essay on problems faced by students today

19 Most Common Student Problems And Easiest Ways To Deal With Them

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The journey through university is exciting, but it's not always smooth sailing. It involves tight deadlines, late nights fuelled by coffee, and the ongoing quest for Wi-Fi. As you step into the world of college academia, you'll encounter a maze of student problems that no brochure prepares you for. From battling homesickness to deciphering lecturer accents, we've all been there. Here is a list of some common student problems and solutions, compassing through the tumultuous seas of studenthood. 

19 Common Student Problems 

Juggling textbooks, part-time jobs, and the infamous laundry mountain—life as a university student isn't always a picturesque journey. From lonely nights to budgeting problems, we're about to dive into the raw reality. Here are 19 common student problems, untangling the daily struggles that make this academic rollercoaster both challenging and relatable.

1. Time Management

In the whirlwind of university life, students often grapple with the challenge of time management, which is as tough as common as the morning coffee routine. Managing lectures, assignments, and a semblance of social life or figuring out the best time to study can feel like an unattainable feat. 

Amidst this chaos, a practical solution emerges - crafting a personalised schedule. By prioritising tasks, setting realistic goals, and incorporating breaks, students can navigate the maze of academic demands. If you are grappling with time student problems, here are a few time management tips for students that offer a beacon of guidance.

2. Experiencing Low Motivation

Struggling with low motivation is one of the all-too-real common student problems. Trying to balance multiple assignments, looming deadlines, and the weight of expectations is one of the common problems for students. The relentless grind can easily sap motivation, leading to burnout.

Establishing a support system, like study groups or seeking guidance from mentors, can be a game-changer. Sharing experiences and learning from others not only provides fresh perspectives but also acts as a motivational boost. 

3. Lack of Concentration

One of the major students problem is getting buried under piles of assignments, toggling between social media distractions and impending deadlines. The struggle is palpable, and the lack of concentration becomes a formidable foe. Managing coursework, part-time jobs, and social commitments, students find themselves overwhelmed. 

However, a practical solution emerges for these student problems is establishing a dedicated study routine. By setting realistic goals and embracing mindfulness techniques, students can combat this common hurdle. 

4. Too Many Distractions

In the daily hustle, students often struggle with the issue of too many distractions. Imagine preparing for a crucial exam while notifications flood your phone, social media beckons, and the allure of streaming services proves irresistible. These distractions not only impede concentration but also jeopardise academic success- one of the major student problems! 

In navigating this challenge, establishing a dedicated study space, adopting time-management techniques, and employing focus-enhancing tools can prove instrumental. By acknowledging the real-life struggle of excessive diversion, you can overcome the pervasive challenges faced by university students.

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5. Not Finding the Right Accommodation

Struggling to secure suitable accommodation is one of the prevalent international student struggles. What if a student is excited about their new academic journey, only to face the daunting challenge of not finding the right place to stay? It's more than just housing student problems; it's a disruption to their focus and well-being.

The practical solution lies in universities collaborating with local housing services or finding a platform that provides student accommodation, ensuring a streamlined process for students. If you are a student seeking hassle-free accommodation solutions, look no further! Amber is your go-to for the finest student accommodations. With a user-friendly interface, we offer a wide range of fully furnished options as per your preferences.

6. Dealing with Homesickness

While dealing with the sea of university life, homesickness is one of the common problems for students. Imagine missing Sunday dinners or hometown hangouts; it hits hard. Late-night study sessions turn into quiet moments of longing. 

Embrace connections! Join clubs, attend events, and build a university family. Share stories with roommates and make the unfamiliar a bit more like home. Challenge those feelings of isolation by creating bonds. The warmth of new friendships can overshadow the chill of homesickness.

7. Depression

One of the most common struggles of students is struggling with personal and social pressures. During this, many students struggle with depression! It's not uncommon for students to feel isolated and burdened. In such moments, seeking support from friends, family, or university counselling services becomes crucial. 

Establishing a balance between academic and personal life is important. Along with fostering open conversations about mental health and seeking well being support for students , can create a supportive environment. Depression is one of the common problems for students, and students are bound to face mental health issues. It is crucial to look for ways to cope with depression for college students . 

8. Choosing a Major

University students face real-life dilemmas when choosing a major. One of the most common student problems is being torn between their passion and the pressure to pursue a 'practical' degree. The challenge is real: Do you follow your heart or the path to secure a stable job? 

However, amidst these students problem lies a practical solution. Engaging in internships, seeking mentorship, and exploring diverse courses can lead to the right academic route.

9. Financial Problems

Life at university is an exhilarating journey, but the financial tightrope often adds major student problems. You might be working part-time to cover tuition but constantly struggling to pay those bills and necessities. The rising cost of tuition, textbooks, and the daily grind leaves you sleepless.

Solution:  

In the face of this, part-time jobs or freelancing can be a lifeline, offering not only financial relief but also valuable skills. Wondering how to apply for scholarships easily? Well, worry not because amber provides an amazing scholarship opportunity. Amberscholar , crafted only for you, is soon launching its next edition!

10. Lack of Right Resources

Facing the daunting reality, one of the major student problems is the pressing issue — the lack of the right resources. Take, for instance, the struggle of a student relying on outdated textbooks or limited library access. 

A practical solution lies in universities fostering digital resources, accessible databases, and affordable textbook initiatives. Research and find out the tools that you need beforehand to be safe from last-minute tensions. This would enhance the overall learning experience, mitigating the students problem in their academic journey. You can use study planning apps which will help you to plan and organise your study material better.

11. Lack of Sleep

While completing assignments, attending lectures, and maintaining a social life, university students often find themselves on the brink of burnout due to chronic sleep deprivation. The relentless demands of academia contribute to stress and anxiety, exacerbating the struggle to get a good night's sleep. 

Implementing simple sleep practices, like establishing a consistent bedtime routine and creating a conducive sleep environment, can significantly alleviate these student problems. It is important to recognise the importance of adequate sleep , as it is not just a remedy for exhaustion but a cornerstone for academic success and holistic health. 

12. Too Much Partying

The challenge of too much partying is one of the real student problems. Late-night festivities can lead to exhaustion, affecting academic performance and mental health. Room for personal growth is hindered when the balance tips towards excess. 

A practical solution involves creating a realistic schedule that allows for both social engagement and focused study periods. Even if you are a party animal, remember that doing it too much is just going to hamper your mental and physical health.

13. Procrastination

Dealing with piles of assignments, university students often find themselves struggling with procrastination. The looming deadlines and heavy workloads cause an overwhelming atmosphere, making it one of the common problems for students. 

Implement a structured schedule for yourself. Break tasks into manageable chunks and set realistic goals that can help students overcome procrastination's clutches.

14. Remembering Facts

While you manage to ace multiple courses and deadlines, the struggle to retain information is real. Late-night study sessions blend into a blur of facts that seem to evaporate when needed most. 

Transform those tedious notes into flashcards, engage in group discussions, and teach the material to someone else. Overcoming student problems requires adopting strategies that align with individual learning styles, making the academic journey a bit less overwhelming.

15. Lack of Interest

While being in a constant loop of university life, a real concern emerges—lack of interest. Many students find themselves entangled in the monotony of lectures and assignments. Such student problems lead to a disconnection from their academic journey. 

In such scenarios, a practical solution lies in fostering a sense of purpose. Encourage yourself to align your studies with your passions; incorporating interactive learning methods and taking a break can reignite your interest.

16. Organising your Stuff

University students, the infamous all-nighters, often find themselves in a chaotic battle with disorganisation. Lost notes, missing textbooks, and a desk buried under a mountain of papers! The struggle is real, and the stress can be overwhelming. 

Investing a little time in creating a systematic study space and using tools like planners or apps can transform the clutter into a haven of productivity. Overcoming such major student problems begins with conquering the disarray and embracing the calm of a well-organised academic life.

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17. test anxiety.

Test anxiety emerges as a silent adversary for many students. The palpable stress before tests, sleepless nights fueled by worry, and the fear of underperforming paint a vivid picture of this shared struggle. The overwhelming student problems can intensify this anxiety. 

However, a practical solution lies in creating a supportive environment, encouraging open conversations about mental health, and promoting effective study habits. Through this, not only will you be able to cope with the anxiety, but you also will be able to study and concentrate more during your studies and on paper.

18. Technology Related Problems

In the fast-paced world of academia, imagine you are burning the midnight oil, only to have your laptop succumb to a sudden malfunction, risking lost assignments and sleepless nights. The constant need for online resources and virtual classes amplifies these student problems. 

By cultivating proactive tech habits, such as regular backups and software updates, and investing in reliable devices, you can safeguard against these disruptions.

19. Loneliness

University life, bustling with academic challenges, often conceals a silent struggle: loneliness. Imagine studying far from home, navigating a sea of unfamiliar faces. Loneliness becomes a constant companion, impacting mental well-being. However, students can break this isolation by joining clubs, attending events, and fostering connections. 

In case you are facing a huge problem of loneliness, leading to mental and physical health issues, you can reach out to someone or participate in peer mentoring programs that provide a lifeline to those drowning in isolation. 

Between demanding coursework, part-time jobs, and planning for post-grad life, students must adeptly balance packed schedules. Even basic tasks like setting up Wi-Fi or paying phone bills can prove challenging during busy weeks filled with deadlines. To overcome loneliness and give that additional boost to your study routine, you can opt for studying with friends while considering the benefits of group studying .

How Problems At School Can Impact Your Mental Health?

School is a place of learning, growth, and, hopefully, joy. But for some, it can also be a source of immense stress and anxiety, casting a long shadow over student mental health . The constant worry about grades, tests, and college applications can trigger feelings of inadequacy and failure. Academic pressure can feel like a vice, squeezing the joy out of learning. This, in turn, can fuel anxiety and depression, making it difficult to focus, sleep, or even enjoy hobbies. Social struggles can further exacerbate the problem. Bullying, feeling isolated, or struggling to fit in can leave students feeling lonely and ostracised. It is crucial to enlist the problems faced by elementary level students and also state solutions which can be useful for the teachers in coping with these problems. This lack of social connection is essential for mental well-being, and its absence can lead to feelings of loneliness, worthlessness, and even despair. 

From the perennial battle against procrastination to the perpetual juggling act of social and academic responsibilities, the journey through studenthood is far from a serene stroll. As we reflect on the 19 student problems, it becomes evident that these aren't mere abstractions but real-life hurdles. Yet, within these challenges experienced by students like you lies resilience, growth, and the unwavering spirit to conquer the demanding terrain of academia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common student problem, what are the common problems faced by students in secondary schools, how can i motivate myself to study, what are the five challenges faced by university students often, why is it difficult to concentrate while studying.

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How to Write the “Overcoming Challenges” Essay + Examples

What’s covered:.

• What is the Overcoming Challenges Essay?
• Real Overcoming Challenges Essay Prompts
• How to Choose a Topic
• Writing Tips

Overcoming Challenges Essay Examples

• Where to Get Your Essay Edited

While any college essay can be intimidating, the Overcoming Challenges prompt often worries students the most. Those students who’ve been lucky enough not to experience trauma tend to assume they have nothing worth saying. On the other hand, students who’ve overcome larger obstacles may be hesitant to talk about them.

Regardless of your particular circumstances, there are steps you can take to make the essay writing process simpler. Here are our top tips for writing the overcoming challenges essay successfully.

What is the “Overcoming Challenges” Essay?

The overcoming challenges prompt shows up frequently in both main application essays (like the Common App) and supplemental essays. Because supplemental essays allow students to provide schools with additional information, applicants should be sure that the subject matter they choose to write about differs from what’s in their main essay.

Students often assume the overcoming challenges essay requires them to detail past traumas. While you can certainly write about an experience that’s had a profound effect on your life, it’s important to remember that colleges aren’t evaluating students based on the seriousness of the obstacle they overcame.

On the contrary, the goal of this essay is to show admissions officers that you have the intelligence and fortitude to handle any challenges that come your way. After all, college serves as an introduction to adult life, and schools want to know that the students they admit are up to the task. 

Real “Overcoming Challenges” Essay Prompts

To help you understand what the “Overcoming Challenges” essay looks like, here are a couple sample prompts.

Currently, the Common Application asks students to answer the following prompt in 650 words or less:

“The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”

For the past several years, MIT has prompted students to write 200 to 250 words on the following:

“Tell us about the most significant challenge you’ve faced or something important that didn’t go according to plan. How did you manage the situation?”

In both cases, the prompts explicitly ask for your response to the challenge. The event itself isn’t as important as how it pushed you to grow.

How to Choose a Topic for an Essay on Overcoming Challenges

When it comes to finding the best topic for your overcoming challenges essays, there’s no right answer. The word “challenge” is ambiguous and could be used to reference a wide range of situations from prevailing over a bully to getting over your lifelong stage fright to appear in a school musical. Here are some suggestions to keep in mind when selecting an essay subject.

