College life is surely one of the best phases of life for anyone. There are a lot of adventures that everyone experiences. Students also make many good memories that they cherish all their life. But no path is filled with only roses, nor is the journey of college life.
There are many hardships that every student face in their college life. Everyone goes through some of these problems at one point or the other. Engineering students have to face some more problems as there are a lot of activities apart from studies that go on in college. So, putting up with everything simultaneously can be really difficult at times. Therefore you must prepare yourself beforehand so that you can tactfully deal with these problems.
Here are some of the problems and the solutions to deal with them:
Managing time
Problem:
For an engineering student, managing time efficiently is a big challenge. There are so many different types of activities that go on in college throughout the year. And you have to participate in them or else you will lag behind. All of these activities carry their own points.
There is also immense academic pressure. The syllabus is vast with lots of assignments. There are internal exams, presentations, and viva that takes place in short intervals. Then there are semester final exams in every six months where you have to memorize a big syllabus.
Therefore students find it really difficult to manage time to complete their syllabus amongst all the other activities. They tend to learn by heart all the subjects without even understanding the logic. This is the worst thing to do. You will not have the fundamentals clear of any subject which will affect you in the long term.
Solution:
The first thing you need to do is go easy. You should know where your limits lie; therefore you should plan your activities accordingly. There is no need to take active participation in every extra-curricular activity that takes place in the college. Be a part of those which you can manage besides your studies.
Plan your daily routine beforehand. In this way, you can manage time for both studies and other activities. You must also take some rest to freshen up your mind. This will help you to memorize your lessons better. Most importantly do not indulge in useless activities with your friends and spend less time on your cell phone.
Managing expenses
Problem:
There are so many expenses for an engineering college student. The tuition fees are really high that you need to pay at the beginning of every semester. Then there are hostel charges and the cost of books and other items that are required in the practical. Some even take private tuitions for subjects they find difficult which are expensive.
All the expenses, when put together, sums up to a huge amount which many students find really difficult to cope up with. You also have immense academic pressure that will prevent you from taking up any part-time job. Many students, who opt for a part-time job just to support their expenses, find it really difficult to continue after a point of time as they are practically left with very less time for completing their studies and assignments. So this option is also not feasible for you.
Thereafter students end up borrowing from their fellow students. But that is surely not a good option. You also need money to repay that. Finance Experts say that you should borrow only that much you think you are capable of earning in the first year after completing your degree. But the high expenses make it impossible to follow this theory. There are many students who drop their college in the midway just because they are unable to manage the expenses.
Solution:
To every problem, there is a solution. So this serious problem also has got some solutions. You can always take the help of educational loans. These loans are easy to get and they do not have many terms and conditions attached to them. The rate of interest is also low.
One big advantage of this loan is that you get a good amount of time to repay back the loan. You get a good amount of time to finish your degree and get a job and then you can start repaying back the loan.
Another important thing to do is crack a good job in the on-campus interviews. Every engineering college gives the facility of the on-campus drive to their students so that they can get a good job from the college itself and start earning immediately after completing the degree. If you can crack a good job then you will find no difficulty in paying back your educational loan.
Missing home badly
Problem:
Most of the engineering students have to leave the comforts of their home to stay in hostels for completing their college. You admit it or not but you surely miss your home badly at times. There are many students who are very homesick. They miss their family and the atmosphere of their home very badly. For many students, the college is the first phase when they are leaving away from home. So the feeling takes a lot of time to sink in.
There are some students who reside out of the state and sometimes there are even foreign students who cannot visit their home for almost a year. They face this problem very much. When they see other students visiting their home very often then it makes the situation even worse for them to cope up with.
This problem of homesickness can seriously affect your studies. You may find it very difficult to concentrate on your studies as the thoughts of your dear ones keep coming back in your mind again and again.
Solution:
Practically there is no proper solution to this problem excepting of coping up with the situation. You cannot leave your college and sit back at home so the least you can do is prepare yourself mentally beforehand so that you find it less difficult when you actually have to face the situation.
