A SURVEY OF THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS With particular reference to University of Moratuwa

A SURVEY OF THE PROBLEMS AND
CHALLENGES FACED BY UNIVERSITY
STUDENTS
With particular reference to University of Moratuwa
Hashan Rahubaddha
Department of Transport and Logistics Management,
University of Moratuwa
141456X
Written by:
November 2015

A SURVEY OF THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS – UNIVERSITY OF MORATUWA
CHALLENGES FACED BY UNIVERSI
Acknowledgements
The Problems and challenges faced by the University Students is a Survey conducted as
a 2nd semester individual project by the students at department of transport and logistics
management in University of Moratuwa. Acknowledgement and thanks goes to the
following people and organizations:
 Professor Senarath at University of Moratuwa for giving the guidance and prior
knowledge in certain areas of psychology, which was very helpful in conducting
the survey.
 Anjana Rahubaddha, a final year student at Faculty of Medicine for his
enormous support given in proof reading and initial preparing of the
methodology of the survey.
Contact details:
To contact the author please email: hashanrahubadda@gmail.com

Contents
I. Introduction
1. Defining the problem and challenges
II. Goals
III. Methodology
1. Sample
2. Data Analysis
3. Demographics
4. Response Rate and Respondent Characteristics
Data Analysis
IV. Data Analysis
1. Academic problems and Challenges
1.1 Satisfaction of the course they follow
1.2 Inabiltity to understand what’s being taught in the
lectures
1.3 Cooperation and friendliness of the lecturers
1.4 LACK OF TIME TO COMPLETE THE WORK ASSIGNED BY THE
LECTURERS
1.5 Comparison between lack of sleep time and too much work
assigned by the lecturers
1.6 Quality of the Service Provided By the University Library
1.8 Enough Practical Knowledge and Industrial Exposure
1.9 Level of Reliance on Kuppi (study groups within the
circles of peers)
1.10 Comparison between lack of English knowledge and
dependency on Kuppi sessions.
2. Economic problems and challenges
2.1Recipients of scholarships
2.2 Relationship between financial distress and receiving
scholarships
2.3 Relationship between Financial Distress and Accommodation

3. SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES
3.1 Abuse At The Hands Of the seniors
3.2 Inability to Adapt to the university environment
4. Generalized challenges and problems faced by the student community
4.1 Problems and challenges faced due to the quality of the Hygienic
Facilities
4.2 Challenges and problems faced by the students regarding Food and
Nutrition
4.2.1 Nutritious and Healthiness of Food Consumed by the University
Students
4.2.2 Price of Food Consumed by the University Students
5. Challenges and problems faced due to the Quality of the University
Premises
5.1 Desirability of the university premises
5.2 Safety inside the university premises
6. Challenges and problems of finding Opportunities to Improve Skills
6.1 Participation in University sports and games
6.2 Participation in University Clubs and Societies
6.3 Comparison between not being involved in extracurricular activities
and too much work assigned by the lecturers
7. Problems and Challenges of lack of Recreation and Relaxation
8. Worrying about the Future
8.1 Worrying about the English speaking and presentation skills
8.2 Worrying About Employment Once Graduated
9. Other Challenges and Problems students face during their University life
9.1 The 80% Attendance Rule
9.2 Accessibility to the University

10. The Gender Specialization of the General Issues faced by the Student
Population
11. Social Support
11.1 MEDICAL FACILITY USAGE
11.2 COUNCELLINSG FACILITY USAGE
11.3 SOCIAL SUPPORT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THEY FACE
11.4 VARIOUS MATHODS, FROM WHCIH STUDENTS TRY TO RELIEVE THEIR STRESS
V. Findings
VI. Recommendations
VII. References
VIII. The Survey form

A SURVEY OF THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS – UNIVERSITY OF MORATUWA 5
Introduction
Even though, universities are considered as excellent centers for education,
some students are unable to gain its full benefits due to various reasons. One of
the decisive factors is the way of learning environment is organized. This paper
attempts to analyze the contributing factors of university learning environment
on undergraduates’ problems. Although classrooms related factors as well as
outside factors are included in the learning environment, this paper discusses
mainly about contributing factors outside the classroom. Both qualitative and
quantitative data were collected from a sample of. A questionnaire survey was
mainly used for primary data collection. Data were descriptively analyzed using
elementary statistics. The study found that the majority of students faced
education institutional related problems, particularly accommodation, food and
nutrition, medium of instructions, library facilities, financial assistance, teacher
student relationship and student’s psychology wellbeing.
Universities are increasingly expected to create environments that actively
promote students’ success and wellbeing. To succeed in a complex and ever‐
changing world, university students need to acquire both academic knowledge
and life skills that promote wellbeing, such as, resiliency, collaboration, creativity
and engaged citizenship. Research shows that educational institutions that
purposefully prioritize wellness also enhance student learning, engagement,
satisfaction and persistence. Wellbeing is one of the most important contributors
to the success of individuals, communities and societies overall (Healthy
Campuses, 2013).
Students enter university with their own level of resources, such as, academic
preparedness, finances, resilience, social support, etc. The majority of Sri Lankan
universities offer students a number of services that can enhance students’
educational, professional and personal development when needed. Regardless
of the resources that students come to university with, they are affected by the
campus community and the demands of workload, access, tuition, and the
need for a sense of belonging. University decisions, policies and actions greatly
impact students’ learning environments and shape their experiences and
connections to the broader community.
Overall, there are two main challenges facing universities with respect to
psychological and physical wellbeing:
1. The increased complexity and severity of symptoms
2. How to implement a systemic approach to campus wellbeing.