1. Avoid trivial or common topics

While there aren’t many hard-and-fast rules for choosing an essay topic, students should avoid overdone topics.

These include:

• Working hard in a challenging class
• Overcoming a sports injury
• Moving schools or immigrating to the US
• Tragedy (divorce, death, abuse)

Admissions officers have read numerous essays on the subject, so it’s harder for you to stand out (see our full list of cliché college essay topics to avoid ). If events like these were truly formative to you, you can still choose to write about them, but you’ll need to be as personal as possible. 

It’s also ideal if you have a less traditional storyline for a cliché topic; for example, if your sports injury led you to discover a new passion, that would be a more unique story than detailing how you overcame your injury and got back in the game.

Similarly, students may not want to write about an obstacle that admissions committees could perceive as low stakes, such as getting a B on a test, or getting into a small fight with a friend. The goal of this essay is to illustrate how you respond to adversity, so the topic you pick should’ve been at least impactful on your personal growth.

2. Pick challenges that demonstrate qualities you want to highlight

Students often mistakenly assume they need to have experienced exceptional circumstances like poverty, an abusive parent, or cancer to write a good essay. The truth is that the best topics will allow you to highlight specific personal qualities and share more about who you are. The essay should be less about the challenge itself, and more about how you responded to it.

Ask yourself what personality traits you want to emphasize, and see what’s missing in your application. Maybe you want to highlight your adaptability, for example, but that isn’t clearly expressed in your application. In this case, you might write about a challenge that put your adaptability to the test, or shaped you to become more adaptable.

Here are some examples of good topics we’ve seen over the years:

• Not having a coach for a sports team and becoming one yourself
• Helping a parent through a serious health issue
• Trying to get the school track dedicated to a coach
• Having to switch your Model UN position last-minute

Tips for Writing an Essay About Overcoming Challenges

Once you’ve selected a topic for your essays, it’s time to sit down and write. For best results, make sure your essay focuses on your efforts to tackle an obstacle rather than the problem itself. Additionally, you could avoid essay writing pitfalls by doing the following:

1. Choose an original essay structure

If you want your overcoming challenges essay to attract attention, aim to break away from more traditional structures. Most of these essays start by describing an unsuccessful attempt at a goal and then explain the steps the writer took to master the challenge. 

You can stand out by choosing a challenge you’re still working on overcoming, or focus on a mental or emotional challenge that spans multiple activities or events. For example, you might discuss your fear of public speaking and how that impacted your ability to coach your brother’s Little League team and run for Student Council. 

You can also choose a challenge that can be narrated in the moment, such as being put on the spot to teach a yoga class. These challenges can make particularly engaging essays, as you get to experience the writer’s thoughts and emotions as they unfold.

Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily need to have succeeded in your goal for this essay. Maybe you ran for an election and lost, or maybe you proposed a measure to the school board that wasn’t passed. It’s still possible to write a strong essay about topics like these as long as you focus on your personal growth. In fact, these may make for even stronger essays since they are more unconventional topics.

2. Focus on the internal

When writing about past experiences, you may be tempted to spend too much time describing specific people and events. With an Overcoming Challenges essay though, the goal is to focus on your thoughts and feelings.

For example, rather than detail all the steps you took to become a better public speaker, use the majority of your essay to describe your mental state as you embarked on the journey to achieving your goals. Were you excited, scared, anxious, or hopeful? Don’t be afraid to let the reader in on your innermost emotions and thoughts during this process.

3. Share what you learned 

An Overcoming Challenges essay should leave the reader with a clear understanding of what you learned on your journey, be it physical, mental, or emotional. There’s no need to explicitly say “this experience taught me X,” but your essay should at least implicitly share any lessons you learned. This can be done through your actions and in-the-moment reflections. Remember that the goal is to show admissions committees why your experiences make you a great candidate for admission. 

Was I no longer the beloved daughter of nature, whisperer of trees? Knee-high rubber boots, camouflage, bug spray—I wore the g arb and perfume of a proud wild woman, yet there I was, hunched over the pathetic pile of stubborn sticks, utterly stumped, on the verge of tears. As a child, I had considered myself a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes, who was serenaded by mourning doves and chickadees, who could glide through tick-infested meadows and emerge Lyme-free. I knew the cracks of the earth like the scars on my own rough palms. Yet here I was, ten years later, incapable of performing the most fundamental outdoor task: I could not, for the life of me, start a fire. 

Furiously I rubbed the twigs together—rubbed and rubbed until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers. No smoke. The twigs were too young, too sticky-green; I tossed them away with a shower of curses, and began tearing through the underbrush in search of a more flammable collection. My efforts were fruitless. Livid, I bit a rejected twig, determined to prove that the forest had spurned me, offering only young, wet bones that would never burn. But the wood cracked like carrots between my teeth—old, brittle, and bitter. Roaring and nursing my aching palms, I retreated to the tent, where I sulked and awaited the jeers of my family. 

Rattling their empty worm cans and reeking of fat fish, my brother and cousins swaggered into the campsite. Immediately, they noticed the minor stick massacre by the fire pit and called to me, their deep voices already sharp with contempt. 

“Where’s the fire, Princess Clara?” they taunted. “Having some trouble?” They prodded me with the ends of the chewed branches and, with a few effortless scrapes of wood on rock, sparked a red and roaring flame. My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame. 

In the tent, I pondered my failure. Was I so dainty? Was I that incapable? I thought of my hands, how calloused and capable they had been, how tender and smooth they had become. It had been years since I’d kneaded mud between my fingers; instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano, my hands softening into those of a musician—fleshy and sensitive. And I’d gotten glasses, having grown horrifically nearsighted; long nights of dim lighting and thick books had done this. I couldn’t remember the last time I had lain down on a hill, barefaced, and seen the stars without having to squint. Crawling along the edge of the tent, a spider confirmed my transformation—he disgusted me, and I felt an overwhelming urge to squash him. 

Yet, I realized I hadn’t really changed—I had only shifted perspective. I still eagerly explored new worlds, but through poems and prose rather than pastures and puddles. I’d grown to prefer the boom of a bass over that of a bullfrog, learned to coax a different kind of fire from wood, having developed a burn for writing rhymes and scrawling hypotheses. 

That night, I stayed up late with my journal and wrote about the spider I had decided not to kill. I had tolerated him just barely, only shrieking when he jumped—it helped to watch him decorate the corners of the tent with his delicate webs, knowing that he couldn’t start fires, either. When the night grew cold and the embers died, my words still smoked—my hands burned from all that scrawling—and even when I fell asleep, the ideas kept sparking—I was on fire, always on fire.

This essay is an excellent example because the writer turns an everyday challenge—starting a fire—into an exploration of her identity. The writer was once “a kind of rustic princess, a cradler of spiders and centipedes,” but has since traded her love of the outdoors for a love of music, writing, and reading. 

The story begins in media res , or in the middle of the action, allowing readers to feel as if we’re there with the writer. One of the essay’s biggest strengths is its use of imagery. We can easily visualize the writer’s childhood and the present day. For instance, she states that she “rubbed and rubbed [the twigs] until shreds of skin flaked from my fingers.”

The writing has an extremely literary quality, particularly with its wordplay. The writer reappropriates words and meanings, and even appeals to the senses: “My face burned long after I left the fire pit. The camp stank of salmon and shame.” She later uses a parallelism to cleverly juxtapose her changed interests: “instead of scaling a white pine, I’d practiced scales on my piano.”

One of the essay’s main areas of improvement is its overemphasis on the “story” and lack of emphasis on the reflection. The second to last paragraph about changing perspective is crucial to the essay, as it ties the anecdote to larger lessons in the writer’s life. She states that she hasn’t changed, but has only shifted perspective. Yet, we don’t get a good sense of where this realization comes from and how it impacts her life going forward. 

The end of the essay offers a satisfying return to the fire imagery, and highlights the writer’s passion—the one thing that has remained constant in her life.

“Getting beat is one thing – it’s part of competing – but I want no part in losing.” Coach Rob Stark’s motto never fails to remind me of his encouragement on early-morning bus rides to track meets around the state. I’ve always appreciated the phrase, but an experience last June helped me understand its more profound, universal meaning.

Stark, as we affectionately call him, has coached track at my high school for 25 years. His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running. When I learned a neighboring high school had dedicated their track to a longtime coach, I felt that Stark deserved similar honors.

Our school district’s board of education indicated they would only dedicate our track to Stark if I could demonstrate that he was extraordinary. I took charge and mobilized my teammates to distribute petitions, reach out to alumni, and compile statistics on the many team and individual champions Stark had coached over the years. We received astounding support, collecting almost 3,000 signatures and pages of endorsements from across the community. With help from my teammates, I presented this evidence to the board.

They didn’t bite. 

Most members argued that dedicating the track was a low priority. Knowing that we had to act quickly to convince them of its importance, I called a team meeting where we drafted a rebuttal for the next board meeting. To my surprise, they chose me to deliver it. I was far from the best public speaker in the group, and I felt nervous about going before the unsympathetic board again. However, at that second meeting, I discovered that I enjoy articulating and arguing for something that I’m passionate about.

Public speaking resembles a cross country race. Walking to the starting line, you have to trust your training and quell your last minute doubts. When the gun fires, you can’t think too hard about anything; your performance has to be instinctual, natural, even relaxed. At the next board meeting, the podium was my starting line. As I walked up to it, familiar butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Instead of the track stretching out in front of me, I faced the vast audience of teachers, board members, and my teammates. I felt my adrenaline build, and reassured myself: I’ve put in the work, my argument is powerful and sound. As the board president told me to introduce myself, I heard, “runners set” in the back of my mind. She finished speaking, and Bang! The brief silence was the gunshot for me to begin. 

The next few minutes blurred together, but when the dust settled, I knew from the board members’ expressions and the audience’s thunderous approval that I had run quite a race. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough; the board voted down our proposal. I was disappointed, but proud of myself, my team, and our collaboration off the track. We stood up for a cause we believed in, and I overcame my worries about being a leader. Although I discovered that changing the status quo through an elected body can be a painstakingly difficult process and requires perseverance, I learned that I enjoy the challenges this effort offers. Last month, one of the school board members joked that I had become a “regular” – I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Just as Stark taught me, I worked passionately to achieve my goal. I may have been beaten when I appealed to the board, but I certainly didn’t lose, and that would have made Stark proud.

While the writer didn’t succeed in getting the track dedicated to Coach Stark, their essay is certainly successful in showing their willingness to push themselves and take initiative.

The essay opens with a quote from Coach Stark that later comes full circle at the end of the essay. We learn about Stark’s impact and the motivation for trying to get the track dedicated to him.

One of the biggest areas of improvement in the intro, however, is how the essay tells us Stark’s impact rather than showing us: His care, dedication, and emphasis on developing good character has left an enduring impact on me and hundreds of other students. Not only did he help me discover my talent and love for running, but he also taught me the importance of commitment and discipline and to approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The writer could’ve helped us feel a stronger emotional connection to Stark if they had included examples of Stark’s qualities, rather than explicitly stating them. For example, they could’ve written something like: Stark was the kind of person who would give you gas money if you told him your parents couldn’t afford to pick you up from practice. And he actually did that—several times. At track meets, alumni regularly would come talk to him and tell him how he’d changed their lives. Before Stark, I was ambivalent about running and was on the JV team, but his encouragement motivated me to run longer and harder and eventually make varsity. Because of him, I approach every endeavor with the passion and intensity that I bring to running.

The essay goes on to explain how the writer overcame their apprehension of public speaking, and likens the process of submitting an appeal to the school board to running a race. This metaphor makes the writing more engaging and allows us to feel the student’s emotions.

While the student didn’t ultimately succeed in getting the track dedicated, we learn about their resilience and initiative: I now often show up to meetings to advocate for a variety of causes, including better environmental practices in cafeterias and safer equipment for athletes.

Overall, this essay is well-done. It demonstrates growth despite failing to meet a goal, which is a unique essay structure. The running metaphor and full-circle intro/ending also elevate the writing in this essay.

Where to Get Your Overcoming Challenges Essay Edited

The Overcoming Challenges essay is one of the trickier supplemental prompts, so it’s important to get feedback on your drafts. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

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The concerns and challenges of being a u.s. teen: what the data show.

American teens have a lot on their minds. Substantial shares point to anxiety and depression, bullying, and drug and alcohol use (and abuse) as major problems among people their age, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of youth ages 13 to 17.

How common are these and other experiences among U.S. teens? We reviewed the most recent available data from government and academic researchers to find out:

Anxiety and depression

Serious mental stress is a fact of life for many American teens. In the new survey, seven-in-ten teens say anxiety and depression are major problems among their peers – a concern that’s shared by mental health researchers and clinicians .

