“Why Is College So Hard?” Learning How To Balance The Demands Of College Life

While the college experience portrayed in popular movies and TV shows looks exciting, some students arrive at school only to discover college isn’t what they expected it to be. They may miss the comfort and familiarity of home and feel a great deal of academic and financial pressure. 

Many virtual and on-campus resources are available to help young adults handle challenges like these so they can make the most of their college experience. Students may also benefit from working with a therapist to develop coping strategies that may help them thrive during this period of transition. 

Why is college so much harder than high school?

Many students find themselves asking at some point or another, “Why is college so hard?” The answer is that there are many reasons. First, while high school and college both typically involve four years of learning, the two periods of education are vastly different for most students who engage in them. High school is highly structured, typically involving a full, condensed schedule of classes that take place in a single location. College classes are spread out across campus—sometimes on multiple campuses and/or online—and may have large gaps of time in between them, which requires more organization and time management skills. 

Many college students are also living away from home for the first time. This means they’re now responsible for designing their own routines, taking care of their own health, forming new relationships, and juggling financial responsibilities. Plus, college education is also defined by a level of academic rigor that’s not often present in high school. While high school students often have daily support in managing such challenges from parents or caregivers and teachers, college students are typically responsible for themselves.

Common challenges in college and how to manage them

Below are some of the most common challenges college students face that may make this time of life difficult, plus ideas to help you navigate each one. 

Coping with the major life transition

The level of change associated with the transition to college can be overwhelming. Some students move to attend college—to a different city, state, or country. If you’re homesick, it may help to find ways to both stay connected with family and friends at home and to also get involved in life in this new place.

Setting regular routines for video calls with family members and creating group chats to stay updated with groups of friends at home can be helpful ways to stay connected. In addition, it may also help to get plugged into events on your college campus and in the new town or city beyond. In doing so, you might have opportunities to build relationships with different kinds of people so you can make this new place feel a little more like home. Having emotional support from interpersonal connections can be crucial for mental well-being and stress resilience, so aiming to forge local relationships can be important.

Newfound freedom and independence

In some classes, especially general education classes with hundreds of students, your professor may never know if you skip class week after week. Your professors won’t contact your parents if your grade begins to slip; they may not even talk to you about it. You also have a great deal of freedom when it comes to designing your schedule of classes. You are responsible for ensuring you have the right number of credits for each subject so you can meet your degree requirements. 

Outside of the academic freedom and responsibilities, you may also be experiencing personal independence that comes with being a legal adult and no longer living at home. For example, you no longer have the constraints of a curfew and your medical information is no longer available to your parents, making you responsible for your own health. For some college students, this level of freedom can be overwhelming.

A critical aspect of managing this newfound freedom and independence is holding yourself accountable. You might make a friend in each of your classes and hold each other accountable for attending, and you can meet with your academic advisor to help you keep on track for your degree. It can also be helpful to surround yourself with people who share similar values and expectations for their college experience.

Academic pressure

The difference between academic expectations in high school and college can be jarring. Professors typically expect a high level of critical thinking, requiring students not just to memorize information but to analyze and apply it. There are also typically fewer opportunities to boost your grade. Few professors will assign daily or weekly homework, so the majority of your grade will usually come from a few exams and papers throughout the semester. Teaching styles may also be widely different, meaning that even if you thrive in one class, you may struggle in others. 

To manage this challenge, many college campuses offer support services to help students succeed academically. You might use some or all of them as you adjust to the new academic expectations of your college classes. Some examples include:

• Office hours. Many professors host office hours where you can meet with them one-on-one to clarify points from the lecture, ask questions, and ensure you fully understand the material. You might benefit from taking advantage of these hours throughout the semester, not just as final grades approach.
• Tutoring. Campus tutoring services are often available for certain subjects. During tutoring sessions, you can work with other students to go over confusing content and learn new studying techniques. 
• Writing help. Many schools have a campus writing center with staff who can edit and proofread papers, assist with research, and help ensure your writing meets college-level expectations. 

Social adjustments

For most American students, their high school graduating class ranged anywhere from a few dozen to a few hundred peers. In college, in contrast, you may encounter thousands of other students daily. It can feel overwhelming to find new friends when you are surrounded by unfamiliar people you see only in passing. Sharing a dorm room with someone, especially if you were randomly matched, can also be a challenging social dynamic to navigate. 

To help yourself adjust socially, you might find ways to connect with people who share similar interests. For instance, you could join a club, a sports league, or a volunteer organization. In addition, college can also be a great time to befriend people who are different from you to expand your social circle and perspective. To this end, you might get to know people in your general education classes or plan a game night for everyone who lives on your dorm floor. 

Financial stress

Over the past twenty years, the average cost of a college degree has risen by 179.2%. For today’s generation of college students, a four-year degree can cost anywhere from $25,707 to over $218,000. Over 43.5 million Americans are already paying student loans, and tens of thousands of college students will join that number each year.

Tuition isn’t the only cost associated with attending college, either. Many students are paying part or all of their other expenses, including housing, food, books, and other living costs. Around 40% of full-time college students are also employed, with the majority of them working between 20–35 hours a week, which can cause additional stress and pressure.

Your campus’s department of financial aid should have information about what scholarships may be available to help ease the financial burden of college. You might also complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) once a year, which qualifies you for grants, scholarships, and loans. 

Career pressure

The goal of many college students is to secure a degree that they can use in their chosen field once they graduate. During junior and senior year in particular, there may be mounting pressure to prepare for that career, adding professional challenges to the academic challenges that students are already facing. 

To navigate mounting career pressure in college, you might take advantage of the available resources and support personnel. Many campuses have a career counseling center where you can have someone look over your resume, help you practice for job interviews, and even support you in applying for jobs. It can also be helpful to build relationships with professors who teach classes within your major. These professors may be able to act as mentors, help you find internships, and act as references when you begin applying for jobs. 

Resources for student support

If you’re feeling the pressure as you adjust to college, it can help to know that you’re not alone. Many students encounter challenges as they navigate this transition, and there are various resources that can be helpful, such as:

• On-campus mental health services. Today, many schools have an on-campus clinic where students can receive free or low-cost mental health support such as counseling.
• National mental health organizations. Mental health groups like the Jed Foundation, as one example, have a wealth of resources and information specifically for student mental health available on their websites.
• Online therapy platforms. While a therapist can be an invaluable resource for those experiencing mental health challenges, not everyone can meet with a therapist in person for regular sessions. Instead, platforms such as BetterHelp allow you to meet with a licensed therapist remotely at times that work best for you. 

Benefits of online therapy for students

While on-campus mental health services can be a significant source of support for students, they often have long waiting lists or limited hours. It can also be hard for students to fit in-person appointments into their busy schedules. Online therapy can often present a more convenient alternative in cases like these, since you can get automatically matched with a licensed therapist and then meet with them virtually from anywhere you have an internet connection. Plus, research suggests that online therapy can offer similar benefits to in-person therapy in many cases.