The Psychological, Academic and Social Problems and Stress that Palestinian University Students Suffer from in the First Academic Year

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the problems and Stress (psychological, academic, social) that Palestinian university students face in their first year through the design and development of   a questionnaire to collect the data of the study, which was applied to an available sample of (1040) male and female students from four universities (Al-Quds, Hebron, Birzeit, and Al-Ahly Palestine). The size of the studied population reached (10351) male and female students. The researchers used the descriptive approach. The results showed that there is a positive significant relationship (α ≤ .05) between the problems that Palestinian university students have faced in their first year and the intensity of psychological, academic and social Stress. Also, the results revealed that there are differences in the level of Stress according to the variables of gender, economic level, specialization, and place of study, where the differences were in favor of males, low economic situation, scientific disciplines, and Al-Ahly University, followed by Al-Quds University. The researchers recommended the necessity of paying attention to first-year students by Student Affairs, by introducing the student fully to the various university buildings in the first week of work, and to provide a number of former students to serve as a guide for first-year students in identifying the locations of halls and lectures.