by Suzanne Rose

Created on: December 16, 2011   Last Updated: December 20, 2011

College students face a variety of obstacles. Not all high school graduates are ready for the jump into the "real world," and a number of internal and external factors could mean trouble. The following problems are commonly experienced by college students.

Drinking

According to the Boston Globe, there are over 1,700 deaths related to alcohol at colleges annually. Many more students develop drinking problems, get into drinking related accidents or face other consequences of underage or too-frequent drinking. The pressure to drink and its consequences are seen on college campuses around the country, and few are immune. Students must be able to get past this pressure and recognize if they have a problem. Parents and teachers should be on the lookout for students who show signs of alcoholism or erratic behavior.

Some students face other additions. They may start to smoke or even take up illegal drugs. These can be difficult to stop once started.

Money problems

College students will often spend far more than they make. Because their parents controlled their spending in the past, they may not be accustomed to working out (and sticking to) a budget. Credit card companies give cards to young students. Many of these students will spend right until their credit limit without considering how they are going to pay for their debts. Unfortunately, college students will often end up deep into debt before they leave school. Parents should teach their children proper money management to help avoid these problems.

Social problems

Some students face difficulty going to a new location. They may not know anyone and miss their family and home life. For some students, it will even get so bad that they fall into depression. Washington Monthly reports that severe psychological troubles are increasing popping up in colleges. Some will become anxious to be away from home. Parents and friends should be sure to provide as much support as possible and try recognize if the student is experiencing a problem. Typically, college campuses have support available as well.

Some students feel like they do not fit in with the people around them. They may do things that are uncomfortable just to be popular. For instance, some girls that are not ready to be sexually active may become so because they feels that it is what everyone else is doing in college.

College students face many problems on the road to adulthood. If you have a child in college, keep the lines of communication open so that you can detect issues as they arise. Fortunately, more and more college campuses are taking action against these problems by running counseling problems and offering other intervention programs.

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