Alcohol and drugs

Anxiety and depression aren’t the only concerns for U.S. teens. Smaller though still substantial shares of teens in the Pew Research Center survey say drug addiction (51%) and alcohol consumption (45%) are major problems among their peers.

But the Michigan survey also found that, despite some ups and downs, use of marijuana (or its derivative, hashish) among 12th-graders is nearly as high as it was two decades ago. Last year, 22.2% reported using marijuana in the past 30 days, versus 22.8% in 1998. Past-month marijuana use among 10th-graders has declined a bit over that same period, from 18.7% to 16.7%, but is up from 14% in 2016.

Marijuana was by far the most commonly used drug among teens last year, as it has been for decades.  While more than 10% of 12th-graders reported using some illicit drug other than marijuana in the late 1990s and early 2000s, that figure had fallen to 6% by last year.

The Michigan researchers noted that vaping, of both nicotine and marijuana, has jumped in popularity in the past few years. In 2018, 20.9% of 12th-graders and 16.1% of 10th-graders reported vaping nicotine in the past 30 days, about double the 2017 levels. By comparison, only 7.6% of 12th-graders and 4.2% of 10th-graders had smoked a cigarette in that time. And 7.5% of 12-graders and 7% of 10th-graders said they’d vaped marijuana within the past month, up from 4.9% and 4.3%, respectively, in 2017.

Bullying and cyberbullying

Issues of personal safety also are on U.S. teens’ minds. The Center’s survey found that 55% of teens said bullying was a major problem among their peers, while a third called gangs a major problem.

As for gangs, the share of students ages 12 to 18 who said gangs were present at their school fell from 20.1% in 2001 to 10.7% in 2015, according to a report on school safety from the federal departments of Education and Justice. Black and Hispanic students, as well as students in urban schools, were most likely to report the presence of gangs at school, but even for those groups the shares reporting this fell sharply between 2001 and 2015, the most recent year for which data are available.

Four-in-ten teens say poverty is a major problem among their peers, according to the Center’s new report. In 2017, about 2.2 million 15- to 17-year-olds (17.6%) were living in households with incomes below the poverty level – up from 16.3% in 2009, but down from 18.9% in 2014, based on our analysis of Census data. Black teens were more than twice as likely as white teens to live in households below the poverty level (30.4% versus 14%); however, the share of white teens in below-poverty-level households had risen from 2009 (when it was 12.1%), while the share of black teens in below-poverty-level households was almost unchanged.

Teen pregnancy

Far fewer U.S. teens are having to juggle adolescence and parenthood, as teen births continue their long-term decline . Among 15- to 19-year-olds, the overall birthrate has fallen by two-thirds since 1991 – from 61.8 live births per 1,000 women to 20.3 in 2016 , according to the CDC. All racial and ethnic groups have witnessed teen-birthrate declines of varying degrees: Among non-Hispanic blacks, for example, the rate fell from 118.2 live births per 1,000 in 1991 to 29.3 in 2016 .

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10 key findings about the religious lives of U.S. teens and their parents

Before recent outbreak, vaping was on the rise in u.s., especially among young people, why is the teen birth rate falling, a growing number of american teenagers – particularly girls – are facing depression, most popular.

About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts .

The alarming state of the American student in 2022

Subscribe to the brown center on education policy newsletter, robin lake and robin lake director, center on reinventing public education - arizona state university @rbnlake travis pillow travis pillow innovation fellow, center on reinventing public education - arizona state university @travispillow.

November 1, 2022

The pandemic was a wrecking ball for U.S. public education, bringing months of school closures, frantic moves to remote instruction, and trauma and isolation.

Kids may be back at school after three disrupted years, but a return to classrooms has not brought a return to normal. Recent results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed historic declines in American students’ knowledge and skills and widening gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students.

But even these sobering results do not tell us the whole story.

After nearly three years of tracking pandemic response by U.S. school systems and synthesizing knowledge about the impacts on students, we sought to establish a baseline understanding of the contours of the crisis: What happened and why, and where do we go from here?

This first annual “ State of the American Student ” report synthesizes nearly three years of research on the academic, mental health, and other impacts of the pandemic and school closures.

It outlines the contours of the crisis American students have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and begins to chart a path to recovery and reinvention for all students—which includes building a new and better approach to public education that ensures an educational crisis of this magnitude cannot happen again.

The state of American students as we emerge from the pandemic is still coming into focus, but here’s what we’ve learned (and haven’t yet learned) about where COVID-19 left us:

1. Students lost critical opportunities to learn and thrive.

• The typical American student lost several months’ worth of learning in language arts and more in mathematics.

• Students suffered crushing increases in anxiety and depression. More than one in 360 U.S. children lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19.

• Students poorly served before the pandemic were profoundly left behind during it, including many with disabilities whose parents reported they were cut off from essential school and life services.

This deeply traumatic period threatens to reverberate for decades. The academic, social, and mental-health needs are real, they are measurable, and they must be addressed quickly to avoid long-term consequences to individual students, the future workforce, and society.

2. The average effects from COVID mask dire inequities and widely varied impact.

Some students are catching up, but time is running out for others. Every student experienced the pandemic differently, and there is tremendous variation from student to student, with certain populations—namely, Black, Hispanic, and low-income students, as well as other vulnerable populations—suffering the most severe impacts.

The effects were more severe where campuses stayed closed longer. American students are experiencing a K-shaped recovery, in which gaps between the highest- and lowest-scoring students, already growing before the pandemic, are widening into chasms. In the latest NAEP results released in September , national average scores fell five times as much in reading, and four times as much in math, for the lowest-scoring 10 percent of nine-year-olds as they had for the highest-scoring 10 percent.

At the pace of recovery we are seeing today, too many students of all races and income levels will graduate in the coming years without the skills and knowledge needed for college and careers.

3. What we know at this point is incomplete. The situation could be significantly worse than the early data suggest.

The data and stories we have to date are enough to warrant immediate action, but there are serious holes in our understanding of how the pandemic has affected various groups of students, especially those who are typically most likely to fall through the cracks in the American education system.

We know little about students with complex needs, such as those with disabilities and English learners. We still know too little about the learning impacts in non-tested subjects, such as science, civics, and foreign languages. And while psychologists , educators , and the federal government are sounding alarms about a youth mental health crisis, systematic measures of student wellbeing remain hard to come by.

We must acknowledge that what we know at this point is incomplete, since the pandemic closures and following recovery have been so unprecedented in recent times. It’s possible that as we continue to dig into the evidence on the pandemic’s impacts, some student groups or subjects may have not been so adversely affected. Alternatively, the situation could be significantly worse than the early data suggest. Some students are already bouncing back quickly. But for others, the impact could grow worse over time.

In subjects like math, where learning is cumulative, pandemic-related gaps in students’ learning that emerged during the pandemic could affect their ability to grasp future material. In some states, test scores fell dramatically for high schoolers nearing graduation. Shifts in these students’ academic trajectories could affect their college plans—and the rest of their lives. And elevated rates of chronic absenteeism suggest some students who disconnected from school during the pandemic have struggled to reconnect since.

4. The harms students experienced can be traced to a rigid and inequitable system that put adults, not students, first.

• Despite often heroic efforts by caring adults, students and families were cut off from essential support, offered radically diminished learning opportunities, and left to their own devices to support learning.

• Too often, partisan politics, not student needs , drove decision-making.

• Students with complexities and differences too often faced systems immobilized by fear and a commitment to sameness rather than prioritization and problem-solving.

So, what can we do to address the situation we’re in?

Diverse needs demand diverse solutions that are informed by pandemic experiences

Freed from the routines of rigid systems, some parents, communities, and educators found new ways to tailor learning experiences around students’ needs. They discovered learning can happen any time and anywhere. They discovered enriching activities outside class and troves of untapped adult talent.

Some of these breakthroughs happened in public schools—like virtual IEP meetings that leveled power dynamics between administrators and parents advocating for their children’s special education services. Others happened in learning pods or other new environments where families and community groups devised new ways to meet students’ needs. These were exceptions to an otherwise miserable rule, and they can inform the work ahead.

We must act quickly but we must also act differently. Important next steps include:

• Districts and states should immediately use their federal dollars to address the emergent needs of the COVID-19 generation of students via proven interventions, such as well-designed tutoring, extended learning time, credit recovery, additional mental health support, college and career guidance, and mentoring. The challenges ahead are too daunting for schools to shoulder alone. Partnerships and funding for families and community-driven solutions will be critical.

• By the end of the 2022–2023 academic year, states and districts must commit to an honest accounting of rebuilding efforts by defining, adopting, and reporting on their progress toward 5- and 10-year goals for long-term student recovery. States should invest in rigorous studies that document, analyze, and improve their approaches.

• Education leaders and researchers must adopt a national research and development agenda for school reinvention over the next five years. This effort must be anchored in the reality that the needs of students are so varied, so profound, and so multifaceted that a one-size-fits-all approach to education can’t possibly meet them all. Across the country, community organizations who previously operated summer or afterschool programs stepped up to support students during the school day. As they focus on recovery, school system leaders should look to these helpers not as peripheral players in education, but as critical contributors who can provide teaching , tutoring, or joyful learning environments for students and often have trusting relationships with their families.

• Recovery and rebuilding should ensure the system is more resilient and prepared for future crises. That means more thoughtful integration of online learning and stronger partnerships with organizations that support learning outside school walls. Every school system in America should have a plan to keep students safe and learning even when they can’t physically come to school, be equipped to deliver high-quality, individualized pathways for students, and build on practices that show promise.

Our “State of the American Student” report is the first in a series of annual reports the Center on Reinventing Public Education intends to produce through fall of 2027. We hope every state and community will produce similar, annual accounts and begin to define ambitious goals for recovery. The implications of these deeply traumatic years will reverberate for decades unless we find a path not only to normalcy but also to restitution for this generation and future generations of American students.

The road to recovery can lead somewhere new. In five years, we hope to report that out of the ashes of the pandemic, American public education emerged transformed: more flexible and resilient, more individualized and equitable, and—most of all— more joyful.

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The biggest problem on college campuses — book excerpt

In the following excerpt from their new book, authors Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner take a deep dive into their years-long research on what students view as the biggest problem on campus.

Here’s the excerpt, taken from “ The Real World of College: What Higher Education Is and What It Can Be” by Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner. Reprinted with permission from The MIT Press.

