| Student Trends & Issues

Homesickness  

Roommate conflicts  

Initial adjustment to academic  

Class size, especially in mass lecture halls, lack of personal interest by professors and performance expectations 

Values exploration  

Social life adjustments  

Initial social rejections  

Campus familiarization  

Financial adjustment  

International student adjustment  

Family problems  

Adjusting to "Administrative Red Tape" 

Academic stress from mid-terms builds  

Values exploration  

Dating/non-dating/friendship anxieties extremely high  

Homesickness  

Job panic for mid-year graduates  

Institutional fit and affinity 

Purpose of higher education 

Grief from not being part of a group develops because of inadequate skills for finding a group, or from not being  selected by one  

Financial strain sets in from lack of budgeting experience 

Time management 

Spring enrollment 

Study habits/skills 

Depression and suicidal ideation 

Academic pressures 

Time management  

Social apathy  

Anxiety (academic and social) 

Economic anxieties  

Increased alcohol and/drug use 

Roommate problems may start to emerge again. This is mostly due to the pressure of school; tempers become  shorter and people are less tolerant of others

Deteriorating health starts to affect performance. Reasons include the changing weather and either lack of food  quality or the negative feelings about institutional foods. Health is also affected by the perceived inadequacies of the student health center

Students have given up making attempts to establish new friendships beyond two or three parasitic  relationships

Living unit dissension causes uncomfortable feelings with residents. Results from apathy, academic pressures,  need for vacation from school

 Increasing thought/deliberation about suicide occur from inability to cope with the pressures of academic and  social expectations

Final exam pressures including anxiety, fear and guilt increase as exams approach and papers become due.  Increased use of alcohol and drugs is related

Extracurricular time strains - seasonal parties, concerts, social service projects and religious activities drain  student energies

Financial worries occur with the thought of Christmas gifts and travel costs

Pre-holiday blues emerges, especially for those who have concerns for family, those who have no home because  of family conflicts

Friendship tensions become high with the onset of final exams

As you plan your programs, keep in mind that there are "seasonal student issues" that you can program around.  Keep these in mind as you determine what programs to offer. These may also help you identify issues your  residents might be going through

Anxiety about second semester performance begins since they did not do as well as expected the previous  semester, and they have added pressure of doing well to be able to stay in school or to keep grades competitive  with their peers. 

Some students lose a loved one, a friend or significant other by death over the break and they find it hard to  share the happiness and joy others experienced over the break. 

Moving to a new environment causes feelings of intrusion because students move onto a unit where most of the  friendships have been established, priorities set and expectations understood. Unfamiliarity with campus also  creates some anxiety. 

Money problems begin because students were unable to find jobs over the holiday break.

Post-holiday depression occurs at the beginning because students are away from the security and positive  strokes. 

Some students experience unwanted weight gains over the break with the holiday foods and home cooking.

Reincorporating social and academic life is difficult at first with not having to worry about school for an  extended period. 

As you plan your programs, keep in mind that there are "seasonal student issues" that you can program around.  Keep these in mind as you determine what programs to offer. These may also help you identify issues your  residents might be going through. 

Mid-semester slouch (academically dangerous) 

Mid-winter sickness (especially with long, cold winters) accompanied by restlessness toward the upcoming  spring break. 

Roommate conflicts may resurface due to cabin fever, academic pressure and just living together for an  extended period. 

Seniors are anticipating graduation, but worry about jobs 

Existential crisis for seniors - "Do I have to leave school?" "Is my education worth anything?" "Was my major a  mistake?" "What am I really qualified to do?" 

Finding money for spring break becomes a challenge 

Increasing thoughts/deliberations about suicide from academic and social expectations

Trying to find money for spring break becomes a paramount issue 

Continued and increased anxiety over search for summer job 

Students begin worrying about living arrangements for the following year 

Apartment hunting and roommate selection becomes a concern 

Mid-terms bring about increased academic anxiety 

Anxiety following spring break sexual encounters 

Increased alcohol use with pressure of the end of the school year approaching 

Summer job hunting starts up soon after spring break 

Different experiences at spring break can change community dynamics - who can afford to go where, how the  trip went, etc.. 

As you plan your programs, keep in mind that there are "seasonal student issues" that you can program around.  Keep these in mind as you determine what programs to offer. These may also help you identify issues your  residents might be going through. 

Increasing job worries 

Increased sicknesses 

High academic pressures (finals, papers, etc) 

Warmer weather may increase the fear and realistic threat of sexual assault (though it can strike at any  time...not just in the spring) 

Burn out, lack of motivation, spring fever 

Health problems and physical appearance problems arise with warmer weather 

Social pressures increase (formals, parties) 

Spring brings out love....everyone wants to be in it. This brings issues for those who are, AND those who aren’t.  (dating/relationship programming, or alternative activities) 

Financial strain from spring break effects social life 

First-year readjustment to home 

As you plan your programs, keep in mind that there are "seasonal student issues" that you can program around.  Keep these in mind as you determine what programs to offer. These may also help you identify issues your  residents might be going through. 

Academic pressures  

Anxiety over leaving friends/school environment 

Moving out 

Job panic 

End of the year partying