CHALLENGES HINDERING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN CAMPUS

Studying in campus should come with a manual. I believe all campus students can relate to this. I don't want to say our highschool teachers were liars but it seems so, back in highschool our teachers used to described campus as the "promised land" but in reality campus life carries alot, bearing in mind that this is the place that determines 70% of your future. Out of a class of maybe 200 students only 50 tend to excel very well and graduate, 20 with a normal pass and the rest God knows where they disappear to. For one to excell academically there's a lot that contribute to this and the biggest one is sacrifice.


No one prepares you for challenges that hit you left right and center while chasing the degree, at the end of four years campus moulds you into a person who can take care for themselves, disclaimer!! Not all students learn this in campus they wait for the reality of life to teach them the hard way. So what are these challenges that hinder most students not to finish their four years course.

After being 'lied' on in highschool that campus life is all about fun, no supervision, no waking up early for preps no reading every other time, many students forget their purpose in school, they become lazy and assume that things are easy in campus. They don't put in effort to going an extra mile in their academic matters and mostly come back to their senses last minute when there's nothing to save. They ignore the lecturer's words and urge telling them to attend to classes, do CATs and assignments on time, read even with no supervision. They lazy around attending the last class only to sign the class attendance and wait for exams to write rumors or use "mwakenyas" that even don't help them score much, or land them in trouble.

Negative mentality is also an issue. with the current situation in our country. Many students fail to see the need of studying or even studying hard, stories from other students who failed discouraging them that even if they go to campus they won't get jobs. They arrive in campus with already shuttered ambitions. They develop negative attitude towards education and some of them only stay in campus just because of their parents ending up not even graduating 

Peer pressure is another trouble negative peer pressure for that matter, all this pressure comes out of lack of self control. I call them "followers" simply because his/her friend is not going to class the definitely they won't go. They copy everything one does and challenging each other in doing things that cause harm. Forgetting their backgrounds and the main reason they are in campus. They are dragged into drug abuse, become empty in their heads, drop out of school or even different without the their parents consent. All this coming from lack of contentment and focus.

Financial constraints also play a bigger part in all this. First of if money to pay school fees is not there, students education is hindered and when they can't sit for exams consistently, they are forced to differ. Some come back after getting enough money to pay but some never come back at all. Students well being at school is a crisis not having enough funds to sustain yourself can be a thorn in the flesh, going to bed with an empty stomach, going to class with an empty stomach is an endless mystery. they can't perform while hungry, also this affects their mental health, them thinking how they'll survive for the rest of the semester leads to depression. And parents play a role in this, not attending to their students while they are in school ignoring that they are fine, and not sending them upkeep money. Causing them to strain inorder to make ends meet. Some are forced to look for jobs, this affecting their attendance in classes, will they attend classes or attend to the stomach. Statistics done in October 2024 shows that moderate depressive symptoms among campus students is 35.7% where 33.5% are males while 39.0% are females and severe depressive symptoms is 5.6%. in males 5.3% while in females 5.1%  

Relationships are a vital part of campus life, but they can also bring emotional challenges and distractions that affect a student’s academic and personal well-being. Breakups leads to emotional distress, depression, or a drop in academic performance. Emotional or physical abuse in relationships can severely impact a student's safety and mental health, especially from students who cohabit. Student parent relationship is another issue affecting students. Parental pressure regarding grades or career choices can increase stress. Also family conflicts back at home can increasingly distract the student and lead to a drop in academic performance 

There are many other factors hindering students academically but this are some of the key ones, that both students, parents and even lecturers should consider and keenly look at inorder to ensure each and every student achieves academic success. Mental health awareness forums, student welfare organizations and positive peer challenges and talks will be handy in helping all students finish their four years of study well.




 

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