If, in 2012, you had asked us to itemize the biggest problems on the college campus, we might have cited alcohol, sexual misconduct, or possibly free speech issues. It’s unlikely that mental health would have made the short list. In fact, the prominence — indeed, dominance — of this issue constitutes one of the major surprises of our study. But now, nearly a decade later, along with informed members of the public, we can confirm what those who spend time on campuses have known for the better part of a decade: challenges of mental health constitute one of the biggest problems on campus. It’s an issue of overriding importance. Indeed, at the beginning of the study, we heard a lot about alcohol and safety concerns. But over and over again, mental health came up as a source of many problems for students — oftentimes more than any of the other concerns. (And toward the end of study, we began to hear as well about mental health challenges for faculty and other adults on campus.) As a result, early in our data collection, we asked participants to describe problems — any problems they perceived as issues on campus. Because we found that students repeatedly named the same problems across campuses, after posing this open-ended question, we added an immediate follow-up. We asked respondents to rank five major problems in terms of their relative severity — namely: *Academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) *Mental health (e.g., stress, anxiety, depression, eating disorders) *Relationships with peers (friendships and romantic relationships) *Alcohol and substance abuse *Safety issues (e.g., violence, sexual misconduct) In doing so, we wanted to understand how individuals thought about the relative potency and urgency of each problem. Now, as we are writing this book, issues of mental health have been so widely reported in newspapers, journals of education, and more popular books that this finding is no longer shocking— for some, it may even seem like yesterday’s news. But the high frequency of concern across all participants, stakeholders, and schools is important — indeed, we consider it a major headline. Furthermore, the ways in which participants describe the problems are sometimes surprising (because issues of mental health are so often misunderstood); and the search for helpful interventions is pressing. MENTAL HEALTH: NUTS AND BOLTS Across all participants, nearly half (44%) rank mental health as the most important problem on campus — one of the few agreements among all participants. Put another way, each constituency group in our study — first-year students, graduating students, faculty, administrators, parents, trustees, young alums — ranks mental health as the biggest problem on the college campus. This alignment — among students at different stages, faculty and administrators who are on campus, as well as trustees, young alums, and parents who are off campus — is notable; indeed, it does not obtain with respect to any of the more than three dozen other questions in our interview protocol.* (In this summary, we don’t include job recruiters.) To underscore the point: participants at all types of campuses— ranging in size, selectivity, and geography — perceive mental health as the biggest problem confronted by students. That is, across small, remote, residential campuses as well as large, urban, commuter campuses, the most selective campuses as well as the least selective campuses, the concern for mental health is consistent and regnant. Speculation that this is particularly an urban problem, or a problem at selective schools, or only a concern of residential campus, or only prevalent in certain demographic categories, is not borne out. In addition to the ranking, without any prompting, approximately 20% of our students (that is, one out of every five students), testify and explain that they struggle with their own mental health issues. Furthermore, more than a third of all student participants (38%) discuss the prevalence of mental health on campus. This finding suggests that participants do not just rank mental health as the biggest problem because they themselves confront it; they also see it as a widespread problem for others and for the larger campus community. As an interesting and revealing contrast: though participants also describe academic dishonesty as widespread on campus, this issue was consistently ranked as the least important problem students confront.... Such widespread consensus suggests that there are few, if any, differences in how participants with various backgrounds might rank mental health. For example, we find no significant gender differences, nor do we find any significant differences in the responses of students who come from different types of high schools (public, private, or charter schools). However, we note an increased awareness about mental health issues over the course of the college experience: whereas first-year students (35%) see mental health as the biggest problem on campus, this percentage significantly increases among graduating students (50%). Implication: whether students are thinking about their own personal issues or not, as they spend more time in college, they develop increasing alertness to and/or concerns about the issue of mental health for their respective campus communities and, presumably, the well-being of their peers. These overall data are revealing. Unlike the national polls and individual school surveys on which much current understanding is based, we do not ask participants to respond directly to questions about their own mental health. Rather, we seek to understand “why” participants think that mental health is the biggest problem on campus. To be clear, our intention is not to diagnose particular ailments, nor to collect statistics about the prevalence of specific conditions, such as depression or suicidal tendencies. Some individuals volunteered information about their own mental health issues, but these respondents might have shared even more if we had posed the question directly. Instead, our data are illuminating because we ask participants for their own reasoning about mental health issues — regardless of whether the rationales arise from their own experiences and/or their observations of others. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS Whenever we present these findings, we are asked why now? Why is it that individuals seem to be reporting more concern about their own mental health, and the mental health of others, than ever before? We are predictably queried whether the problems have worsened over time, and/or whether students are finally openly admitting to problems that have always existed, perhaps beneath the surface. And we have also been asked whether reported differences could be due to different mortality rates for children across the decades, to larger and increasingly diverse demographies on campus, to greater pressures in high school, to child rearing that spoils children, to greater dependence on therapy and drugs in the precollege years — and, more recently (after our study was completed), to anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic. No doubt readers of this book could readily come up with other hypotheses and speculations. But at this point, no firm answers exist — and indeed the question may be impossible to answer, because of so-called cohort effects. That is, we can’t assume that students in 1950 are the same as students in 1985, or in 2020, and so such comparisons are necessarily speculative — if not odious. But, having listened carefully to several hundred respondents talk about their rationales, and then having sought to ascertain patterns across schools and constituencies, we can make educated inferences about what has become so challenging for young people in college. And herein lies one value of our approach. Indeed, our data suggest a quite distinct perspective on the prevalence of mental health issues on the college campus. While some hypothesize that students are “overly coddled,” or that social media have caused students to feel more loneliness and social anxiety, the majority of students in our study describe an overwhelming pressure to do well, as opposed to just “do okay” — indeed, to build a perfect resume — as the primary source of mental health distress. Academic Rigor: The Most Commonly Cited Cause Across all students in our study, the most common explanation (52% of all student-reported causes) about why mental health is the most important problem on campus is academic rigor — the “pressure” of academics. Indeed, we also find that students describe this pressure as what “keeps them up at night” (see box 6.1). But what exactly is the pressure? Is it about learning difficult content? Or preparing for exams or writing papers? Or building a favorable transcript to get a job or get into graduate school? Or (reminiscent of response options on school admissions exams) “all of the above?” Perhaps not surprisingly at this moment in history, when students discuss academic pressure as a cause of mental health, the most frequent explanation focuses on achieving external measures of success — securing a high grade-point average, or “doing well” on an assignment or an exam (51%). For example, a first-year student majoring in communications explains: “I know a lot of kids who … get super stressed out over grades and they get really anxious about it … like intense people make like, ‘You have to have a good GPA, you have to have As and stuff.’ And so, like people get really stressed out over that.” A graduating student in the midst of applying to graduate programs describes needing to perform: “I think, you just want to have a good grade in the class because it’s one step forward to your degree, right? It’s one step forward to being [on] the honor roll … Am I gonna graduate? Am I gonna graduate with honors? And like, you know, like, will I get into a good graduate school?” Interestingly and importantly, these concerns with the external markers of success are the most common descriptors for academic rigor at every campus — from most to least selective. For example, of the three schools with the most students who comment on external measures of success, two schools are high-selectivity campuses in our sample (67% and 60%), and the other school is one of the low-selectivity campuses in our sample (63%). On the other hand, of the three schools with the fewest students who comment about external measures of success, two schools are medium-selectivity campuses (45% and 40%) and the other school is one of the high-selectivity campuses in our sample (45%). In other words, student stress with respect to academic rigor pervades every campus, regardless of its selectivity. Therefore, we can’t — and shouldn’t — presume that students at the most selective institutions feel more pressure than do students at other schools — nor that the faculty at these selective institutions apply more pressure than faculty at other schools. Students at all schools report stress with respect to “doing well.” The same pattern holds true for most of the other major categories of academic rigor which students describe. For example, among students who talk about academic rigor, the second most frequent category is managing academic workload (21%) — both in terms of managing the work across an entire course load and just in an individual course. One student, aspiring to become an elementary school teacher, comments “I started having a little bit of anxiety from … the amount of workload that I had, and I felt like, everything was just, like, bundling up, so I would say that is the biggest issue.” A second student, majoring in natural science, says: “You know, sometimes school can be overwhelming. I feel like I am drowning. I don’t know if that is in the ‘anxiety department’ but it’s like, sometimes it becomes very stressful." Again, and notably, the school with the most students who comment on workload (33%) is one of the high-selectivity schools in our sample, whereas the school with the second most students who comment (32%) is one of the low-selectivity schools in our study. Moreover, of the two schools with students who comment the least about workload, one is a medium-selectivity school (4%), and the other is one of the low-selectivity schools in our sample (15%). Clearly, we can’t simply assume that the students with the most problems managing workload are the commuting students who often need to balance academic workload with off-campus responsibilities — such as taking care of families or juggling jobs while trying to find some free hours for study. Though these demands or constraints might be challenging for some students most of the time, or for many students some of the time, it is not necessarily what these students see or cite as the primary or most frequent cause of mental health issues. In light of a third category of student comments about academic rigor, we are again motivated to check our assumptions. We refer here to compensating for, or overcoming, lack of preparation — not feeling ready for college-level work, or experiencing general difficulty with academics. A first-year student double majoring in biology and Spanish says: “I feel like a lot of people, when they come to [school], they don’t understand how demanding the academics are and get stressed out pretty easily.” Another student specifically describes readiness issues related to the transition to college: “Stress, because [first-year students who] are not fully transitioned, start stressing out … they start getting anxiety because, you know, they’re too scared to ask for help from anyone.” Yet another surprise: One might predict that students who complain (or blame) lack of preparation for academic work may not have experienced high-quality secondary education — and that they are thus more likely to attend a college that is less selective. (Presumably it would be more difficult — though it’s clearly possible — to gain admission to a moderately selective or highly selective college without a good high school education.) But, in fact, we find a different pattern: the two schools with the most students who comment about lack of preparation are a medium-selectivity school (20%) and a high-selectivity school (14%)—and not one of the low-selectivity schools. In contrast, of the two schools with the fewest students who describe lack of preparation, one of them is a high-selectivity campus (7%) the other is a low-selectivity campus (5%) in our study. However, we encounter a perhaps more expected result when students describe the fourth most common category of reasons for experiencing stress: the drive to satisfy internal standards of perfection. As one graduating student majoring in international relations explains: “I think the type of student that goes to [this school] is probably someone who’s an overachiever, and anxiety-driven. So I think it’s definitely … a problem that some people have to get really worked up about the work they have to do.” A first-year student says: “And I do see a lot of stress. I just have noticed it in a few of my close friends … They’ve been really, really stressed to the point where I have been concerned, and I talk to them about it. I think especially at [this school] where people really wanna do well, and not necessarily even in terms of grades … They really wanna be the best, and they are kind of perfectionists, it becomes a problem.” Unlike the other categories, the most comments relating to perfectionism come from students at the high-selectivity schools. At least two possibilities arise: (1) students with a strong sense of “internal perfectionism” are attracted to a particular type of school and student body, and/or (2) students who attend these schools develop a heightened internal drive over the course of the college experience. The former reason seems more likely. Some students explicitly discuss the “high school effect,” in which even to get into these highly selective colleges and universities, you need to be flawless: “A lot of people here, I feel like they have a lot of pressure. Like, in high school they had a lot of pressure to do well, and they’ve kind of carried that over into college, and feel like … they need to be meeting impossible standards. And, they feel a lot of stress over that still. I think if you’re pursuing a higher education, that there’s like a certain level of perfectionism that a lot of people are dealing with.” However, when we look closely at these three schools with the most students who comment about perfectionism, we notice a big difference. One of the schools has far more students who comment (35%) in contrast to the peer schools (each at 13%). Students at this “perfectionist” school are notably overzealous about their academic work, as well as their commitments to extracurricular activities on campus. A first-year student who describes the student body as “busy” talks about this “über” passion at his school: “And it’s hard because everybody here wants to do as much as they possibly can, and people don’t know in general how to say no … And people care a lot about their academics, but the amount of cocurricular obligations that people sign themselves [up for], or extracurricular obligations that people sign themselves up for is unparalleled. It’s ridiculous.” We would not have predicted that comments about academic rigor as the most common cause of mental health would have emerged equally from all different types of schools. (If you are skeptical, ask a friend to predict the results of our study.) For example, one might have hypothesized that students at the more selective schools would talk more about striving for academic success, while students at the less selective schools would be more likely to lament lack of academic preparation. Moreover, our predictions might also have been far from the actual state of affairs — that students at the more selective schools actually discuss lack of preparation, and that students at the less selective schools are stressed about academic success, not just matriculation and graduation. Put another way, one already familiar to readers, students across disparate campuses turn out to be more alike than different. Time for a different perspective. On measures from a variety of studies, students nowadays are being asked to do much less than they once were — reading, writing assignments, and tests are all on the decline. Also, thanks to grade inflation, many campuses have a high number of “A” students. A well-known study, by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa in Academically Adrift, presents a disturbing picture of meager student learning across the collegiate spectrum. Notwithstanding the pressures and the presumably well-intentioned efforts of faculty and administrators, it has proved difficult to demonstrate powerful effects of learning in college. Experiencing stress does not seem to produce more effective learning. Indeed, it may even prevent learning — a challenge that the entire sector needs to confront. So, the question arises: Why, on the one hand, are students worried about success and perfection, and on the other hand, apparently learning less and having less ambitious learning aspirations? Herein lies one of our major contentions: If students are coming to college simply to get a degree and build a resume in order to move on to the next stage in life, they may come with inappropriate or inadequate expectations — feeling overwhelmed in facing the central educational mission of college, which entails more than just “checking the boxes.” Certainly, many students come to college with sufficient skills and knowledge to “do well”; but students also need to come prepared to do more than develop a “successful” portfolio, if they are to engage deeply in the hard work that (in the eyes of faculty) is required to explore the intellectual landscape and to transform one’s mind. We believe that our joint recommendations of onboarding and intertwining (detailed in the concluding chapters of the book) can help to assuage this disturbing situation — and, if we are fortunate, increase the probability that higher education can achieve what we deem to be its central mission. Put succinctly, we’d like students to see growth and learning as their goal, rather than getting a high grade.

Education Policy

What students and colleges faced during the pandemic.

Alejandra Acosta

Elin johnson, lupita romo-gonzález, jan. 27, 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis has brought unprecedented challenges to higher education. Since summer, New America has partnered with the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) to understand the impacts of the pandemic on institutional policies, consumer protection, and finance through interviews with representatives from institutions and systems of higher education, professional associations, and students. This blog is part of a series in which we sum up findings from these interviews. You can explore findings regarding the pandemic's impacts on institutional finance here , and consumer protection here .

The COVID-19 pandemic left students and colleges struggling. Students faced financial challenges that put their education in jeopardy, had new living arrangements that made learning difficult, and often lacked the resources necessary to even log onto class online. Colleges invested time and money to pivot classes, activities and services online in a matter of days and simultaneously suffered the loss of essential tuition and auxiliary revenue.

