In our culture's popular consciousness, there are generally two images that come to mind when you think of university and college students: either they're wild party animals, making their time in school the best years of their lives; or they're homework slaves, manacled to their desks and freaking out over the growing stack of essays, readings, and exams in front of them.

The reality often lies somewhere in the middle, although, depending on your personality, you may be more inclined to lean towards one side of the spectrum than the other. Either way, those years you spend in post-secondary education - especially that very first year - can be a lesson in scholastic survival. And while every student's experience is different, there are some common problems most first-year students face at one time or another.

Homework problems

You've likely heard it time and time again from parents, older friends, and even teachers: the workload at university and college is nothing like high school - essays are expected to be longer and more thoroughly researched, exams go beyond what was covered in class, and major assignments are all due at the same time. For the most part, this is all true, and as you begin your first year of university you may begin to wonder how on earth you're going to survive long enough to become a second-year student.

If you find yourself starting to feel a bit overwhelmed by it all, the first thing you need to tell yourself is this: you wouldn't be in university or college if the powers that be (namely, the admission services at your school) didn't think you could handle it. Yes, it's all very hard to get used to at first, and you may feel like you're suffering from a major information and homework overload, but have faith that it will all eventually become second nature (or at least bearable) to you.

If you really feel like you can't keep your head above water, then for goodness sake get some help. Don't become one of those students who begins to do poorly in school, starts skipping classes and putting off assignments, and then eventually drops out all together claiming they just couldn't handle post-secondary life - all without ever bothering to get the help they needed to succeed.

If you're not exactly sure what your professors expect from an assignment, then go talk to them and find out. They won't bite, and most first-year profs understand you're still figuring things out and are willing to sit down and discuss assignments with you. That doesn't mean they'll cut you any slack for sub-par work, but they might be able to point you in the right direction so your next assignment will be better.

If your academic difficulties stem from a deeper problem - like truly not knowing how to write a proper research essay - then check out your school's academic resource centre and tutoring services early in the year before your grades reach the point of no return.

Homesickness

Every year, thousands of students leave the comfortable nests of their parents' homes and fly near and far to attend university or college. And while this can be a liberating and exhilarating experience, it's also a major adjustment. Suddenly, you don't have Mom there to give you a hug after a rough day and Dad's too far away to squash that spider crawling across your bedroom wall for you. You're on your own now, kid, and it can be downright scary.

Homesickness will likely come and go during your time at school. Most of the time, you'll be too busy to even notice it, but other times you'll wish you were home so badly you'll be tempted to hop on the first Greyhound heading in the right direction.

If you are prone to homesickness (and not everyone is), there are really only two ways to combat it.

First, you have to make your new life as enjoyable as possible, because if you're having a miserable time at school you're just going to miss home even more. So get involved with a club, make new friends, and pretty soon school really will begin to feel like your home away from home.

The second thing you should do is try to stay connected with the people you love back home. It sounds so obvious, but between juggling school, work, and an active social life, it's easy sometimes to forget to give Mom and Dad that weekly call (come on, at least let them know you're still alive and well) or to chat with old friends. But between telephones, instant messaging, e-mail, video cams, and even snail mail, there's no reason you should cut yourself off from your friends and family during the school year. And, by all means, go home to visit whenever you can. In fact, taking a weekend off from homework (even if you think you shouldn't) can sometimes be the best thing you can do for yourself.

Loneliness

If you're going to school away from home, it's likely you won't know anyone for the first few days of classes. And while you may have been the shy wallflower in high school, it's important that you at least try to build up a new social circle while you're in university or college to help stave off the aforementioned homesickness and to simply make your time in school more enjoyable.

Remember that there are plenty of other students in the same situation as you, and sometimes finding a new friend is simply a matter of chatting with the person beside you in class or joining a group of fellow students for lunch.

Even if you didn't leave home to attend school, you might find yourself feeling isolated from your old high school chums, especially if you're the only one who took the post-secondary plunge. While you're struggling to pay tuition fees and write killer essays, they're out there making money, buying new "toys", and generally living the life of a working stiff that's still a few years away for you.

This is why it's also important for students attending school in their hometowns to try and extend their social circles to include new friends who are in the same boat as they are. At the very least, it gives you someone to talk to who understands what it's like to stay up all night preparing for an exam or to spend an afternoon hunting through the library stacks looking for research material.

Money

Unless your parents are willing and able to foot your academic bills, chances are you'll have a problem with money - specifically your lack of it - at some point during your time at school. Best case scenario, you have enough for tuition, books, and living expenses, but not much else. That might sound okay, but it can be frustrating to realize you just can't afford to do anything beyond watching television on a Friday night.

The solution, obviously, is to get a job during the school year. But some students may find they just can't handle juggling a part-time job with school, especially during mid-terms and finals. Also keep in mind that if you like to use your homework-free weekends or school holidays to head home or go on a vacation, a job might put a major crimp in your plans.

Your best bet might be to either find a few casual jobs throughout the school year or to score a job on campus somewhere. Both will provide some degree of flexibility (you won't have to work during Christmas break if the whole school's closed down) as well as the extra pocket money you need.

Worst case scenario is when you realize you don't have enough money to continue school. If that happens, you might have to take some time off to raise money for next year. As much as this may suck, it's not necessarily the end of the world. Heck, the time you spend toiling away in a job that likely isn't the career of your dreams may be just the motivation you need to return to school raring to go.

Whatever job level you're looking for - full-time, part-time, or summer - don't forget to check out your school's job board postings for student-friendly employment. And also don't overlook the many scholarships, bursaries, and grant opportunities that are out there. A little research may reveal you're eligible for money that could go a long way towards helping defray the costs of your education, simply by sending in an application or writing an essay.

Freakin' out about the future

Even in first year, there's a tendency to begin worrying about what, exactly, you're going to do with the education you're working so hard to get. And while many students have a vague idea of where they're going to be a few years down the road, very few take the time to make a detailed career plan in their early years at school.

If you find yourself starting to worry about the future, take a walk down to your school's career resource centre for some useful advice. After researching the career paths available to you, taking a few aptitude tests, and chatting with a career counsellor for a while, you'll have a clearer idea of what you need to do now to get where you want to be four or five years in the future.

All of these school hurdles can be tough to overcome, and can lead to a fair bit of stress in your day-to-day life as a student. But just remember to put it all in perspective. After all, the real goal of your post-secondary experience shouldn't just be about surviving it - it should be about succeeding and having a blast along the way.