The remainder of this report will be presented in the following sections:
‐ Defining Psychological Wellbeing
‐ Goals
‐ Methodology
‐ Response Rate and Respondent Characteristics
‐ Findings
‐ Conclusions
‐ Recommendations
Defining Psychological Wellbeing
My working definition of psychological wellbeing is:
“The capacities of each and all of us to feel, think, and act in ways that
enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a
positive sense of emotional and spiritual wellbeing that respects the importance
of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections, and personal dignity” (Public
Health Agency of Canada,).
Throughout this report, the terms mental health and psychological wellbeing will
be used interchangeably.
A recent joint publication from the Canadian Association of College and
University Student
Services (CACUSS) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), (2013)
entitled “Post‐ Secondary Student Mental Health: Guide to a Systemic
Approach” endorses this definition of psychological wellbeing and the dual
continuum model of mental health and mental illness presented in Figure 2
(World Health Organization, 2003; Keyes, 2002). The mental health continuum
ranges from poor (or languishing) to optimal (or flourishing), whereas the mental
illness continuum ranges from serious to no mental illness. According to this
model, “a student with mental illness may flourish and conversely, someone
without mental illness may languish with less than optimal health” (CACUSS &
CMHA, 2013, p.6).

Figure 1: Dual Continuum Model of Mental Health and Mental IllnessOptimal mental
health
Goals
Survey was launched to develop a better understanding of the psychological and
physical wellbeing of the student body of University of Moratuwa by looking in to the
problems and challenges they face.
The overall goals of this initiative are to:
1) Develop a baseline: This is the first systematic and comprehensive survey on
student psychological wellbeing at the University. Subsequent administrations of
this survey will enable us to monitor changes and compare our findings to
participating peer institutions.
2) Increase our understanding of the psychological distress of our student body: The
survey was administered to a random sample of our general student body, not
just the students who use psychological our services, providing us with the
opportunity to gain insight from a broad cross-section of our student population.
3) Stimulate community discussions: Disseminating and sharing the findings of this
survey will enrich the university’s understanding of the mental health challenges
faced by our students. We encourage all members of the UOM community to
discuss the findings, share insights and use the information to proactively support
the collective wellbeing of our student body.
4) Use the evidence to design healthy campuses: The data collected from this
survey will be used to provide data for campus task forces, to prioritize and build
support programs that respond to evolving student needs and create wellbeing
promotional campaigns.

Consequences of all problems such as social, economic, cultural and education can
affect student’s mentality and may persist for long period eventually be converted into
psychological problems. Mostly, psychological problems cannot be easily identified.
There are evidences of students’ attempts to commit suicide in Sri Lankan universities
(Karunarathna, 1992). According to Karunarathna(1992) if students have proper social
and mental discipline at their educational institutions, they would enhance skills to face
challenges easily and find better solutions to problems. For that, a purposeful and
conscious attempt by each stakeholder is needed to establish a strong foundation for
proper learning atmosphere in universities throughout the whole academic period of a
student.
If issues are identified clearly, it is possible to solve them early so as to minimize the
adverse outcomes. For this purpose, the manner that the learning environment is
organized is a decisive factor.
The general goal of this paper is to analyze the contributing factors in the university
learning environment focusing on the factors that are outside the classroom.

Methodology
The Survey
Students were asked to participate in an anonymous survey to help us find the
solutions to their problems and challenges they face in day to day university
environment. This online survey included 37 questions to find out the wellbeing of
the University students and their mental/physical wellbeing.
The questions incorporated
 standardized measures of stress
 physical wellbeing
 Mental wellbeing
 anxiety and depression
As well as a number of additional questions examining demographic variables
and other variables such as
 sources of stress
 strategies to manage stress
 Impact of stress on physical and mental health.
Eight main subscales were tested in the aspect of mental health of the students.
The eight subscales are:
1) Depression
2) Eating Concerns
3) Academic Distress
4) Eating concerns
5) Home Sickness
6) Social Anxiety
7) Hostility
8) Substance Use
9) Financial Distress
10) Substance Usage
Items on the survey were worded as positive statements and negative
statements or direct questions, and included the following topics:
Note: The complete survey questionnaire is included later in this document for
reference.