College students and the institutions where they enroll have struggled during the pandemic. To better understand what happened, New America and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association ( SHEEO ) held focus groups, fielded public opinion surveys, and engaged in interviews with students, college leadership, and researchers to learn more about what students and colleges faced during the pandemic and how to move forward. Our team, focused on institutional policy changes, uncovered three themes that will have lasting impact beyond the pandemic: 1) the pandemic highlighted and exacerbated equity gaps among students 2) students and college administrators viewed the shift to online differently, highlighting the disconnect between administrators and the student and faculty experience, and 3) insufficient and untimely federal relief funds put colleges in a tough financial situation, leading to botched reopenings.

Inequities Worsen

The abrupt shift to online in the Spring 2020 semester made it clear that existing inequities in higher education had only gotten worse and that it would affect student groups differently . Students at residential colleges were abruptly told to to pack up their belongings and leave the campus they called home, sometimes without even a proper goodbye to their friends and instructors who played a pivotal role in their development and sense of community. But for many housing insecure students, there either was no safe home to return to, or no home at all. Even if students did have somewhere else to go when residence halls closed, many did not have the resources necessary to leave on a moment's notice or have a quiet, private space to study once they got home. The abrupt exodus from residence halls in March also brought up issues of refunds for students who left early and concerns for how to house vulnerable students.

Similarly, the shift to online left students already experiencing food insecurity without resources to have a meal. Physical spaces like food pantries and the possibility of attending events to get a meal were no longer an option. Campus closures, combined with the serious financial consequences of the pandemic, left many of the country's most vulnerable students without one or more of their most basic needs, making it nearly impossible to continue their education and exacerbating issues of food and housing insecurity for low-income students.

The pandemic also exposed how many students lacked another basic necessity for their education: access to affordable and reliable broadband. Prior to the pandemic, low-income students and students of color often relied on campus resources to complete their education, like libraries, computer labs, and campus wi-fi, but lost these essential tools when campuses shuttered. Too many students of color and low-income, rural, and Native students struggled to even log into class because of inequitable access to the internet. Similarly, many of these same students lacked computers and cameras to support their education and resorted to using their phones instead. Institutions engaged in heroic efforts to get laptops and hotspots to these students, and several policy solutions were floated around, but even so, staying in school remotely proved difficult for many.

Students with disabilities also struggled to get their needs met during the pandemic. In the struggle to transition to online, many faculty members did not take federally mandated actions that ensured accessibility for students with disabilities, like including closed captioning, alternative text for images, or transcribing lectures. While some faculty members went above and beyond to ensure accessibility for students with disabilities, for too many it was an afterthought that could put a college at risk for a lawsuit.

The pandemic shone a bright light on how basic necessities--internet, food, housing, and access--are essential for students across the country to be able to access higher education. And for students of color and low-income students, this lack has only exacerbated their challenges in higher education. These unmet basic needs will have real consequences on students' educational trajectory, and ultimately, their life.

Differing Perspectives on the Shift to Online Learning

Another common theme across higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic is how the transition to online learning was perceived differently by college administrators, faculty and students.

Many college administrators viewed the Spring transition to online positively, as they believed they adapted quickly and offered their best. This is true –in a matter of days, faculty made the pivot to offering course material online with little to no training. And during the summer months, many institutions proactively designed training to equip faculty for the challenges that a full semester of online learning would bring. Many professors gained confidence in their abilities to facilitate a full semester online, but others still struggled. One college administrator shared with us that they felt that the pivot to online was "manageable" for faculty without online teaching experience. Despite these efforts, the pivot to online learning was widely considered a disaster from the student perspective.

Students in our focus groups shared that Spring semester was especially difficult if they had professors that didn't know how to use the school's learning management system (like Canvas) and had to receive and submit assignments through email. Many spent the first chunk of class helping faculty navigate Zoom, and others struggled to stay engaged even when professors had some experience with online learning. Even weeks into the fall semester, students felt that more could have been done over the summer to improve the online experience. In one focus group, a junior at a state university shared, “Our professors did not get good, in-depth training on how to use the necessary technology. I think it was quick and rushed. I have one teacher who doesn't know how to use Canvas – I have to email her every day. It’s ridiculous.” For many, a significant amount of class time was still spent sorting out technical issues. Students had higher expectations for professors’ online teaching in the fall. However, these expectations were not met, contributing an additional layer of stress.

A lingering challenge in online education during the pandemic has been creating a sense of community in a virtual space. In focus groups, students reported feeling disconnected from their learning environment and peers. In one focus group, a sophomore at a public university enrolled in hybrid classes shared, “I miss making friends in classes and studying with them at the library. Now, it’s just like I’m studying alone. A lot of the classes I’m taking, my current friends aren’t taking those, they are all studying different majors. So it’s kind of lonely.” Isolation due to social distancing seems to be connected to student lack of motivation to continue with their coursework. 2020 was a huge learning curve for those unfamiliar with online learning, and many students and staff struggled. But moving forward, these lessons learned, combined with insight on the student and faculty experience and the wealth of research on online and in-person pedagogy, could make teaching and learning more effective and enjoyable.

Lack of Funds Led to Botched Reopenings

Many of the challenges institutions faced came as a result of insufficient or untimely federal financial relief. Colleges were able to survive the chaos of spring and the busyness of summer thanks in large part to the CARES Act, which eased financial losses from quickly going online in the Spring. But due to political gridlock, another round of support did not come in time for Fall semester. At that point, the decision on whether or not to stay online or resume in-person learning was not based on public health priorities for many colleges, but on whether they would financially make it to Spring 2021, or even survive Fall 2020.

For most colleges with smaller-than-Harvard-sized endowments, this sticky situation led to botched reopenings and questionable decisions that left faculty and staff, but especially students, feeling unsafe, dissatisfied, and frustrated. This was especially true for historically underfunded institutions like community colleges and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). College leaders and administrators balanced worries about student reaction to a virtual fall semester with institutional financial concerns. Campuses like the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill reopened for the fall and then quickly shuttered again when case counts were deemed out of control. In college towns, infection rates spread and death tolls mounted – making headlines.

Adding to the stress of insufficient funding, and further exacerbating botched reopenings, this year college enrollment was down with the sharpest decline in the freshman class. However, this was not felt equally across institution types and student groups. Compared to last fall, overall post-secondary enrollment was down 3.3 percent, with undergraduate enrollment down 4.4 percent . But out of all the institution types, community colleges experienced the sharpest drop offs in Fall 2020. Similarly, the Fall enrollment decline was most prominent among students of color . Enrollment numbers for this fall show that the already existing socio-economic and racial divides in academia grew, as underrepresented, low-income, student caregivers, and minority students faced the toughest hurdles to attend college. Additional federal relief is necessary to ensure colleges can make the right choices in the name of public health and that the pandemic's negative effects on college enrollment and retention is minimised, especially for students of color and low-income or first-generation students. Without it, this could mean mass college closures going forward.

Despite these struggles, both students and colleges found ways to be creative and resilient, and even considered or engaged in practices that could make the U.S. higher education system more equitable. However, as the pandemic rages on and the light at the end of the tunnel remains far, institutions and students continue to face challenges that are exacerbating existing equity gaps. Institutions will need to continue to be creative and push themselves to embrace this opportunity to create a better, more equitable system for today's students.

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Students Get Real About Mental Health—and What They Need from Educators

Explore more.

• Perspectives
• Student Support

M ental health issues among college students have skyrocketed . From 2013 to 2021, the number of students who reported feelings of depression increased 135 percent, and the number of those with one or more mental health problems doubled. Simply put, the well-being of our students is in jeopardy.

To deepen our understanding of this crisis, we asked 10 students to speak candidly about their mental health. We learned that the issues they face are uniquely theirs and yet collectively ours. We hope these responses will inform your teaching and encourage you to create safe classroom spaces where students feel seen and supported.

Students Share Their Mental Health Struggles—and What Support They Need

We asked these students and recent graduates, In what ways has your mental health affected your college experience, and how can professors better support you? Here’s what they had to say.

Elizabeth Ndungu, graduate student in the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University, United States: My mental health has affected me deeply, and I have sought therapy (which is a big thing for me, as I was born and raised in Africa and therapy is a “Western” concept). I’m a caregiver, so unexpected medical emergencies happen a lot, which mentally stresses me out. However, my professors have given me the time I need to perform my best. They’ve listened.

In general, I think professors can better support students by

Observing and reaching out to students if they notice a pattern of behavior.

Being kind. Giving a student a second chance may very well change their life for the better.

Being supportive. Remember students’ names, learn one unique thing about them that’s positive, or connect with them on LinkedIn or other social media platforms and show them that they have a mentor.

I think schools can better support students by

Admitting diverse students. Don’t just say it—do it. Seek out ways to make the school population more DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility) friendly, especially at historically white colleges. Inclusivity should be everywhere.

Making DEIA initiatives a priority. If you are educating organizations’ next leaders, make sure DEIA initiatives are in each program and cohort. Each of our classes should be tied to knowledge, strategy, and DEIA and its impact.

Raising awareness around mental health. Provide onsite and remote resources for mental assistance, automate low complexity tasks that will cause stress to students, invest in your staff and resources, and ensure that they are happy. Because dealing with unhappy staff will make unhappy students.

Pritish Dakhole, sophomore studying engineering at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India: Mental health is still stigmatized in India. We do not have easy access to therapy sessions, and it is a difficult topic to talk about with family. Thankfully, the scenario is changing.

I have been affected both positively and negatively by my mental health. Positively, because I have become more open-minded and perceptive. Negatively, because it has drained my will to continue, made me tired from all the overthinking, and made me turn to harmful addictions to distract myself from the pain.

Professors and schools could provide better support through

Webinars and meetings that make students aware of the issues they face and how to tackle them.

Group sessions—preferably anonymous—to remove fear.

Feedback systems so that the college is made aware of the problems that lead to a bad mental state.

Flexible education systems that allow students to take breaks during periods of excessive burnout.

Ocean Ronquillo-Morgan, Class of ’21, studied computer science and business administration at the University of Southern California, United States: In February 2021, I called 911 twice in the span of two weeks. I thought I was dying. I felt confused, felt like my body was about to give way, then I called the paramedics. They hooked me up to an EKG and checked my pulse. It was the first time in my life that I experienced panic attacks.

I don’t think anything else could have been done at the classroom level besides extending deadlines in extenuating circumstances. That’s the unfortunate nature of post-education institutions—you still need to make it “fair” for all students.

Alberto Briones, Class of ’22, studied operations and information management at Northern Illinois University, United States: Mental health can be a touchy subject. I have experienced depression and anxiety, but just thinking about all the things I could miss in life if I gave up is what gave me the strength to keep going.

Something professors can do to support students’ mental health is give students time to study between tests. Sometimes professors schedule tests on the same day, and suddenly students must study for three or four exams, all in the same day. It becomes overwhelming and they have to prioritize what tests they need to study more for.

Anjali Bathra Ravikumar, sophomore studying management information systems at The University of Texas at Austin, United States: It is stressful to be an international student at a competitive university in a competitive major. I often find myself having breakdowns and calling my parents in a panic about my future. The relatively restricted job opportunities because of my visa status and uncertainty about whether I’ll be able to forge the career that I want are major reasons behind this.

I have noticed that a lot of my international-student friends are constantly hustling as well, since we feel that we always need to be 10 steps ahead and cannot afford to slow down.

The best thing that a professor can do for me is provide as much guidance as possible in their respective field. Most of my professors have done that. This helps weed out some of the doubts that I have about potential career paths and gives me better clarity about the future. I feel that I cannot ask for more since I don’t expect everyone to be informed of what life is like for an international student.

Schools, on the other hand, can do a lot for us, such as tailor career management resources, offer international student group counseling (I attended one session and it was very liberating), provide financial relief (this is the absolute best thing that can be done for us) during rough times such as COVID-19. For example, when millions of international students had to take online classes during the pandemic, schools could have offered reduced tuition rates.

Something else that can seem small but goes a long way is using inclusive language in university announcements and communication. Most of the emails that we receive from the university feel more tailored to or are directly addressing in-state students (especially when major changes were happening at the beginning of the pandemic), and it is natural for us to feel left out. It might be a simple thing, but a couple of lines at the end of each email announcement with links addressing our specific concerns would make a lot of difference to us since we wouldn’t have to do our own research to figure out what it means for us.

EDUCATE YOURSELF BEFORE DIVING INTO MENTAL HEALTH TALKS

Starting a mental health conversation with students before we are prepared can be harmful. Here’s some advice from “ It’s Time We Talk About Mental Health in Business Classrooms ” by Bahia El Oddi, founder of Human Sustainability Inside Out, and Carin-Isabel Knoop, executive director of the Case Research and Writing Group at Harvard Business School, on how to get ready for these critical conversations.

