What’s the biggest stressor or difficulty your college student faced in their first year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A roommate who stayed up all night playing games loudly on his computer. My kid is a night owl but this was too much even for him. The RA and housing office did nothing. Things improved a bit spring quarter but overall really stressful.

That should be on a form for assigning roommates---the habits (night owl, clean or messy---and def. video games, game stations, etc.)

I was soooooooooooooooooooooo thankful my kid's roommate also did not bring a play station or TV and also has good study habits, similar type of schedule--sports/health, consideration, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A roommate who stayed up all night playing games loudly on his computer. My kid is a night owl but this was too much even for him. The RA and housing office did nothing. Things improved a bit spring quarter but overall really stressful.

That should be on a form for assigning roommates---the habits (night owl, clean or messy---and def. video games, game stations, etc.)

I was soooooooooooooooooooooo thankful my kid's roommate also did not bring a play station or TV and also has good study habits, similar type of schedule--sports/health, consideration, etc

They don’t report it on the form or don’t know how they’ll actually behave living away from home for the first time. No video games, but my DC had the same issue with a roommate. A couple months in she’d flipped her sleep schedule, wanted to sleep all day and come and go from her desk all night. Was also an only child, didn’t know how accommodate roommates, at all.

[Anonymous]

Subpar dorm facilities at a very expensive private college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being sick constantly.

+1000

Besides just living in such close quarters, both of my kids lived in really really old dorms, and I highly suspect the dorms had mold issues (most do). When home for xmas, their constant cold symptoms miraculously got better, same for every break.

[Anonymous]

My son suffered from the soft DCPS grading policy. He missed assignments his first semester and his grades suffered. He acquired bad habits in high school knowing he could work the system. He came home in tears and got his wake up call. He did much better in the spring semester.

He said "college professors don't mess around and are serious about when things are due."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Attempting a long distance relationship. Kid didn’t seem to really acclimate to college til they broke up.

This is our kid too.
Freshman year was stressful (for us parents too!)
They broke up over the summer and things are going so much better sophomore year.

[Anonymous]

Loneliness
Competitive environment
Lack of institutional support or culture of collaboration at university
Lack of “soft touch” in first year integration
Lack of school spirit and general “fun”

- Ivy freshman parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Loneliness
Competitive environment
Lack of institutional support or culture of collaboration at university
Lack of “soft touch” in first year integration
Lack of school spirit and general “fun”

- Ivy freshman parent

I’m so sorry, hard to see as a parent. It sounds similar to a friend’s complaints and I suspect one mine almost attended. Hope things turn around soon.

[Anonymous]

Sounds exactly like my Ivy freshman as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds exactly like my Ivy freshman as well.

can you say which school???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Knew a student from mountainous SW Virginia (coal country). He escaped his county on an ROTC scholarship. He somehow got by between Pell Grants and ROTC funding, but by the end of every semester he was flat broke. At that point, he could only eat from his college cafeteria's meal plan. The plan he could afford was 12 meals/week. He needed 21 meals, not 12. I am sure he was not alone with that problem.

He did graduate on time and got his commission. Not sure where he ended up later. Totally changed my view about the life of ordinary people in rural America.

this is heartbreaking.

[Anonymous]

Was sick SOOO much their first semester. Not necessarily unexpected to get colds, but maybe the severity of one after another was hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds exactly like my Ivy freshman as well.

School?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A roommate who stayed up all night playing games loudly on his computer. My kid is a night owl but this was too much even for him. The RA and housing office did nothing. Things improved a bit spring quarter but overall really stressful.

That should be on a form for assigning roommates---the habits (night owl, clean or messy---and def. video games, game stations, etc.)

I was soooooooooooooooooooooo thankful my kid's roommate also did not bring a play station or TV and also has good study habits, similar type of schedule--sports/health, consideration, etc

They don’t report it on the form or don’t know how they’ll actually behave living away from home for the first time. No video games, but my DC had the same issue with a roommate. A couple months in she’d flipped her sleep schedule, wanted to sleep all day and come and go from her desk all night. Was also an only child, didn’t know how accommodate roommates, at all.

My kid and the roommate were both night owls who enjoyed gaming so it seemed like it would be a good match. But the roommate flipped his schedule completely and my kid was miserable. The roommate has a sibling. My kid's an only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being sick constantly.

This