Sample
As per the data of 2014 University of Moratuwa has an undergraduate student
population of 7687, and 1050 NDT Diploma students of the Institute of
Technology of University of Moratuwa the ITUM (Facts and stats about UOM). A
total of 56 responses were received from a total of 269 surveys mailed to the
students.
Data analysis
After receiving responses I checked returned surveys for missing information and
responses that would cause scanning errors. After scanning, the responses were
imported into Microsoft Excel and errors were checked against the individual
forms. Data analysis was completed using Excel and google sheets.
The data presented has been selected on the basis of a preliminary analysis of
noteworthy findings. All data finding and their interpretations are depicted in the
first half of the data analysis. The second part consists of the comparison
between one response with other one (one Vs one) to get a better
understanding of factors affecting the students university life style.
Demographics
Survey responses are broken out by several demographic categories, as follows:
 The percentage of respondents are broken out by:
1) Gender
2) Faculty
3) Western Province or Outstation
4) Involvement in particular club and societies
5) Involvement in sports activities
6) Accommodation
7) Scholarship holders

Response Rate and Respondent Characteristics
The response rate is 21.1% (n=57). A higher proportion of male and graduate
students responded to the survey.
The following charts provide more information about the respondent
characteristics, living arrangements and their registered Faculty at (or discipline
of study) University of Moratuwa.
(Figure 1)
(Figure 2)

(Figure 3)
(Figure 4)
(Figure 5)

DATA ANALYSIS
1. ACADEMIC PROBLMES AND CHALLENGES
Main ambition of every student who comes to the university is to succeed well in his or
her academic life. But not all does that. Several negative incidents can be identified
relating to the university education in Sri Lanka during the recent past. For instance, it
was difficult to ensure continuation of functions in some universities due to various issues.
Quality of graduates and the relevance of the degree programs are being questioned.
Marketability of graduates, unemployment and long waiting time for graduation are
often in discussion in higher education forums. (Rasanjalee, 2013)
According to the perceptions of university lecturers, financial difficulties, shortage of
academic staff and lack of communication between students and teachers are
important factors handicapping students from fully enjoying the benefits of university
education (Nandakumar, 1992). Moreover, insufficient knowledge of English was
reckoned to be a serious difficulty that hampered students from getting the best out of
their university education (De Silva, 1977). The tendency to memorize lecture notes
rather than to read and comprehend, the lack of practical skills and analytical skills are
also problems faced by the students (Central Bank of Sri Lanka, 2000). Inadequacy of
students’ general knowledge, experience and maturity amplify the problem. As a
whole, it seems that the “university environment related issues” ultimately hinder the
objective of education. (Rasanjalee, 2013)
According to Karunarathna (1992) if students have proper social and mental discipline
at their educational institutions, they would enhance skills to face challenges easily and
find better solutions to problems. For that, a purposeful and conscious attempt by each
stakeholder is needed to establish a strong foundation for proper learning atmosphere
in universities throughout the whole academic period of a student. If issues are
identified clearly, it is possible to solve them early so as to minimize the adverse
outcomes. (Rasanjalee, 2013) For this purpose, the manner that the learning
environment is organized is a decisive factor. The general objective of this section is to
analyze the contributing factors in the university learning environment focusing on the
factors that are outside and inside the classroom.
Here we’ll be looking at the data of the student’s satisfaction of university academic life
and then we’ll be considering the factors that affect them according to the data
collected in the survey. And then the theoretical concepts will be discussed as how
these problems affects students’ psychological wellbeing.

(Figure 6 )
Description of figure 1
This question was asked in order to identify the common issues with in the student
population. Many have rated various problems. But the most common issues, the
students facing are the Eating concerns (69.2%) and the academic distress (67.3%).
We’ll be looking in to the Eating concern issue later in the report, while we are
considering the Academic distress level in this part of the report.
As you see out of all the 57 respondents majority of 35 have responded that they face
academic distress in their university lives. This level is not good for both Students’
psychological and physical wellbeing as main goal of any student is to be
academically excellent. But when they couldn’t achieve such expectation there tend
to be distress among the students which will lead to many other issues and may lead to
many other psychological issues such as stress and depression which are one of the
common issues in the universities.
Behind these academic distress level there is one factor which is not achieving their
targeted level of excellence, and there might be various obstacle that prevent them
from achieving their targeted goals. Such as
1. Not having satisfaction about what they learn
2. Inability to understand what’s being taught in the class rooms by lecturers
3. Lecturers not being cooperative and friendly
4. Not having enough time to complete the work assigned to them
5. Not having enough access to the I.T facilities in the university
6. Library services being unhelpful in finding academic materials
7. Enough practical knowledge and industrial exposure

