19 Most Common Student Problems And Easiest Ways To Deal With Them

Once you start your life as a student in a university or college, you know you will face many hurdles and distractions; sometimes you are prepared for it, and sometimes you are not. In this blog, we dive into the 15 most common student problems and solutions for each of them. We hope our blog will help you better face the common student problems you get, especially for the times when you're not mentally prepared for the hurdles that come your way.

1. Time Management

Any level of effective study involves time management, one of the common student problems. Many students face the challenges of staying up late to finish a piece of assignment, meet deadlines, and cope with their studies. These are some common student problems that indicate that you need to work on your time management skills to avoid lagging behind your classmates. You can follow a few ways to overcome these common problems faced by students when it comes to time management. These include:

1. Set a To-Do list.
2. Break down large tasks
3. Use tools to schedule your tasks
4. Use breaks to your advantage
5. Ask for help

2. You are Experiencing Low Motivation

Are you overwhelmed easily? Lack of motivation is also one of the most common problems faced by students in their studies. When you lack internal motivation to study, you don’t feel like studying, and it significantly hinders your results. This leads to you feeling stressed about every little thing. You don’t sleep well and are constantly worried about failure. To overcome this common student problem, you must first figure out what motivates you by following the steps below.

1. Rewarding yourself
2. Understanding your study style
3. Acknowledge what is stopping you
4. Face your fears
5. Communicate your difficulties

3. Lack of Concentration

The capacity of students to concentrate on studying can be severely hampered by social media, friends, phones, television, video games, and outings, making it one of the most common problems faced by students. When this happens, students must switch to a productive working environment without zero distractions. From finding the right distraction-free space to shutting off all things that hamper your concentration, there are several steps you can take to conquer your distractions. Start by doing the following.

1. Creating the right environment
2. Clean up and organise your workspace
3. Use music as an escape
4. Shut off your phone
5. Set a deadline

4. You Have Difficulty Concentrating

Do you find yourself staring at a blank page for a long time and unable to start your work? Difficulty in concentration is again one of the common struggles of students, which can lead to a decline in productivity. Lack of attention is one of the symptoms of procrastination, so if you frequently check your phone or text friends when you should be studying, you need to work on increasing your focus levels. You can do the following to resolve this common student problem.

1. Clear your head
2. Talk to a school counsellor
3. Set achievable goals
4. Find the right learning style
5. Do not push yourself too much

5. Dealing with Homesickness

For many students who pursue their education away from home, getting homesick can be one of the most common problems faced by students. Thanks to technology and modern communication channels, students can stay in touch with their loved ones. You can do several other things to deal with this common student problem.
1. Join a support group
2. Understand the cause
3. Ask for care packages from home
4. Do things you loved doing back home
5. Talk about your feelings
Check out our blog about dealing with homesickness to know more.

6. Dealing with Depression

Depression is one of the common student problems faced by students. Students must have dealt with depression, stress, and anxiety at some point in their school or college life. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), one in seven (14%) 10 to 19-year-olds experience mental health conditions. Dealing with depression is not easy, as it puts students through feelings of helplessness, unworthiness, and uncertainties in life. Most mental health issues arising during university can be caused by poor self-care, insufficient sleep, and increased stress. Here are a few ways to deal with these common problems faced by students.
1. Talk to a friend
2. Seek Counseling
3. Mindfulness Exercises
4. Set Healthy Boundaries
5. Improve your sleep habits

7. Social Problems

Things can get a bit tricky when you don't know a single person or know too many on campus. A student might feel a sense of belonging, lack confidence or social skills, or feel too overwhelmed with constant socializing. Be it the former or the latter, it is one of the most common student problems. Being in a social situation can make an introvert or someone who lacks social skills feel anxious, vulnerable, and exposed. With a little effort and the necessary steps, students can overcome this common student problem.

To avoid social problems:
1. Start a conversation
2. Join college clubs
3. Take a walk
4. Prioritise your time
Check out our blog to read about beating loneliness while living abroad.

8. Choosing a Major

Choosing a major can be a straining task for many students, which is why it is on this list of common student problems. It is an essential decision as it determines your future profession and income, a key aspect of a person’s life. To tackle this common student problem, follow the below steps.

1. Choose something you enjoy
2. Go with something broad and adaptable
3. Acquiring life skills
4. Consider changing your major

Still confused while choosing a major? Check out our best majors for future blog.

9. You Lack the Right Resources

This one is possibly the simplest but the most common problems for students. Academic achievement depends on having access to the right resources, be it books, tools, the internet, teachers to speak with, and other things you need to gain all the information from. For this common student problem, you can:

1. Reach out to your teachers
2. Ask parents for help
3. Look up resources on the internet

10. Dealing with Relationships

Although beneficial, relationships at university may be stressful, causing it to be one of the common struggles of students. They can sometimes take a lot of your time and start to interfere with your studies. Every relationship, be it friendship, occasionally has fights that may interrupt studies and raise stress levels. Some students may become even more depressed after a breakup. The way to deal with relationships at university is as follows:
1. Study together
2. Understand your needs
3. Keep realistic expectations
4. Communicate your issues
5. Catch up during breaks

11. Financial Problems for Students

The high pace of tuition inflation is again one of the most common problems faced by students. When you combine these expenses with the price of accommodation, food, supplies, transportation, and textbooks, you have a recipe for overwhelming debt, which adds to the list of financial problems for students. Other than considering working while studying overseas, students can also follow the following ways to deal with financial problems, one of the common student problems:
1. Educate yourself on the loan structure
2. Consider on-campus job
3. Create a budget
4. Take up part-time jobs
5. Earn scholarships
6. Cook at home

Wanna know how to make a few extra bucks? Check out this blog about money-earning apps for students.

