Opportunities and Challenges in University Life: A Literature Review

This literature review examines the multifaceted aspects of university life, focusing on the opportunities and challenges faced by students. The study synthesizes various perspectives from academic sources, exploring how universities enable students to pursue their dreams and build careers. It highlights the benefits such as career exploration, personality development, and exposure to real-world scenarios. Simultaneously, it addresses the challenges, including homesickness, the development of bad habits, poor money management, and potential for procrastination and cultural adjustment issues. The review also delves into the impact of university programs on students' knowledge and skills, the role of networking, and the importance of communication skills. Additionally, it considers the impact of new technologies and the importance of adapting to changing trends. The conclusion summarizes the dual nature of university life, providing students with valuable insights to navigate their academic journey.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Literature review..........................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES 14...........................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
Universities play a major role in enabling their students to live their dreams or to convert their
dreams into reality. Universities are such place where students get education along with building
their career. This report will discuss various benefits or opportunities which students can grab in
contrast with various challenges that they have to face while pursuing their education in
Universities.
MAIN BODY
Literature review
According to views of Okechukwu Ugwuozor and Otu (2020) an association of student
with University will provide an ample number of opportunities by which learners can glorify
their career. Being a University student, an individual will get chance to explore the world along
with exploring opportunities regarding their career. While studying in University students will
get chance to participate in various activities as per their wish and career moves.
While on the other hand English (2017) argued that in-spite of grabbing opportunities
students have to face various challenges in the form of getting home sickness if they have to left
their homes to study in big university. Home sickness may lead to creation of mental pressure
and mental tension among students which may even affect their studies or their mental health.
McShane and Böckenholt (2017) elucidates that studying in a University will lead to
personality development of students. This is because of their exposure with real world along
with interaction with professionalized personalities. While, studying in a University a student can
built their personalities and grown up as professional individuals. Association of student with
Universities will lead to development of student at overall scale. This means that development is
not just restricted towards studies but it includes overall enhancement of personality.
However, Jenny (2017) critics that apart from grown up of personality of students there
will be a simultaneous growing up of bad habits among students which could become a major
challenge for them in their near future. Development of bad habits includes poor sleeping habit,
bad food habit and various other. Development of these habits may harm students not only in
terms of career but it will also affect their personal life too.
Vykopal, Švábenský and Chang (2020) states that when students chooses a University to
proceed their studies then this will lead to their development of knowledge not only in terms of

regarding their subject or specialization but it will also give them an opportunity to experience
many more aspect of life and education. Universities in addition to proving education to students
also prepare their student to face real life and real corporate world. The programmes of
University are designed in such a manner that when students en-roll themselves with the
University then they can learn real aspect of life along with getting good education.
On the contrary Magalhães (2020) critic that while learning different aspects of life
student who are studying in universities will also develops habit of poor management of money.
Since money is very important for everyone and it is equally important to have proper
management of it. But when students studying in the University then they usually develop habit
of misuse or over utilization of money which is not harmful during studies but it will also create
many challenges in student's life in the near future.
Borden and Monahan (2020) annotate that being a student of University an individual
will get opportunities to make network with other friends and try to learn something new which
will lead the learner to experience real world. Also, an association with University enables
students to raise their standard of effective communication. Since, communication plays an
important role in the life of an individual to explicit his thought with clarity and effectiveness.
Thus, by becoming a student of University a learner will be able to learn different things along
with raising their standard of communication level.
On the other hand Moriña (2017) argues that with learning and raising experience of
students, University sometime also develops bad habit among learners. Individuals while
studying in University may develop habit of poor learning or looses their focus towards their
studies due to different environment of universities in comparison of any school. Since, main
purpose of being enrolling in the University by students is to raise their level of education or to
undergo in professional programmes but sometime due to more practical approach or totally
different environment of University may divert the learner's interest to something else which
may become a big challenge for them when they passes out of University.
Leki (2017) illuminates that studying in University enables the students to give new
direction to their future. This mean that Universities usually offer various placement
opportunities to their students in the form of campus recruitment or interviews. By participating
in such career growth opportunities, learners can build up their career with a new light. Big
Universities usually invites various companies to take fresh talent for their business. This enables