Sometimes there can be various other reasons which are positive impact on students’
academic life. In the context of University of Moratuwa, those reasons can be identified
as
1. Kuppi (Study groups organized with in the fellow students)
2. Pursuing another academic qualification
Now we’ll be looking in to the above mentioned factors in details;
1.1 SATISFACTION OF THE COURSE THEY FOLLOW
While the majority of the respondents have voiced out they do not regret choosing
what they follow, considerable number of student do. 27.2% have said that they are not
satisfied with what they study which means they have lost the yearning to learn.
Most of us do most of the things in life for our own satisfaction. When you lose that
satisfaction you tend to lose the grip on whatever you do. Not loving what you are
doing can bring a lot of distress both in academic perspective and life’s perspective.
Because of the education system that exists in Sri Lanka some of the students have to
choose what they are selected by the government based on their results at the G.C.E
Advanced Level exam not based on their own personal liking. This may be the main
reason behind this conundrum. Since most of the student population is from
engineering faculty, they have scored the best results in the island to enter in to the
Engineering faculty. And as most of the Sri Lankan student population who choose
mathematics as their stream in the A/L examination wants to be an engineers, the
engineering undergraduates might feel satisfied what they are learning but in the
faculties this might be a different scenario. Let’s look in to faculty wise satisfaction levels.
(Figure 7)

(Figure 8)
As it is well evident in the above chart that the faculties other than engineering have
higher level of regret about being chosen in to their current course. At the end of this
report solution for this problems is provided.
1.2 INABILTIY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT’S BEEN TAUGHT IN THE CLASS BY LECTURERS
(Figure 09)
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
60.00%
80.00%
100.00%
120.00%
Engineering IT Architecture Institute of Technology
I REGRET FOR CHOOSING THE COURSE I'M
FOLLOWING RIGHT NOW
Stongly disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

Four main reasons for students’ inability to understand the lecturers were identified
previously and asked students which problems or challenges prevented them from
getting the best out of their lecturers. 14 students out of 57 who accounted for 24.56%
replied they don’t find lectures hard to understand while the rest of them categorized
various problems.
The majority (22 out of 43) of those who found lectures hard to understand categorized
lack of study material provided as one of the main reasons. 21 out of 43 believed it is
because of the incompetence of the lecturers themselves is the problems while 21 out
of 43 believe their lack of English knowledge is the problem.
Let’s look in to the portion of the students who find English as an obstacle according to
their geographical features.
(Figure 10)
Although the general opinion is that the western province students who had been living
closer to urban areas have a competitive advantage over those who come from
outstation areas because of their superior English knowledge this figure points out that
there is only slightly different than what is normally believed among the university
community.
45%
55%
I FIND IT HARD TO UNDERSTAND LECTURES
BECAUSE OF LACK OF MY ENGLISH KNOWLEDGE
westen Province Outstation

1.3 COOPERATIVENESS AND FRIENDLINESS OF THE LECTURERS
Lectures’ cooperation and friendliness in the class room environment sometimes can be
directly has impact on students’ mind towards the understanding of the subject
material they are being taught. If the students feel the lecturers to be more cooperative
and friendly the more questions they are going to ask from them about the lesson that
they don’t understand which will directly affect the level of the academic success.
(Figure 11)
According to the above figure, majority of the respondents (77.4) believe that their
lecturers to be friendly and cooperative which is a good tendency in the university
environment. But still almost 1/4th of the student population find lecturers are unfriendly
and uncooperative. If these number improves for the better the less academic stress
among students and understanding of the subject matter will ascend.
But contradictory as the figure 9 shows that 21 out of total 57(36.84%) respondents
believe that the lecturer’s incompetency is behind their inability to understand the
lectures. This may be because although some lecturers process great knowledge within
them, some find it hard to give transfer knowledge that to the students. The same chart
shows 38.59% of students believe the study material they are provided with are
inadequate which can have an impact on students’ overview of the lecturer.
Incompetency of lecturers can be also viewed as the lack of motivation and interest
they provide for the undergraduates in class room environment.