12. Housing Problems

Finding the ideal student accommodation can be difficult and is one of the common problems faced by students. It’s best to consider a wide range of variables, including rent, amenities, location, roommates, and distance from universities, to find the perfect stay for yourself. You can resolve your house-hunting problems by taking the below steps.
1. Consider off-campus student accommodation.
2. Find a trustworthy student accommodation website.
3. Always have a backup option.
Check out our blog section that deals with living abroad as a student, where you will find many housing tips, tricks and the best areas to live in!

13. Test Anxiety

Getting anxiety before an exam is one of the common student problems. Students most often struggle with academics and are under pressure to perform well. This test anxiety issue can manifest in different ways, such as nervousness, panic attacks, or stress before and during exams. Physical symptoms include sweating, trembling, rapid heartbeat, and difficulty breathing. It can negatively impact a student's performance, leading to poor grades, difficulty concentrating, and avoidance of studying or attending class. It also affects a student's mental health and well-being, causing feelings of low self-esteem, depression, and suicidal thoughts in severe cases. 

Students can follow the below ways to handle test anxiety:

1. Try techniques such as deep breathing exercises, visualisation, positive self-talk, and time management strategies. 
2. Seek help from a mental health professional if the anxiety is persistent or severe.
3. Develop healthy study habits and learn effective test-taking strategies to tackle anxiety.

14. Technology Related Issues

Technological issues are also one of the most common problems faced by students. These include internet connectivity issues, device malfunctions, software glitches, and compatibility issues. Due to tech problems, students can miss out on important deadlines, coursework, and are unable to attend virtual classes or complete online assessments. This leads to significant stress and frustration, causing a decrease in motivation and academic performance. Here is how students can deal with technological difficulties:

1. Troubleshooting basic technical problems on our own.
2. Seeking help from IT support or technical experts.
3. Updating devices and software as needed.
4. Develop a backup plan in case of unexpected technical issues, like a secondary device or alternative internet connection.
5. Taking regular breaks from technology, practising mindfulness, and setting healthy boundaries around technology use.

15. Lack of Sleep

Students don’t realise this, but sleep is vital to function properly throughout the day.  Sleep schedules can suffer due to stress, academic workload, social activities, and late-night studying. This leads to daytime drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and bad grades. It also impacts a student's physical and mental health, causing fatigue, irritability, and a weakened immune system. It is advised to follow the below ways to tackle lack of sleep:

1. Setting a consistent sleep schedule
2. Avoiding caffeine and electronics before bed
3. Creating a comfortable sleeping environment.

16. Too Much Partying

Many students love to party, and honestly, partying is not a problem. It is, in fact, a great way to have fun, release stress, and create amazing memories. However, too much partying, especially having too many drinks or taking drugs, can lead to many issues. This is why partying is also considered one of the common student problems, as too much of it can lead to decreased focus, poor choices, health risks, risky behavior, and deadly situations such as drunk driving leading to an accident. To tackle this problem, do the following:

1. Avoid taking too many drinks and avoid drugs
2. Take a cab or ask for a ride home if you get drunk
3. Keep an eye on your friends & make sure they’re safe
4. Take responsibility
5. Make sure to eat properly and drink enough water

17. Juggling Multiple Tasks

Many students take up jobs while studying to meet high tuition fees and their daily expenses. It can get a bit overwhelming for students to juggle everything, including academics, social life, job, and relationships, all at once. Students who try to do everything simultaneously suffer from a lack of sleep and feel too tired, leading to several physical and mental health problems. To tackle this problem, you can follow the below.

1. Prioritize your work
2. Schedule events, classes, meetings, and social events
3. Take up a job that easily fits your schedule

18. Difficulties In Remembering Facts And Figures

At any point in the study, students frequently complain about how difficult it is to remember all the knowledge required to respond effectively to test questions. Whether you study full- or part-time, this issue is very common because of the time and attention demands of family and other commitments. The best ways to tackle this problem are:

1. Make realistic schedule
2. Take notes aggressively
3. Complete your tasks in small sprints

19. Lack of interest

It is expected that students may encounter a subject they dislike at some time throughout their academic careers. Such a dislike can significantly hinder their learning about that subject. It appears to be a pointless topic that they won't have any use for in the long term, or they actively dislike it, whether it's because they find it dull or think they aren't very good at it. The best ways to resolve this issue is:

1. A changed mindset
2. Devote more time to that subject
3. Change the pattern of your studies (rather than only relying on books to learn, watch engaging videos.)

How can the common student problems impact Mental Health?

Universities can be a complex and competitive environment. The many problems students face here have a major impact on their well-being. We will dive deeper into how these problems impact students’ mental health. It is crucial to help students receive the support and resources they need to perform well in school. 

1. Academic and social challenges faced by university students can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression in students.
2. Struggling with coursework can cause frustration and low self-esteem.
3. Social problems such as feeling left out or struggling to make friends can leave students feeling alone, disconnected, and low self-confidence.
4. Unaddressed mental health concerns can escalate and impact a student's ability to function well in their daily life.
5. It interferes with a student's ability to concentrate and sleep.
6. These challenges faced by students can worsen the student's stress and anxiety levels, creating a cycle that is difficult to overcome.

Though attending college is filled with many pleasant memories, the truth is there are many challenging things in the beginning. However, every problem has a solution! You can also try life hacks for students. Just keep in mind that whenever you face a challenging situation, avoid letting anger and resentment dominate; always look at the bigger picture and conquer your problems. You can also check out our blog for freshman 15 and its prevention.