Learn to talk about mental health. Enhance your mental health literacy through free resources such as the Learn Mental Health Literacy course (specifically for educators), the World Health Organization , and the National Institute of Mental Health . Consult the CDC for language about mental and behavioral health and the American Psychiatry Association for ways to describe individuals presenting with potential mental health disorders .

Reflect on your own biases. Consider how your own story—being raised by a parent with a mental health disorder, for example—may influence how you react and relate to others. Determine your level of openness to discussing the struggles you or your loved ones face or have faced. While it is possible to discuss mental health in the classroom without these anecdotes or personal connections, the courage to be open about your own past can have a transformative effect on classroom discussion.

Understand students may need extra support. Make yourself accessible and approachable to your students from the start so you can establish trust early. Advise them to seek professional help when necessary.

Nick Neral, Class of ’18, studied marketing management at the University of Akron, United States: At the end of my first year of college, I decided to stop participating in Division I athletics and my mental health plummeted. After calling our campus counseling center and waiting six weeks for my first intake appointment, I was told I couldn’t start therapy for two more months, but I could get medication within a couple of days.

After getting prescriptions for an SSRI and Xanax, I never heard from another clinician at my school again. They had no clue if I got the meds, if I took them, how I was doing, and whether I was on campus every day.

When my mental health was at its poorest, I was very disconnected from my classes. I went to, I think, five or six out of 30 finance classes I had during the semester.

I think professors are in this mindset that 20 percent of the class will naturally excel, a majority will do well enough, and a small chunk probably can’t be saved. Sometimes we don’t need saving in the classroom, we just need professors looking out for our well-being. There’s more to the story when a kid doesn’t show up to 80 percent of their classes.

My experience—and seeing others go through similar events—led me to create a platform where therapists can create content and free resources at forhaley.com . Anyone can filter through the content based on how they’re feeling and what’s going on in their life without paying anything or creating an account.

Shreyas Gavit, Class of ’20 in the MBA program at Oakland University, United States: Mental health has affected me because I’ve been depressed and feel trapped; I can’t just go to my home country and come back to the United States whenever I need to. Instead, I have to wait on visa dates, which are a total mess.

Schools and professors could provide more guidance in understanding how immigration has been affected due to COVID-19.

Nigel Hammett, Class of ’19, studied industrial and systems engineering at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, United States: Throughout college I faced mental stress—not only from school, like everyone, but also from many constant family issues going on back home that required my energy. At times, I learned how to push through my feelings and submerge myself in my schoolwork, although I should have unpacked my trauma and handled it in a more mature way.

Students need an environment that encourages inclusive, candid dialogue around how we are feeling. There’s a correlation between social and mental health to overall success in our respective careers.

Alek Nybro, Class of ’21, studied marketing at St. Edward’s University, United States: Anxiety shows up differently for every person. I consider myself to be high functioning. This means when the going gets tough, I dig down and keep pushing, but often to extents that aren’t physically, emotionally, or mentally healthy.

In school, I didn’t know when to step back and take a break. That’s probably my biggest regret about my college years.

Professors could help students by making everything iterative. There shouldn’t be a final grade for assignments or projects. If you want to go back and revise something for a better grade, you should be able to do so.

Patrick Mandiraatmadja, first-year graduate student studying technology management at Columbia University, United States: There are times when I have felt overwhelmed by the number of deadlines and exams crammed into a specific week or few days. I always want to put in my best effort to study, which can lead to less sleep and more anxiety. Then college becomes more about getting through assignments and exams just for the sake of it and less about the learning.

Because of the amount of work or busy work, I have less opportunity to go out and do the things that make me feel alive and excited about life—whether it’s being with friends, exploring my city, exercising, involving myself with professional and social networks outside of school, or simply taking a walk and enjoying my day.

Students want to know that our professors and schools care. Part of that is providing an environment where we can talk about our personal struggles. I also think professors and schools should update the policies on homework, assignments, and exams. Sometimes we may push through and neglect our mental health, not taking the time to care for ourselves, just to get through that homework or finish that exam. The added pressure causes us increased anxiety; it’s no wonder today’s young people are some of the most anxious and unmotivated compared to previous generations.

What We Learned from These Students

These students and young alumni offer an honest glimpse into how mental health struggles have affected their college experiences. Although every student faces their own unique—and sometimes complicated—challenges, we are learning that sometimes the best response is the simplest one.

We must show our students that we care. So lend an empathetic ear, offer that deadline extension, and turn your classroom into a safe haven for open discussion. Your students need it.

Special thanks to Justin Nguyen , founder of Declassified Media , for connecting HBP to these students and young alumni who volunteered to share their experiences.

Help shape our coverage: These students spoke candidly; now it’s your turn. What are the biggest challenges you face in addressing student mental health in and out of the classroom? What experiences have stood out to you? Let us know .

Elizabeth Ndungu is a graduate student in the School of Professional Studies at Columbia University.

Pritish Dakhole is a sophomore studying engineering at Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India.

Ocean Ronquillo-Morgan is a member of the University of Southern California’s Class of ’21.

Alberto Briones is a member of Northern Illinois University’s Class of ’22.

Anjali Bathra Ravikumar is a sophomore at The University of Texas at Austin.

Nick Neral studied marketing management at the University of Akron and is a member of the Class of ’18.

Shreyas Gavit studied in the MBA program at Oakland University and graduated as a member of the Class of ’20.

Nigel Hammett studied industrial and systems engineering at North Carolina A&T State University and graduated as a member of Class of ’19.

Alek Nybro studied marketing at St. Edward’s University and graduated as a member of the Class of ’21.

Patrick Mandiraatmadja is a first-year graduate student studying technology management at Columbia University.

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The Psychological Challenges for Students and Teachers Ahead

Three immediate things we can do to help them..

Posted August 20, 2020 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

By Gil Noam and Stephanie Wu

Right now, the entire country is consumed by back-to-school debates. The well-being of our children is tied to our ability to ensure that students are able to learn and parents can work. Life is already stressful for most American families, and not knowing how or when schools will open adds extra hardship.

We believe there are concrete things that we, as educators, policymakers, parents, and adults who work with young people, can do to help students and schools navigate the challenges and disruptions caused by COVID-19 . Distance learning is or will be a reality in many school districts and we will need to use this virtual space much more wisely and skillfully than we did last spring. If adults can step outside the sense of helplessness and frustration they are experiencing, together we could make a powerful shift that boosts learning, mental health, and the holistic well-being of students and teachers.

At The PEAR Institute at Harvard University and McLean Hospital, we predict, based on previous disasters, that mental health disorders will reach levels of around 30% of the entire child and adolescent population, nearly 17 million school-aged children in the United States. This is a substantial increase from the 13-20% who suffer in any non-pandemic year, including millions of students who experience the insidious effects of poverty and racial injustice.

A purely clinical solution is not feasible. We lack enough mental health practitioners to meet the growing need. Furthermore, treating every problem as an individual issue needing a clinical solution isn’t necessarily a good choice for everyone or society at large. Mental health is not only an individual experience—it is also communal. As one of the most important communities for youth, our schools must play a vital role in promoting the holistic well-being of students, teachers, and other school staff.

Prioritizing positive relationships and social-emotional skills, such as resilience , connection to community, and self-management, will help us avert a serious public health emergency now and years into the future, while supporting students as they re-engage and recover from significant learning loss. This is, of course, easier done in person, but can also happen in virtual environments.

This moment requires our schools and communities to pay as much attention to the mental health of students as we pay to their grades, attendance, and engagement—for all are interwoven with learning and growth. Developmental science shows that anxiety , stress, and trauma prevent our ability to focus, organize, cooperate, and retain information. Encouragingly, research and practice show it is possible to counteract chronic stress by creating safe, structured, and responsive educational environments.

Here are three steps we can take immediately, gleaned from partnering with schools during the pandemic:

Relationships First. Design a time for students to connect with the same peers and adults every day. Use this time to develop strong relationships, trust, and purpose. Research has shown that positive relationships are at the core not only of learning but of survival and long-term physical and mental health. Learning environments that are consistently engaging and nurturing help students to feel a sense of belonging, exercise leadership , explore new ideas, and achieve goals . Profoundly formative, students gain the know-how of resilience, empathy, teamwork, meaning-making, empowerment, and voice. These skills help students navigate change, overcome setbacks, and gain confidence during adversity.

Some people may think this skill-building requires students to be physically in one place—like a brick-and-mortar classroom. But we have found ways to engage groups of students online, establish norms and rituals, and assure that everyone can express themselves freely. It takes adjustment, but remember, our students are digital natives and very adaptable.

Integrate Social, Emotional, and Academic Development . Identify instructional strategies that, alongside academic content, include students practicing social and emotional skills, as these competencies advance achievement as well as mental health. Several organizations, all part of a national movement of educational transformation such as CASEL , Attendance Works , Search Institute , SoLD Alliance , and others, including our organizations, have published free, online resources that are readily available to help parents and educators integrate social-emotional development; master virtual approaches to learning; improve student engagement; and help children and adults feel psychologically safe in online spaces.

Prioritize Educator Mental Health. Teachers are under tremendous pressure. They need proactive mental health support in the form of empathic relationships with colleagues, administrators, and families; opportunities for voice and collaboration ; and time to make collective meaning of their experience. The dual benefit is increasing teacher resilience will also strengthen their use of these strategies with students in virtual environments.

Hard times are accelerating mental health disorders and trauma responses in both children and adults. We have a chance to create learning environments where everyone can experience more hope, connection, and well-being. A holistic approach is the mental health boost we need while waiting impatiently for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Stephanie Wu is City Year’s Chief Transformation Officer and leads the development of City Year’s Whole School Whole Child services. As a founding staff member of City Year, she has overseen the development and scaling of City Year’s youth development practices that remain foundational to City Year’s work in more than 300 public schools in 29 U.S. communities.

Gil Noam, Ed.D., Dr. Habil, is the founder and director of the Institute for the Study of Resilience in Youth (ISRY) at Harvard University and McLean Hospital and the Advisory Board Chair of PEAR: Partnerships in Education and Resilience.

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Emerging issues that could trouble teens

Stanford Medicine’s Vicki Harrison explains the forces impacting youth mental health today, and why it’s so important to involve teens in solutions.

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One of the most alarming developments across the United States in recent years has been the growing mental health crisis among children and adolescents.

The already dire situation is evolving 2024 already presenting a new set of challenges that Vicki Harrison, the program director at the Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing , is closely monitoring and responding to.

Stanford Report sat down with Harrison to find out what concerns her the most about the upcoming year. Harrison also talked about some of the promising ways she and her colleagues are responding to the national crisis and the importance of bringing the youth perspective into that response.

Challenging current events

From the 2024 general election to evolving, international conflicts, today’s dialed-in youth have a lot to process. As teens turn to digital and social media sources to learn about current events and figure out where they stand on particular issues, the sheer volume of news online can feel overwhelming, stressful, and confusing.

One way Harrison is helping teens navigate the information they consume online is through Good for Media , a youth-led initiative that grew out of the Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing to bring teens and young adults together to discuss using social media in a safe and healthy way. In addition to numerous youth-developed tools and videos, the team has a guide with tips to deal with the volume of news online and how to process the emotions that come with it.

Harrison points out that the tone of political discourse today – particularly discussions about reining in the rights a person has based on aspects of their identity, such as their religion, race, national origin, or gender – affects adolescents at a crucial time in their development, a period when they are exploring who they are and what they believe in.

“If their identity is being othered, criticized, or punished in some way, what messages is that sending to young people and how do they feel good about themselves?” Harrison said. “We can’t divorce these political and cultural debates from the mental health of young people.”

Harrison believes that any calls for solving the mental health crisis must acknowledge the critical importance of inclusion, dignity, and respect in supporting the mental health of young people.

Talking about mental health

Adolescence is a crucial time to develop coping skills to respond to stressful situations that arise – a skill not all teens and youth learn.

“It hasn’t always been normalized to talk about mental health and how to address feeling sad or worried about things,” Harrison said. “It’s not something that all of us have been taught to really understand and how to cope with. A lot of young people aren’t comfortable seeking professional services.”

The Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing is helping young people get that extra bit of support to deal with problems before they get worse.

This year, they are rolling out stand-alone “one-stop-shop” health centers that offer youth 12-25 years old access to a range of clinical and counseling services with both trained professionals and peers. Called allcove , there are three locations open so far – Palo Alto, Redondo Beach, and San Mateo. More are set to open across the state in 2024.

“If we can normalize young people having an access point – and feeling comfortable accessing it – we can put them on a healthier track and get them any help they may need,” Harrison said.