1.4 LACK OF TIME TO COMPLETE THE WORK ASSIGNED BY THE LECTURERS
Not having enough time to complete assignments, projects and course work can put a
lot of burden on students’ shoulders at the same time driving their stress level higher.
(Figure 12 )
37 out of 55 respondents believed they do not have enough time to do the work
assigned to them by lecturers which accounts for 67.27% of the students’ population.
This might be a huge issue in the context of psychological and physical wellbeing of the
undergraduates.
Not having enough time to do their academic work puts on a lot of pressure on the
students especially for those who are following other courses like CIMA, CIM and those
who are involved in extracurricular activities such as clubs, societies and sports. This may
lead one to give up the sports and games that they are actively participated in or club
and societies where the leadership qualities and social skills can be developed. When
students find it hard to balance academic and extracurricular life at the same time
they tend to give up on their extracurricular activities to pursue to do the work assigned
by the lecturers. Later in the report under the social challenges we’ll be considering the
effect this phenomena has on the students’ extracurricular activities.
Another negative aspect of the lack of time to complete their work is lack of sleep. This
happens because the students do not have enough time they tend to take that time
out of their sleeping time which leads to lack of sleep connected with many more
psychological and physical disorders.

1.5 Comparison between lack of sleep time and too much work assigned
by the lecturers
(Figure 13 )
As it is clearly evident that majority of those who has said that they are suffering from
the lack of sleep time have agreed that they don’t have enough time to do what the
lecturers assigned them. This show an interrelationship between deprivation of sleeping
time and workload.
Too much work leads to, less sleeping time. This leads to psychological issues like
insomnia, memory loss and many other negative effects while it also has a bad
influence on students’ physical wellbeing.
Do not lack of sleep time Lack of Sleep time
Strongly disagree 2 0
Disagree 8 8
Agree 7 20
Strongly Agree 6 4
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
toomuchworkassignedbythelecturers

1.6 Not having enough access to the I.T facilities in the university
University of Moratuwa is the highest ranked technical university in Sri Lanka, and it
consists of many computer laboratories. Having a Computer Science Engineering
department and an Information Technology Faculty surely University of Moratuwa has
one of the largest I.T resources in the country. But does the authorities utilize its facilities
to the best of its students’ welfare. In order to find more about it, students were asked ot
rate the statement “university doesn’t utilize its IT facilities properly for the benefit of the
students” Let’s see what the student have to say,
(Figure 15 )
The majority of the respondents believed the University authorities don’t utilize its large
I.T facility properly. Having precious technology within it grasp yet not being able to use,
may not lead academic distress. But surely if the authorities looked in to find a solution
for it student can access to more of the technology and world is well armored with I.T
knowledge once they graduate which will hold a competitive advantage over their
competitors.
An improved technological knowledge will serve the students to more information and
less academic distress. The same technology can be used to build a less paper
education which other develop countries’ universities have done. This will surely create
a student friendly environment for the student and will reduce their burden of all the
paper work and can ease their workload.

The library plays a vital role in undergraduates’ academic lives, since it provides access
to the studying material, specially the text books and journals that can be very
expensive and hard to find. Added to the lending session the library hold a reference
section as well. And the library in the University of Moratuwa provides an ample space
for the student to study. Almost all the floors of the library has space to study as
individual manner or as in groups. And it also provides Photocopy and Scanning
services. It keeps an e library system where one can log in to their server and find
whether the book they are looking for is available in the library. So do all these services
and Study materials the library provide are up to its quality. Since this is the case the
students were asked to rate the statement; “Academic material and services provided
by the Library is satisfactory”, and here’s their responses;
(Figure 16 )
Only a few portion of the respondents believed that the library provides an
unsatisfactory level of service. But the majority of 88.8% either agreed or strongly agreed
that the library is doing a satisfactory job. Thus we can discard the theory of “the library
malfunction can cause academic distress of the undergraduates”

1.8 Enough Practical Knowledge and Industrial Exposure
University of Moratuwa is a technical University which is the home for the largest
Engineering student population in Sri Lanka. Since it is a technical university the
practical knowledge is considered to be vital in their academic life. If the
undergraduate have no idea about how to use the theories they learnt in the class
rooms once they graduated from the university when they enter in to the industry what
their learning experience is inadequate. Practical knowledge and Industrial exposure
makes a student to understand more about the in-theories they learn and the lack of
such practical knowledge and industrial exposure will leave them in the dark and keep
them worrying about not understanding as how to apply the theories.
To find about more about the practical and industrial exposure that university provides
in order to see whether it has an impact for the academic distress, the undergraduates
were asked to rate the statement “University provides adequate practical knowledge
and industrial exposure for me”. Their responds are categorized below.
(Figure 17 )
Most of the respondents have responded positively to the statements. 60% of the
student population believes that the practical and industrial exposure is adequate. But
40% say otherwise.

