The Common Difficulties of First-Year Students

The difficulties that first-year students all face

Entering university, many people quickly encounter first-year students’ problems in studying and life. Among them, the challenges and difficulties come from adapting, time management, finances and building relationships.

Difficulties in studying

Entering university, many first-year students often encounter “academic culture shock” when realising that the way of studying is completely different from high school. Common difficulties include not knowing where to start studying, not being used to reading academic materials or easily being overloaded by many subjects at once. Students can improve by making a clear study plan, applying active note-taking methods, studying in groups and participating in academic support sessions.

Besides, HUFLIT implements a teaching-assistant model, in which students with good study results support and coach those who still face difficulties during their studies. This model creates conditions for students to access knowledge in a more relatable and understandable way, while also enhancing study effectiveness and self-study ability.

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Difficulties in the living environment and social relationships

First-year students often experience homesickness and a feeling of loneliness at university, especially when living away from family for the first time. Making new friends also worries many people, not to mention the “keeping up with peers” pressure that can make them feel compared and not yet integrated.

At HUFLIT, the dynamic environment with over 50+ diverse clubs, teams and groups helps students easily find friends with the same interests. Activities such as the Citizen Activities Week and the new-student welcome programme, organised annually, create opportunities for first-year students to meet new friends, connect quickly and reduce the feeling of loneliness.

Difficulties in personal financial management

Many first-year students have to manage student spending themselves for the first time, from food money and rent to tuition. The lack of experience easily causes them to “burn through their money” at the end of the month, or have to borrow from friends. Unreasonable spending can even affect studying and daily life.

In addition, unexpected arising costs such as buying books, materials, travel or participating in extracurricular activities also confuse students. Learning how to save money and plan spending early is very necessary.

At HUFLIT, the school implements a scholarship system with a total value of about 46 billion VND/year, including Preference 1, Talent and study-encouragement scholarships. Besides, the 13-billion-VND/year Student Support Fund allows borrowing tuition at 0% interest, helping to reduce immediate payment pressure. Thanks to these policies, students can be assured in pursuing their studies and build a more effective personal financial plan.

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Difficulties in psychology and mental health

First-year students often experience heavy student stress due to study pressure, changing living environment and peer pressure. Many people worry about their ability to adapt, make friends or their future career direction, leading to a feeling of disorientation or mild academic depression.

The shock of entering a new university environment, away from family and old friends, sometimes makes them feel lonely, restless or under prolonged stress. If not supported in time, these pressures can affect studying and overall health.

At HUFLIT, the Psychological Counselling Office is a discreet, professional place that helps students share difficulties and receive free counselling on psychology, career and social skills. This service supports students in handling stress, improving their spirits and orienting their actions, helping them maintain stable mental health, thereby easily adapting and developing comprehensively throughout their study process at the school.

Difficulties in the process of finding accommodation

At the beginning of the school year, first-year students’ difficulties often appear when looking for rental accommodation. High demand makes a satisfactory room hard to find; many people have to move continuously, affecting their life and psychology. In particular, fraudulent information and requests for a multi-month deposit are also common.

To reduce risk, students should take advantage of the dormitory in the early period, ask friends, relatives or alumni for advice to find a safe room. Proactively looking up reliable information and planning the rental helps them overcome these difficulties.

Difficulties in time management

One of the difficulties of first-year students is the lack of experience in allocating time between studying, part-time work and personal life. Many people miss opportunities to join clubs, train soft skills or revise important knowledge because they don’t yet know how to plan reasonably. The consequence is a feeling that time passes without achieving anything, leading to stress and regret.

To solve this, students need to learn how to make a detailed schedule: allocating time for studying, social experiences and rest reasonably. Using reminder tools, noting tasks and prioritising important work will help them overcome it, perfect their time-management skills and make effective use of their youth.

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Difficulties in communication

Communication is one of the problems that first-year students often face, especially students from provinces and rural areas. Many people worry about their accent, way of expression, cultural differences and fear of rejection, leading to low self-esteem, reluctance to proactively get acquainted and difficulty creating new relationships in the university environment.

To improve communication skills, students should start by practising confidence in their voice and self-expression, seeing it as a characteristic rather than a weakness. Besides, participating in study groups, clubs or extracurricular activities helps you have more of a regular practice environment.

In addition, combining active listening, coherent expression and learning from friends, teachers or academic advisors will help communication ability progress markedly and integrate more easily in the university environment. Active listening, clear expression and learning from friends, teachers or advisors will help them be more confident and easily integrate into the university environment.

FAQ – Frequently asked questions about the difficulties of first-year students

After grasping the difficulties of first-year students, below are some common questions from new students and suggestions on how to solve them, helping you prepare better for the university journey.

How to balance studying and participating in extracurricular activities?

Students should make a specific plan, for example using time blocking or the Eisenhower matrix to prioritise important work. Instead of participating in a scattered way, choosing 1-2 clubs you really love to participate in deeply will be more effective.

At HUFLIT, the clubs have flexible activity schedules, creating conditions for students to both participate in activities and ensure study progress. This balance helps you develop soft skills, expand relationships and make the most of your university time.

What should you do when you feel lost and don’t have friends yet?

Proactively starting conversations, participating in new-student welcome events and registering for clubs is the fastest way to meet new friends. This helps students reduce the feeling of loneliness and gradually build a social relationship network.

The HUFLIT environment always encourages connection between students, from small group activities to collective events, helping you easily integrate and find companions in studying as well as life.

Should first-year students take a part-time job?

First-year students should not rush to take a part-time job right in the first semester, because this stage needs to prioritise adapting to the university study environment and new study methods. Once the timetable is stable and the credit-based study method is firmly grasped, students can consider a suitable part-time job. Choosing work related to the field of study will help accumulate skills without affecting study results.

Above, HUFLIT has shared the difficulties of first-year students and how to overcome each challenge. Managing time, connecting with friends and taking advantage of support from the school will make the university journey easier. Each challenge is an opportunity to mature and accumulate experience. Proactively learn and explore to fully enjoy your youth!

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