Another emerging issue Harrison is monitoring is the growing role of social media influencers who talk openly about their struggles with mental health and well-being.

While this is helping bring awareness to mental health – which Harrison wants to see more of – she is also concerned about how it could lead some teens to mistake a normal, stressful life experience for a mental disorder and incorrectly self-diagnose themselves or to overgeneralize or misunderstand symptoms of mental health conditions. Says Harrison, “We want to see mental health destigmatized, but not oversimplified or minimized.”

“We can’t divorce these political and cultural debates from the mental health of young people.” —Vicki Harrison Program Director at the Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing

Eyes on new technologies

Advances in technology – particularly generative AI – offer new approaches to improving teen well-being, such as therapeutic chatbots or detecting symptoms through keywords or patterns in speech.

“Digital solutions are a promising part of the continuum of care, but there’s the risk of rolling out things without the research backing them,” Harrison said.

Social media companies have come under scrutiny in recent years for inadequately safeguarding young adult mental health. Harrison hopes those mishaps serve as a cautionary tale for those applying AI tools more broadly.

There’s an opportunity, she says, to involve adolescents directly in making AI applications safe and effective. She and her team hope to engage young people with policy and industry and involve them in the design process, rather than as an afterthought.

“Can we listen to their ideas for how to make it better and how to make it work for them?” Harrison asks. “Giving them that agency is going to give us great ideas and make a better experience for them and for everyone using it.”

Harrison said she and her team are hoping to engage young people with policy and industry to elevate their ideas into the design process, rather than have it be an afterthought.

“There’s a lot of really motivated young people who see potential to do things differently and want to improve the world they inhabit,” Harrison said. “That’s why I always want to find opportunities to pass them the microphone and listen.”

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The Morning

A crisis of school absences.

Fewer children are attending school, across rich and poor districts.

By Sarah Mervosh

A few years ago, a troubling phenomenon began to spread in U.S. education: Students were not showing up to school.

This was not particularly surprising. Schools had shut down in the spring of 2020, at the start of the pandemic, and some did not fully reopen until fall 2021. Quarantines for Covid symptoms and exposures were still common. It would take time, many thought, to re-establish daily routines.

What is surprising is how little the numbers have budged since, an issue my colleague Francesca Paris and I explore in depth in a new article published today .

Before the pandemic, about 15 percent of U.S. students were chronically absent, which typically means missing 18 days of the school year, for any reason. By the 2021-22 school year, that number had skyrocketed to 28 percent of students. Last school year, the most recent for which national estimates are available, it held stubbornly at 26 percent.

In interviews, many educators say the problem is continuing this school year.

Perhaps most strikingly, absenteeism has increased across demographic groups, according to research by Nat Malkus, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Students are missing more school in districts rich and poor, big and small.

Increase in chronic absenteeism

All students

By child poverty rates

Richest districts

By lengh of school closures

Most remote

Most in-person

By length of school closures

Even the length of school closures during the pandemic was not a particularly useful predictor of absenteeism. On average, districts that were closed longest have experienced similar increases as those that opened sooner.

What is going on here?

I spoke with school leaders, counselors, researchers and parents. They offered many reasons for the absences: illness, mental health, transportation problems. But underlying it all is a fundamental shift in the value that families place on school, and in the culture of education during the pandemic.

“Our relationship with school became optional,” said Katie Rosanbalm, a psychologist and associate research professor at Duke University.

A cultural shift

To some degree, this is a problem facing society at large since the pandemic. Anyone who works in an office with a flexible remote-work policy will be familiar with the feeling: You diligently show up, but your co-workers aren’t there. What’s the point?

Something similar may be going on in schools.

Though school buildings are open, classes are in person and sports and other extracurricular activities are back in full, the stability of school seems to have shifted.

For one thing, teachers are also missing more school , often because of professional burnout or child care challenges — or because, since the pandemic, more people are actually staying home when they’re sick.

Some schools have kept their pandemic policies around online class work, giving the illusion that in-person attendance is not necessary.

And widespread absenteeism means less stability about which friends and classmates will be there. This can beget more absenteeism. For example, research has found that when 10 percent of a student’s classmates are absent on a given day, that student is nearly 20 percent more likely to be absent the following day. “We are seeing disengagement spreading,” said Michael A. Gottfried, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who has studied this issue.

Sign of other problems

This cultural shift is not simply a hit to perfect attendance records.

The share of students missing many days of school helps explain why U.S. students, overall, are nowhere close to making up their learning losses from the pandemic . Students who are behind academically may resist going to school, but missing school also sets them further back. These effects are especially pernicious for low-income students, who lost more ground during the pandemic and who are more negatively affected by chronic absence.

Absenteeism is also closely linked to other challenges schools have faced since the pandemic, including a rise in student anxiety and behavioral problems.

“The pandemic increased stress in every way in our lives, but it really embedded ourselves in our stress response system — fight, flight or freeze,” Dr. Rosanbalm, the Duke psychologist, said.

An increase in behavioral problems in schools is an example of the “fight” response, she said. On the other hand, she added, “flight is absenteeism.”

For more: A tool in our article lets you see the absenteeism numbers for public school districts in most states.

THE LATEST NEWS

Bankman-fried sentencing.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the cryptocurrency mogul convicted of stealing billions from customers, was sentenced to 25 years in prison .

The sentence is among the longest imposed on a white-collar defendant in recent years. Bankman-Fried was also ordered to forfeit about $11 billion in assets.

Barack Obama and Bill Clinton joined President Biden for a fund-raiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York. Biden also gathered major donors privately .

Donald Trump was also in New York City yesterday. He attended a wake for a police officer who was killed this week during a traffic stop.

A Republican operative who accused Matt Schlapp, the head of a major conservative advocacy group, of groping him dropped his lawsuit after receiving a $480,000 settlement .

Baltimore Bridge Collapse

Workers began clearing debris and dismantling the wreckage in an attempt to reopen the port. A 1,000-ton crane, the largest on the Eastern Seaboard, will help.

How hard did the container ship Dali strike the bridge? Calculations show it could have had the same force as a rocket launch .

The disaster killed six men who were immigrants from Latin America . It has shaken Baltimore’s Hispanic community.

War in Ukraine

The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia for a year. Read an interview with his parents .

Vladimir Putin dismissed claims that Russia planned to invade other countries but warned nations against hosting warplanes meant for Ukraine.

If the U.S. abandons Ukraine, that would embolden China to move against Taiwan , Taiwan’s foreign minister said.

The last two coal-fired power plants in New England are set to close . New England will be the second region in the U.S., after the Pacific Northwest, to stop burning coal.

Garbage dumps release methane , a powerful greenhouse gas, at higher rates than previously estimated, a study found.

Other Big Stories

A judge is expected to rule on whether the U.S. government must provide shelter and food to migrant children as they wait in outdoor holding areas .

In California, a $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers , America’s highest, is about to take effect.

Lawsuits accuse two county jails in Michigan of banning in-person family visits for inmates as a way to bolster revenue through phone calls and messages.

An 8-year-old girl was the sole survivor of a bus crash in South Africa that killed 45. The bus fell off a bridge and burst into flames.

The Supreme Court is “traditionalist,” meaning justices interpret the Constitution by enduring political and cultural norms, Marc De Girolami argues.

Antiracism is commendable in art. At universities, it can distort curiosity , John McWhorter writes.

Here are columns by David Brooks on the rise and fall of liberalism and David French on minors using social media .

MORNING READS

Accent chair: See the most influential pieces of furniture from the last 100 years.

Hilarity and wonder: Meta’s glasses are becoming artificially intelligent. We tried them .

Dogs: A German breeding bill could lead to bans for the beloved Dachshund .

Modern Love: “ How I learned to trust (some) men .”

Lives Lived: Linda Bean was a granddaughter of L.L. Bean. She used her wealth to support right-wing causes and politicians, to amass paintings and properties associated with the Wyeth art family and to become an entrepreneur in her mid-60s. She died at 82 .

March Madness: Alabama upset the No. 1 seed North Carolina to reach its first men’s Elite Eight in 20 years.

M.L.B.: Commissioner Rob Manfred said he hoped the league’s investigation into the gambling allegations surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter would be “short.”

N.H.L.: A Russian hockey player is expected to finally come to North America after being drafted nearly nine years ago. During the wait, he was arrested and forced into military service .

U.S. Soccer: Korbin Albert, a rising star, apologized yesterday after Megan Rapinoe criticized anti-L.G.B.T.Q. content that Albert had reposted on social media.

Caitlin Clark : The Iowa star was among the 14 players selected for Team USA’s training camp in Cleveland.

ARTS AND IDEAS

A new album: Beyoncé has gone country. Her just-released album, “Cowboy Carter,” has plucked banjos, lines about hoedowns and cameos from Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson.

But “that’s only the half of it,” Ben Sisario writes. The 27-track album is a tour of popular music with a Beatles cover and features from Miley Cyrus and Post Malone. “The album’s range suggests a broad essay on contemporary pop music, and on the nature of genre itself,” Sisario adds. Read more about the album .

More on culture

The music producer Metro Boomin helped shape rap over the last decade. Next week, he is poised to claim his fourth No. 1 album. Here’s a guide to his music .

Alessandro Michele, the designer who brought profits and plenty of buzz to Gucci, was named creative director of Valentino .

Seth Meyers joked about Trump Media’s stock .

THE MORNING RECOMMENDS …

Roast salmon with peas and radishes for a quick dinner .

Jog with these strollers .

Give a good gift to a frequent traveler .

Make over your foyer .

Take our news quiz .

Here is today’s Spelling Bee . Yesterday’s pangram was galumph .

And here are today’s Mini Crossword , Wordle , Sudoku and Connections .

Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow.

Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox . Reach our team at [email protected] .

Sarah Mervosh covers education for The Times, focusing on K-12 schools. More about Sarah Mervosh

5 Big Challenges Facing K-12 Education Today—And Ideas for Tackling Them

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Big Ideas is Education Week’s annual special report that brings the expertise of our newsroom to bear on the challenges educators are facing in classrooms, schools, and districts.

In the report , EdWeek reporters ask hard questions about K-12 education’s biggest issues and offer insights based on their extensive coverage and expertise.

The goal is to question the status quo and explore opportunities to help build a better, more just learning environment for all students.

In the 2023 edition , our newsroom sought to dig deeper into new and persistent challenges. Our reporters consider some of the big questions facing the field: Why is teacher pay so stubbornly stalled? What should reading instruction look like? How do we integrate—or even think about—AI? What does it mean for parents to be involved in the decisionmaking around classroom curriculum? And, perhaps the most existential, what does it mean for schools to be “public”?

The reported essays below tackle these vexing and pressing questions. We hope they offer fodder for robust discussions.

To see how your fellow educator peers are feeling about a number of these issues, we invite you to explore the EdWeek Research Center’s survey of more than 1,000 teachers and school and district leaders .

Please connect with us on social media by using #K12BigIdeas or by emailing [email protected].

1. What Does It Actually Mean for Schools to Be Public?

Over years of covering school finance, Mark Lieberman keep running up against one nagging question: Does the way we pay for public schools inherently contradict what we understand the goal of public education to be? Read more →

2. Public Schools Rely on Underpaid Female Labor. It’s Not Sustainable

School districts are still operating largely as if the labor market for women hasn’t changed in the last half century, writes Alyson Klein. Read more →

3. Parents’ Rights Groups Have Mobilized. What Does It Mean for Students?

Libby Stanford has been covering the parents’ rights groups that have led the charge to limit teaching about race, sexuality, and gender. In her essay, she explores what happens to students who miss out on that instruction. Read more→

4. To Move Past the Reading Wars, We Must Understand Where They Started

When it comes to reading instruction, we keep having the same fights over and over again, writes Sarah Schwartz. That’s because, she says, we have a fundamental divide about what reading is and how to study it. Read more→

5. No, AI Won’t Destroy Education. But We Should Be Skeptical

Lauraine Langreo makes the case for using AI to benefit teaching and learning while being aware of its potential downsides. Read more→

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Overworked and Overwhelmed: Today's Students Struggle to Find Balance as Academic Pressure Mounts

T oday, the challenges faced by students worldwide have become increasingly evident, even to those who have long graduated from higher educational institutions and are not directly involved with it. While education was once tricky to access but affordable for many people, today, due to specific issues, the accessibility of quality higher education is moving further away from individuals' reach.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has already examined the issue of education becoming considerably inaccessible to the general public due to financial matters. Student loans have become both widespread and simultaneously burdensome for both parents and students alike.

Cause Examination

The problem touches upon several crucial areas that should attract attention not only from research centers but also from the government, particularly the wing dealing with social issues. 