1.9 Level of Reliance on Kuppi (study groups within the circles of peers)
One of the most popular methods in the University of Moratuwa is the “kuppi” method
where a colleague from the same batch or a senior teaches fellow students the difficult
lessons. This happens especially when the days get closer to the examination and some
who don’t study during the initial days or those who finds unable to understand what
the lecturer says are the biggest beneficiaries of these types of study sessions.
In order to measure how much the undergraduates are depending on “Kuppi” for their
academic excellence, they were asked to respond to the question “I rely heavily on
kuppi conducted by my colleagues to prepare for the examination” Below are the
responses we received.
(Figure 18 )
The majority which is 35 out 55 (63.6%) have said they rely heavily on kuppis in order to
prepare for the examinations. Most of the times the students tend to rely on their friends
not because of the lack of intelligence but because of the language issue. Since all the
lectures are conducted in English those who don’t understand them turn in to their
friends who are good in English and speaks the same mother tongue as they do.
The following chart shows the relationship between the “English knowledge skills and
the reliance on Kuppis’

1.10 Comparison between lack of English knowledge and dependency on
Kuppi sessions.
(Figure 19 )
Out of 21 students who find, they don’t understand the lectures properly because of
their lack of English knowledge 20 have said they rely heavily on Kuppi sessions, which
accounts for 95% of the population. This proves the previously stated theory, that most
of those who lack the English knowledge seek the assistance of their friends who
conduct kuppis which are conducted in mother tongue.
95%
5%
DIVISION OF THE POPULATION WHO LACKS THE
ENGLSIH KNOWLEDGE BASED ON THEIR
DEPENDENCY ON KUPPI
heavily relied on Kuppi don't rely on kuppi

2. ECONOMIC PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES
Difficult financial circumstances have also been linked to psychological distress. In
particular, economic downturns have exacerbated these issues and have been linked
to increases in symptoms of depression (Eisenberg et al., 2013).
Financial inability might create an unnecessary competitive advantage for those who
do not face such distress. The study material or the technology that requires might be
expensive. And some social events or club and societies might be needing money to
be spent. This might create psychological distress created by study investigated
financial distress while 48.1% reported financial situations were stressful. This may be due
to various reasons;
1. Coming from a poor family background
2. Staying away from home and have to bear up all the living cost
3. Not getting any scholarships
4. The scholarship money is inadequate for daily expenses
5. Unnecessary spending by the students

2.1 Recipients of scholarships
(Figure 20 )
Out of 55 responses 29 have answered that they are not entitled to any kind of a
scholarship program. This might be the main cause of financial distress of the students.
Some are receiving two scholarships at the same time, which is the reason why the total
number of scholarship recipients exceeds the number of respondents.
Let us find out whether there is a relationship between those who do not get the
scholarship and the financial distress level.
2.2 Relationship between financial distress and receiving
scholarships
(figure 21 )
17
12
11
17
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Any Scholarship reciver
Not receiving any scholarships
No financial distress Financial distress

It is clear by studying the figure 21, that not only those who don’t receive financial aid
from the government and other institutions have financial distress but those who do too.
This is because the amount they are receiving is inadequate and below the day to day
living costs.
2.3 Relationship between Financial Distress and Accommodation
Many universities do not have adequate accommodation facilities for their student
intakes. Therefore, such students have to find private accommodation closer to their
university. However, a larger number of students are unable to find suitable
accommodation due to economic problems and other reasons. Rathnapala (2001)
revealed that even if students find boarding places or hostels, their life at those places
are not comfortable. Even if they do they have to pay the rent and the food which will
account to higher cost causing them financial distress.
(figure 22 )
Highest percentage of the students who suffer from financial distress are the hostellers
while lowest are those who are the ones who are coming by staying home. This is
because at home the accommodation is free of charge and they only have to pay
smaller amount for the food when comparing to those who stay at hostels and private
boarding places.
4
5
17
9
1
20
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Home Hostel Private bo
Financial distress No financial distress

3. SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES
In the University of Moratuwa most of the student population is living away from home.
They either stay at private boarding and they’ve come to university from different parts
of the island with different social strata and difference ethnicities. Due to the
university’s environment students may encounter various social issues such as;
Social problem or challenge Psychological
Effect
Percentage of student
population who are suffering
from the social problem
1. Not enjoying being around
people, feeling isolated and alone
Depression 28.8%
2. Feeling anxious when speaking in
front of a crowd, self-conscious
around others
Social anxiety 13.5%
3. Difficulty in controlling anger,
losing control and acting violently
Hostility 11.5%
4. Missing home and thinking about
the family members
Home sickness 48.1%
(table 2 )
One of the main issues in the universities in Sri Lanka is students’ inability to adapt to the
university sub culture when they enter in to the university. This might cause greater issues
problems for the newly undergraduates and due to this some may even leave their
degree programs or some may even commit suicide due to the verbal, physical or
mental abuse at the hands of the senior students or the ragging.
Although ragging is severely punishable by the country’s law and if found guilty, the
culprit may even be expelled from the university or imprisoned. Although there is a law
exists, in Sri Lanka here and there we hear a faint voice saying that the ragging and
abusing still exists within the student bodies.
The main purpose of the ragging is to get pleasure by exploiting or manipulating others.
This may also be named as “sadism”.