If you are not too far away from your home then make a visit every month to your home. Make it a point to call your parents and siblings every day. This will lessen your sadness. You can also video call them, in this way you can see them directly and you will miss them less. You will feel connected to them. Also, ask them to call you regularly. In this way, you will feel protected and know that they are concerned about you.
You should also make friends inside the college campus because for the next few years till your graduation your college is your first home and your friends are your immediate family. Making a strong bond of friendship in college will help you from missing your home. You will have people around to support you whenever you feel low. You should also care for them in return. This symbiotic relationship will help you to complete your college without even realizing that you are away from home.
Bad health conditions
Problem:
A human body is bound to suffer various sicknesses. When you stay away from home then it is for sure that you will not get your food on time and will also not get proper rest as you get at home. There is also no guarantee that proper hygiene is maintained while preparing food. The water may also not suit you. And all these can sum up to various health diseases.
You can also suffer from stress. Inefficient sleep can also lead to poor health conditions. You can also get the disease that your roommate is down with. Living in the same room and sharing various things can easily spread communicable diseases.
All of these you will have to face alone. Your parents will not be around to take care of you. You will have to deal with them and use your own brain to cope up with these problems.
Solution:
The most important thing is to take good care of you. You should eat proper food and that too timely. You should take adequate rest and sleep nicely. Keep some medicines handy that are used for treating common diseases like fever, stomach upset, headache, muscle cramps, urine infection, etc. Keep your room clean as cleanliness eradicates many disease germs. Drink clean water.
You should visit the clinic on the campus if you are feeling unwell at any time. There are doctors who can give you the first aid. If there is anything serious then contact the college authority for further help.
You should also seek your friend’s help and in return help them also. They are your immediate family so they can offer you the best help. Do not refrain from asking their help as you will not be able to manage if you are feeling very sick. If you are feeling extremely sick then prefer contacting your parents and ask them to get you home. You will surely get the best care at home.
Depression
Problem:
This is a very common problem that most of the engineering students face. The pressure of academics and various other activities and being unable to cope up with them pushes many students towards depression. Poor results in the exams are a very common reason for depression.
The stress level is always high in the life of an engineering student. There are assignments all throughout the month. Then there are presentations that need to be made perfectly. Then there are the internal exams which happen every now and then. All of these together make it impossible for a student to have peace of mind and hence depression creeps in slowly.
Solution:
If your condition is getting worse and if you are not feeling like doing anything then it is advisable that you consult an expert. You can visit a therapist who can help you to relax and release your stress. You can also see a counselor as mental counseling can help you get rid of depression.
Other methods that you can try on your own are doing yoga and going for dance movement therapy. Taking out sometime in the morning for yoga can be very helpful. Dance movement therapy can also help you met with your inner self. Avoid taking any kind of anti-depression pills as they have harmful effects on health.
Choosing the next course of action
Problem:
One of the biggest problems for engineering students is to decide what should they do after completing their college, whether they should go for higher studies or prepare themselves for getting a job. This can be really stressful for you to decide. You will see your different friends have different plans and that will confuse you even more.
Solution:
Both higher studies and jobs have their own prospects. But you need to choose wisely. You should know your capabilities and your financial strength and then decide accordingly. You should not follow your friend’s decision blindly without even introspecting. Consider consulting your teachers and parents for the best advice.
Your financial conditions may need you to find a good job for yourself so that you can support yourself and your family. Or if you are financially well off then you can go for higher studies as these courses are tad expensive. Remember the higher studies cannot guarantee you a good job, but your capability can.
So if you are aspiring to take up an engineering graduate course then these are some of the very common problems that you might face in your college life. So prepare yourself from beforehand so that you can cope up with them.
Author bio:
Professor Nancie L Beckett is the writer of this piece of writing. She is an MBA graduate with a six-year of experience in the profession of teaching. She is associated with New York University. She is a fantastic online tutor and you can seek her advice related to any subject any time you want.