same. Not all students can afford to pay the tuition of the program or course they wish to undertake and the course materials that is needed.The price change of fees may have an effect on first year students in particular.

For example universities charge one thousand to ten thousand a year sometimes even more depending on the course one takes. The sudden switch in school fees may have a great impact on the first year students as some students are so familiar with paying not more than three hundred dollars where as the school that they are currently attending requires thousands of dollars. Not all students have that kind of money to spend therefore this leads to a financial problem.Another major challenge that first year students face is cultural problems. One of the cultural problems faced by first year students is culture shock. The more different the new culture is from theirs own the greater the shock.

All first year students react differently to moving to a new place. Some students are excited about university life and what it has to offer while others become frustrated because they find it difficult to adjust to the surroundings. For

example first year students are in shock about the new environment, meeting new people, learning the language and the ways of a new country or island.It is important to remember that culture shock is a learning process for all first year students. A further challenge that first year students are bombarded with is the environment. The foreign exchange students may encounter difficulties in adjusting to the change in weather.

Some other students are trying to familiarise themselves with the new surroundings. For example buildings, facilities, climate change and landscape. In addition another major challenge faced by first year students is social problems. One of the social problems encountered is freedom.At university level students tend to have a lot of freedom. They do anything they want and when it suits them.

For example; students have the liberty to choose to attend lectures and tutorials or not. It is wise that one restricts oneself from having too much freedom or it may have a negative effect on their lives or academic performances. Another major challenge is peer pressure. Peer pressure is one of the highly influential components on first year students and is unavoidable. When entering university for the first time, new friends are made.

It is only wise that one chooses their friends wisely. Entertaining the wrong company may lead to peer pressure. For example; smoking, relationships, sexual activity and the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs. Students that give into peer pressure are the ones that are most vulnerable to not succeeding in their academic life.

Many first year students participate in peer pressure because they think its cool and they want to fit in

but a confident student that has a purpose in life will not bow down to peer pressure.Therefore, to conclude when entering university first year students will face challenges and obstacles. One must be wise in knowing how to deal with these challenges. First year students should not take these challenges lightly. More importantly they should face these challenges and surpass them.

Unless students take these challenges into consideration these problems could affect their academic performance drastically and have great consequences in the end.