3.1 Abuse At The Hands Of the seniors
(figure 23 )
The number of the abused is very less considering the other universities in Sri Lanka. Yet
psychological abuse, also referred to as emotional abuse or mental abuse, is a form
of abuse characterized by a person subjecting or exposing another to behavior that
may result in psychological trauma, including anxiety, chronic depression, or post-
traumatic stress disorder.(Wikipedia)
3.2 Inability to Adapt to the university environment
(figure 24 )

In order to realize the adaptability of the students to their new environment when they
first came here, they were given the positive statement “Adapting to the university
environment was not an issue for me”.
*Majority of the undergraduates responded positively as the question has average
score of 2.909 which is positive score.
(4*7 + 3*38 + 2*8 + 1*2) /55 = 160/55 = 2.909
Thus we can assume that the majority found it easy to adapt to the new university
environment. This may be because of the orientation programs held by the university
which usually last for a month authorities severe stance against the ragging might be
another case why the new students are not intimated by their new environment.

4. Generalized challenges and problems faced by
the student community
4.1 Problems and challenges faced due to the
quality of the Hygienic Facilities
Hygienic facilities are essential to have a better life of human beings. However,
university as a place where a large number of people are gathered together it is
difficult to maintain hygienic facilities.
(figure 24 )
The majority of students in all faculties revealed that they are satisfied about the
hygienic facilities such as toilets, bathrooms and cleaning of the surrounding area.
While 34.4% responded negatively about the hygienic facilities in the university. To find
out the quality of Universities hygiene facilities the survey asked to respond to the
statement “University provides excellent and clean hygiene facilities”.
score of 2.909 which is positive score.
(4*5 + 3*30+ 2*16 + 1*4) /55 = /55 = 2.654
Having poor hygienic conditions can result in students staying out of the university or the
attitude towards university can become negative, so that psychological behavior will

work against the university environment which will affect their both academic and
physical wellbeing.
Good hygiene facilities lead to physically and psychologically healthy environment
which will increase the productivity levels of the undergraduates leading them to live
better and study better
4.2 Challenges and problems faced by the
students regarding Food and Nutrition
Theoretically, for a healthy physical and mental life, people need nutritious and well
balanced meals. However, generally the majority of university students cannot take
enough food for three meals per day due to economic hardships (Rathnapala, 2001).
Figure 26 illustrates the respondents’ satisfaction on food.
4.2.1 Nutritious and Healthiness of Food Consumed by the University
Students
(figure 26 )
The students were provided with the statement of “Food I’m consuming is nutritious and
healthy” and the responses were as above. The statement was a positive and most of
the responses were negative suggesting that the nutrition and the healthiness of the
food in the university or in stalls outside the university is believed to be in poor level.

*Majority of the undergraduates responded negatively as the question has average
score of 1.80 which is a par score.
(4*2 + 3*5 + 2*28+ 1*20) /55 = 160/55 = 1.80
As shown in Figure 26, unsatisfactory quality of food is a major problem for many
students.
The main issues pointed out by the students relating to the food provided by university
canteens and outside cafes are related to the following; (Rasanjalee, 2013)
a) Cleanliness
b) Varieties of food
c) Taste of food
d) Quality and freshness of food
e) Cooking and edibility conditions
f) Quantity of a plate of food
g) Canteen food related illness such as nausea, vomiting, loose motion etc.
h) Lack of food for late comers
i) Availability of food on holidays
4.2.2 Price of Food Consumed by the University Students
The price also has a say in the satisfaction level of the food. In the survey the students
were given a negative statement to rate; “Food items are unfairly priced inside the
university premises”.
score of 3.072 which is a positive score.
(4*10 + 3*39 + 2*6+ 1*0) /55 = 169/55 = 3.072

(Figure 27)
This means that there’s no or little relationship between the Eating concerns of the
students and its price. But according to the figure 26, there’s a strong link between its
nutrition and healthiness and students’ eating concerns.

5. Challenges and problems faced due to the
Quality of the University Premises
For better learning it is essential to have a calm, friendly, lively and well organized
environment with necessary human and physical resources to motivate students for
active learning in order to achieve higher educational goals. The study revealed that
the majority of students prefer the university environment even though some of them
have to face different types of problems. This free environment positively helps them to
deal with their problems. (Rasanjalee, 2013)
5.1 Desirability of the university premises
(Figure 28)
Attractive level of the university premises directly attached with a one’s desirability to
be inside the campus for a longer time which will lead him or her to meet with fellow
students and lecturers that will help to build a stronger relationship bond between each
other which will result in better experience of the university life that may lead to
psychology well-being of the undergraduates.
In the survey the students were given a negative statement to rate; “I find university
premises to be unattractive”.
score of 2.381which is a par score.
(4*4 + 3*22 + 2*20+ 1*9) /55 = 131/55 = 2.381