These parents frequently compare their higher education and experiences, vastly different from those of their children today. In the end, this problem affects areas that are important to consider:

• Financial Pressure. The National Student Financial Wellness Study, conducted in 2015, revealed that 70% of college students experience stress regarding their finances. Almost 60% worry about having enough money for their education, while 50% are concerned about covering monthly expenses. The study also demonstrated the negative impact of financial stress on academic performance: 32% of students admitted that they occasionally neglect their studies due to economic problems. Now, nearly ten years later, these figures have become even more distressing with an impending financial crisis.
• Uncertainty in the Future. Everyone thinks that education must inevitably lead to a good profession. This worked a few decades ago when individuals could secure prestigious jobs right after completing their education and climbing the career ladder. However, today, the competition is so immense that no one wants to hire recent graduates. The competition is significant even within the educational institutions themselves, primarily due to the simple natural increase in population and the lack of opportunities to expand education qualitatively. 
• Poor Emotional Well-being. Student life and the mental state of these students have become one of the main concerns in recent years. A study titled "A Qualitative Examination of the Impacts of Financial Stress on College Students' Well-being," dated 2018, revealed that students experiencing financial pressure note lower academic performance, higher levels of anxiety and depression, as well as limited opportunities to build career capital compared to their financially secure peers.

Individual problems also include a more open immigration policy for successful international students. Looking at the overall trend, this is advantageous for the country. However, for each resident who wishes to obtain a good education and job, this is a catastrophe because they have to take a lower-skilled profession.

Impact Highlight

In the long term, there is no glimpse of fixing this situation. The world is gradually transitioning into something multicultural, with a continuously growing population, and nearly everyone needs higher education. 

It's also worth remembering that nowadays, everyone has access to the worldwide internet. Higher education itself has become less essential than it was three decades ago. With the help of the internet, you can do anything at the moment. 

What does this portend for the students themselves, who for several consecutive years find themselves in a state of constant stress due to juggling work, studies, and social life?

• The mental health of such a student is likely to be completely shattered by the end of their education. For many years, they had to dedicate 40 hours to studies and an additional 20-40 hours to work. As human beings, they also desire to find either romantic or friendly relationships for their social life. With such a schedule, there isn't even enough time for sleep, and relaxation is one of the critical factors in human existence. It can be confidently stated that people who sought assistance from third parties in completing any homework or essays, such as ThesisGeek.com , felt much healthier and financially free by the end of their education because they had a significant amount of free time for other tasks.
• If students have yet to find free time for a social life, which is also quite a prevalent phenomenon today, their social skills can be reduced to almost zero. Due to the current crisis in education, such a person may not have friends or family by the age of 40. It's important to understand that friends and family typically form in the 20-30 age range. These are the years when a person is juggling studies and work, leaving little time for anything else.
• Academic achievements are devalued. Today, having a higher education diploma is considered normal rather than an accomplishment. That's why most people strive to obtain it by any means. 

How to avoid this? It is essential to pay close attention to how students lead their lives. If a student needs to work, they should look for ways to reduce efforts in the educational process, especially in terms of interacting with the teacher and a specific subject. 

Teachers are also people who feel upset if their subjects are not attended to or if it seems that too little time is dedicated to their subjects by a particular student. 

This influences the final grade, but the removal of this subjective bias can only occur when artificial intelligence is observed as teachers. Using assistance in a student's life is a good way out of the situation, significantly lightening the daily routine but at the same time allowing for good grades. 

It also enables a more significant focus on work and the possibility of securing a better position in the future. Social life will also become more relaxed because a substantial portion of time will be freed up, and by the age of 40, such a person may not be alone.

Issues with education and the economic stability of the population should be addressed exclusively by government authorities. The National Center for Education Statistics continually publishes fresh research on this matter, but unfortunately, it brings no joyous news. 

Currently, the world is in a state of deep uncertainty, directly impacting the economic and demographic sectors, which, in turn, have a direct effect on the educational path.

While the government is trying to be as transparent as possible, there are no quick solutions in this regard. Therefore, parents and students themselves need to take matters into their own hands to improve their current situation. 

Every student has individual needs and characteristics, and being aware of them, they can create a personalized schedule that won't harm them in the long run based on the mentioned criteria.

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Many writers suffer from the occasional writer’s block. Writer’s block can easily affect students who need to complete academic writing assignments as well. 

However, this is only one of the many issues they may need to deal with in the essay writing process. Many students face other challenges as they strive to complete their writing assignments. 

Knowing the common essay writing issues can help you rectify the situation as you complete your essay. 

• 1. Top Essay Writing Problems Students Deal With
• 2. Other Writing Problems You May Face

Top Essay Writing Problems Students Deal With

Below are the top five common problems that can stop students dead in their tracks, as they begin or complete their essay writing assignments, and tips to overcome them.

#1 Lack of Confidence

The inability to believe in one’s capabilities and skills is one of the most common problems in essay writing that students have to face.

Students who think they are not good at writing will have trouble starting their papers. They doubt their capability to complete it as well. And with this self-doubt, they may never even try to start working on their paper.

As a result, these students end up not submitting an assignment or simply handing in a poorly-written one, fully accepting and expecting that they will get a low or failing grade.

How to Overcome This

There are various ways students can improve their writing skills. There are online courses they can take and they also have the option to take up traditional classes offered by local schools or tutorial centers.

Additionally, students should practice writing daily even if they make mistakes. As long as these mistakes are corrected, they will become better writers in the future.

Lastly, students who don’t know  how to start an essay  can always ask for assistance from their teachers, peers, and other people who are more knowledgeable and experienced in writing.

#2 Insufficient Knowledge

Many students will also have difficulties writing an essay about a topic taken up in school. The main reason is that they don’t have enough knowledge about the subject matter.

This difficulty can be caused by the student failing to take notes in class or not attending classes at all. He or she may not even understand the topic completely. This will cause anyone to have poor knowledge of any topic.

This is a problem that students can easily trounce. Students simply need to put in some extra time to study whatever notes they have. They can also do extra research to understand the topic.

Students can also ask their teacher to explain the topic to them again if they are having a hard time understanding it.

#3 Lack of Writing Skills

Although some students are confident about writing and have enough ideas to write their papers, if they lack language proficiency, they won’t submit an impressive essay.

Using the wrong words, misleading language, misplacing words, phrases, and punctuation will result in a poor paper. Some students may even resort to using technical words and jargon with the hope of impressing their teacher. Of course, this technique usually backfires.

Students should learn to use simple words and construct short, concise sentences to get a good mark on their papers. Students also need to read more since this is a good exercise for becoming a better writer.

They can also get help from the best assignment experts if they need help with polishing their papers. These writers will ensure students turn in good essays, reflective of their knowledge and abilities.

#4 Plagiarism

When all else fails, plagiarism is something that many students end up doing just so they can submit a paper. This is also their last resort if they are rushing to complete their essay at the last minute.

Teachers today check each paper for plagiarized content. Students who submit essays that contain copied paragraphs from published material will find themselves in a lot of trouble.

Students need to learn how to paraphrase the content they use for their essays. They should know when and how to use references as well.

Finally, they should make it a habit to run their essays through online plagiarism tools to ensure that they submit an original paper.

#5 Getting Stuck

Lastly, students are given a topic that has been discussed numerous times already. This can get the student stuck and unable to write anything about it. They think that there is nothing left to explore and they can’t have their own say on such topics.

Because of this, they are unable to start writing their paper, much less finish it.

Conducting more research will help students find an angle they will be interested in exploring, analyzing, and discussing. Students can also ask their peers, parents, and other people about the topic.

#6 Time Management

Time management is another main problem that students face. Some students think they can get away with working at the last minute. They might be in a big hurry or simply don't know what needs to be done yet. Because of this, they will submit bad-quality work.

How to Overcome This:

If you plan ahead, you can avoid having to spend a lot of time editing your paper.

Planning ahead will help you do better research, so your analysis of the issue is stronger. This will also help you set the paper aside and come back to it later with a fresh perspective, which means you can revise it more effectively.

#7 Awkward Structure

The structure of your sentences should be clear and understandable to allow the reader to follow what you are saying. Each sentence needs a meaningful connection with the topic so they can understand it fully without confusion, ultimately making them enjoy reading more.

Structure is key to making an essay readable. You should know the proper essay structure. Every sentence should be related and meaningful for your target audience.

Other Writing Problems You May Face

College students are constantly under pressure to produce high-quality work. In addition, there is the issue that low-quality papers appear because they do not have enough time or resources for their studies and so on.

Despite these problems, there are many other writing problems that students face.

• Lack of time:  If you want to save time, you need to plan properly. One way to do this is by writing down all the information about your sources. This will help you avoid wasting time later on.
• Lack of inspiration:  If you are having trouble coming up with an idea for your essay, try reading essays about the same topic. This can help you get your thoughts in order and come up with a good idea.
• Unclear analysis:  If you want to know more, you need to study. There is no way to shortcut this process. You will have to learn everything you can about the topic if you want to be an expert.
• Poor editing and proofreading skills:  People sometimes find it hard to edit and proofread their own writing. A trick to make it easier is to read the text backward, from the last word to the first. Another way is to read the paper aloud. This way, you can find where the transitions between paragraphs are not smooth.

So these are the common problems encountered by students in writing an essay. Keep in mind that essay writing is not something that comes naturally to many students. If you are stuck in the writing process, pinpoint the cause and follow the tips shared and the writing practice will definitely help you overcome it.

If you are still confused, whether you are still starting your essay or need help polishing it, get in touch with our top writing service . 

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Nova Allison is a Digital Content Strategist with over eight years of experience. Nova has also worked as a technical and scientific writer. She is majorly involved in developing and reviewing online content plans that engage and resonate with audiences. Nova has a passion for writing that engages and informs her readers.

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French PM backs school head who faced death threats after Muslim veil row

Gabriel Attal says state will file a complaint against student over accusation against principal who had to resign for his safety

The French prime minister, Gabriel Attal, has defended French secularism following the resignation of a Paris school principal who received death threats after asking a student to remove her Muslim veil on the premises.

Attal, a former education minister, said the state would be filing a complaint against the student over falsely accusing the headteacher of mistreatment during the incident in late February.

“The state … will always stand with these officials, those who are on the frontline faced with these breaches of secularism, these attempts of Islamist entryism in our education establishments,” he said during the evening news on the TF1 television channel.

Secularism and religion are hot-button issues in France , which is home to Europe’s largest Muslim community.

In 2004, authorities banned schoolchildren from wearing “signs or outfits by which students ostensibly show a religious affiliation” such as headscarves, turbans or kippas on the basis of the country’s secular laws, which are meant to guarantee neutrality in state institutions.

The headteacher’s departure comes amid deep tensions in the country after a series of incidents including the killing of a teacher by an Islamist former pupil last year.

The head at the Maurice Ravel lycée in eastern Paris quit after receiving death threats online following an altercation with a student last month, officials told AFP.

In late February he had asked three students to remove their Islamic headscarves on school premises, but one of them refused and an altercation ensued, according to prosecutors. The head later received death threats online.

According to a letter sent by the school to teachers, pupils and parents, the principal stood down for “security reasons”, while education officials said he had taken “early retirement”.

In a message addressed to the school’s staff, quoted by French communist daily L’Humanité, the principal said he had taken the decision to leave “for his own safety and that of the school”.

“It’s a disgrace,” Bruno Retailleau, the head of the rightwing Republicans faction in the Senate upper house, said on X on Wednesday.

“We can’t accept it,” Boris Vallaud, the head of the Socialist deputies in the National Assembly lower house, told TV broadcaster France 2, calling the incident “a collective failure”.

Marion Maréchal, granddaughter of far-right patriarch Jean-Marie Le Pen and a far-right politician herself, spoke on Sud Radio of a “defeat of the state” in the face of “the Islamist gangrene”.

Maud Bregeon, a lawmaker with the Renaissance party of Emmanuel Macron, the president, also took aim at “an Islamist movement”.

“Authority lies with school heads and teachers, and we have a duty to support this educational community,” Bregeon said.

The Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, called the principal to “assure him of her total support and solidarity”, said her office, adding she was “appalled and dismayed”.

The student lodged a complaint against the principal, accusing him of mistreating her during the incident. She told French daily Le Parisien that she had been “hit hard on the arm” by him.

The student is an adult who was at the school for vocational training.

The Paris public prosecutor’s office told AFP on Wednesday that her complaint had been dismissed.

At the same time, an investigation was opened into cyber-harassment after the death threats against the head.

In a further show of support, the education ministry said in a statement that it would never abandon teachers in the face of threats.

The ministry said that “all teams” remained mobilised, adding that the principal’s decision to leave his post was “understandable given the seriousness of the attacks against him”.

Education minister Nicole Belloubet visited the school in early March and deplored the “unacceptable attacks”.

A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly making death threats against the principal on the internet. He is due to stand trial in April.

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