learners to convert their dreams into reality. Those students who dream to be a part of big and
multinational companies will be able to live their dreams through University's campus placement
opportunities.
However on a critical note Kebritchi, Lipschuetz and Santiague (2017) said that with
grabbing of opportunities, a feeling and trait of anger or overwhelmingness will also be
developed within students which could be considered as very bad for them in their future life. It
is noted that while studying in big Universities students usually diverted from their way. They
develop such pre-assumptions or perspectives in their mind which will not only affect their
personal life but at the same time it will also hurt their professional life too.
Alruwais, Wills and Wald (2018) discuss that while learning in Universities students will
be able to learn various new and trending concepts along with pursuing their education.
(Universities) prepares their students for their future. Current trends includes exposure of
students with digital world or latest techniques or technologies. By having an exposure with such
trending concepts students chances of getting success in future will got doubled or raises. Since
technological environment is changing at a very fast pace thus it is very essential for everyone to
move along with changing trends and technologies. Universities enable this opportunity to their
students along with their studies so that wile studying they will not be far behind from actual
corporate world.
Contradictory to this Saplavska and Jerkunkova (2018) said that with the learning various
new things and concepts students will also develop or adopts the habit of time wastage or
procrastination. Since it is very essential for every person that they can accomplish their work on
a given deadline or adopt such habits by which they can value time or complete their work on
time. But while studying in Universities students adopts and develops habit of procrastination or
time wastage. They start diverting their work from today to tomorrow. This habit is considered
as very bad which can affect student's life very severely. It will lead to development of
unprofessionalism among them and ultimately become the biggest challenge for them which
could affect their career or professional life.
Akçayır and Akçayır (2017) postulates that while pursuing studies, scholars will get
chance to participate in various high level seminars or debates or cultural programmes. This
could help them to show off their hinder talent among the world. It acts as an opportunity for
those scholars who posses some inner talent but have fear to get exposed in front of world.

Universities through their programmes gives a chance to such students for live their talent and
grab big opportunities. Universities also enables their students to develop healthy competitive
spirit among them which could lead them to achieve big success in the future. Thus, it would be
right to said that Universities act as a helping hand for its students to build good career or to
glorify and flourish their career.
On a critical note Boelens, De Wever and Voet (2017) controvert that while studying in
Universities learners face challenges in the form of adjusting in new culture along with getting
bullied by other. It is usually seen that students from small town will be discriminated or bullied
by those who are already studying in University. It develops a negative impact over their mind
and creates stressful situation for them. It is a psychological phenomenon that surrounded
environment has direct impact over an individual in terms of having an impact over their
physical or mental health. And when students will be bullied or called off then these will have
major impact over their health. Also, it will not only affect their mental health but their dreams
and studies will also be affected. Thus, it becomes the biggest challenge for them to get adjusted
or to dealt with such situation.
CONCLUSION
From the above literature review it is summarized that while studying in University students will
get various opportunities in the form of raising their career growth or getting good education
along with learning new concepts and things. But at the same time it is also understood that
along with various opportunities scholars will also face various challenges in the form of getting
bullied by other, building up of mental pressure or development of wrong habits and various
other.

REFERENCES 14
Books and journals
Akçayır, M. and Akçayır, G., 2017. Advantages and challenges associated with augmented
reality for education: A systematic review of the literature. Educational Research
Review.20. pp.1-11.
Alruwais, N., Wills, G. and Wald, M., 2018. Advantages and challenges of using e-
assessment. International Journal of Information and Education Technology.8(1).
pp.34-37.
Boelens, R., De Wever, B. and Voet, M., 2017. Four key challenges to the design of blended
learning: A systematic literature review. Educational Research Review.22. pp.1-18.
Borden, J.P. and Monahan, T.F., 2020. Unique Study Abroad Program Highlights Benefits to
Students and Faculty Alike. Business Education Innovation Journal.12(1).
English, and et.al., 2017. Homesickness and adjustment across the first year of college: A
longitudinal study. Emotion.17(1). p.1.
Jenny, and et.al., 2017. UNIVERSITY STUDENTS'PERCEIVED AND EXPERIENCED
CHALLENGES AND BENEFITS TO STUDYING ABROAD: GENDER, CLASS
YEAR, AND LENGTH OF EXPERIENCE COMPARISONS. Journal of Education
Research.11(4).
Kebritchi, M., Lipschuetz, A. and Santiague, L., 2017. Issues and challenges for teaching
successful online courses in higher education: A literature review. Journal of
Educational Technology Systems.46(1). pp.4-29.
Leki, I., 2017. Undergraduates in a second language: Challenges and complexities of academic
literacy development. Routledge.
Magalhães, and et.al., 2020. Online vs traditional homework: A systematic review on the
benefits to students’ performance. Computers & Education.152. p.103869.
McShane, B.B. and Böckenholt, U., 2017. Single-paper meta-analysis: Benefits for study
summary, theory testing, and replicability. Journal of Consumer Research.43(6).
pp.1048-1063.
Moriña, A., 2017. Inclusive education in higher education: challenges and
opportunities. European Journal of Special Needs Education.32(1). pp.3-17.
Okechukwu Ugwuozor, F. and Otu, M.S., 2020. Effect of exposure to business ethics courses on
students’ perceptions of the linkage between ethics education and corporate social
responsibility. Journal of Education for Business.95(4). pp.242-247.
Saplavska, J. and Jerkunkova, A., 2018. Academic procrastination and anxiety among
students. Engineering For Rural Development, pp.1192-1196.
Vykopal, J., Švábenský, V. and Chang, E.C., 2020, February. Benefits and pitfalls of using
capture the flag games in university courses. In Proceedings of the 51st ACM Technical
Symposium on Computer Science Education (pp. 752-758).
Online references
A, B., 2018. [Online]. Available through <>
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