Working with students

The most common problems students face

Most students experience temporary difficulties related to learning, studying, or various emotional issues during their studies. Academic problems can be both a consequence and a cause of emotional and other difficulties. Psychological problems often lead to poorer academic performance because they make it difficult to concentrate, reduce motivation and capacity for work and study, and increase feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. This can further heighten tension and dissatisfaction with oneself, and ultimately lead to giving up on learning, and sometimes even on studies altogether.

Numerous universities worldwide report a worrying incidence and increase in psychological problems among students. The results of a longitudinal study conducted with a representative sample of students from all faculties at the University of Rijeka show that more than 50% experience mild and 20% moderately expressed anxiety symptoms in the first year of study, while 23% of students report significant depressive symptoms, with 7% reporting suicidal thoughts.

According to fifteen years of experience at Psychological Counselling of the University Counselling Centre, students most often seek help for various academic problems (difficulties with concentration, lack of motivation to study, lack of academic skills, poor time management, exam anxiety, etc.), interpersonal problems (issues in relationships with parents, friends, or partners), anxiety and depression, and stressful or traumatic experiences.

Problems faced by students with disabilities

Despite the obstacles to studying for people with disabilities, in Croatia the number of these students in higher education has increased in the last decade, although there is no precise record. However, the representation of students with disabilities is still inadequate and ranges from 0.3% to 0.4%.

At many higher education institutions, obstacles for students with disabilities include architectural barriers, lack of technical support, unpreparedness of teaching and non-teaching staff to work with students with disabilities, and a lack of support services, assistants, and financial resources to improve the quality of the academic environment. In addition to these specific difficulties, research on adaptation to study shows that students with disabilities encounter the same challenges as their peers without disabilities, with the added emphasis that emotional and social adaptation is significantly influenced by the perception of disability as a hindering factor. All relevant documents and literature clearly emphasise the importance of providing psychosocial support to strengthen the emotional capacities of students with disabilities due to the demands and limitations associated with disability.