Physical attractiveness has been linked to mental health, intelligence, ability and
performance. Most of the studies on attractiveness have been experimental in nature
and focused on perceptions of mental health and achievement rather than actual
mental health and achievement. Operating within a status characteristics framework,
we analyze the impact of attractiveness on the actual achievement and mental health
of individuals in a national sample. We find consistently significant and monotonic
relationships of attractiveness with four measures of achievement and eight measures
of psychological well-being. Based on these analyses, we conclude that survey
research findings corroborate experimental findings on attractiveness; that one's
attractiveness does impinge on achievement and psychological well-being; and that
status characteristics theory can be used to explain the effects of attractiveness on
well-being and achievement. (Social Psychological Quarterly, Sep 1987)
According to the Social Psychological Quarterly of September 1987 edition we can
improve undergraduates’ achievement level and psychology well-being by making the
university attractive.
5.2 Safety inside the university premises
For student-friendly schools to be safe, protective learning environments, they need to
deal with more than the obvious issues of physical danger and health risks. Attention
should also be given to the students’ emotional, psychological and physical well-being,
protecting them from verbal and emotional abuse and the trauma of sexual
harassment, racial discrimination, ethnic prejudice or intrusiveness by teachers and
peers (Attig & Hopkins, 2006).
A safe university environment ensures not only the psychological but physical wellbeing
of the students as such discussed in the previous paragraph.
To know about how safe they feel inside the university premises the undergraduates
were asked to respond to a negative question, “I don’t feel safe during my stay inside
the university”

(Figure 29)
(4*15 + 3*33 + 2*5+ 1*1) /54 = 170/54 = 3.148
Majority of the students feel safe inside the university which is a good improvement of
the university experience.
6. Challenges and problems of finding Opportunities
to Improve Skills
University provides various opportunities to improve students’ talents so as to produce a
full person with sound knowledge, skills and positive attitudes in order to contribute to
the national development.
The challenges of grabbing such opportunities are identified under the following sub
topics:
a) participation in University sports and games
b) Participation in the University Club and societies
c) Lack of time because of higher workload

6.1 Participation in University sports and games
The undergraduates were asked to answer a multiple question to identify the
participation in the sports and games in the university.
(Figure 30)
Major portion of the student population has answered that the do not partake in any
kind of a sport or game which is negative as research shows that participating in sports
and exercise helps your mind as well as your body.
According to the Healthline.com 2013) here are some of the key mental benefits of
sports:
I. Improve mood
II. Improve concentration
III. Reduce stress and depression
IV. Improve sleep
V. Boost self confidence
So being deprived of the sports is missed opportunity that most of the students do not
aware of. It only adds color to undergraduates C.V but also it improve one’s
psychological and physical wellbeing.

6.2 Participation in University Clubs and Societies
The participants in the survey were asked to answer a question to identify the
participation in the sports and games in the university. This particular question various
answer and had pointed out specific clubs. Below are the responses of the students,
(Figure 31: Common issues faced by the university students)
While clubs and societies may not be a great help to improve the physical wellbeing of
oneself, but it will do great to develop life skills which will help to do better once the
undergraduates are involved in the industry. Clubs and societies also provide a platform
bring different students from different level and different departments which improves
the inter-relationship within the university. But out of 55, 23 have said that they don’t
participate in the clubs and societies.
One of the major reasons for undergraduates not being able to participate in extra-
curricular activities may be the lack of the time they have on their hand.

6.3 Comparison between not being involved in extracurricular activities
and too much work assigned by the lecturers
(Figure 32)
Majority of those who participate in none of the clubs and societies agreed to
statement that they don’t have enough time to complete the work assigned to them
by the lecturers, which accounted for 68% agreed or strongly agreed that they do not
possess enough time for their assignments and other academic responsibilities they’re
bound with.
This clearly shows that most of the students do not participate in extracurricular activities
for the lack of time they have on their hand.
32%
36%
27%
5%
Responses for "I don't have enought time to complete
the work that lectures assigned to me" from the ones
who don't particpate in clubs and societies
Strongly Agreed Agreed Disagreed Strongly Disagreed

7. Problems and Challenges of lack of Recreation
and Relaxation
Universities all over the world not only give the formal education but also provide
facilities for recreation and relaxation which are highly essential to maintain a healthy
life.
As a result of engaging in recreation and relaxation activities, students can reduce
their mental pressure and stress created due to high workload.(Rasanjalee,2013) The
study found out that 52.9% of the student respondents believed that the
accommodated recreation an relaxation activities are less of than what they expect
them to be.
(Figure 33)

8. Worrying about the Future
De Silva (1977) and Ranathunga (2007) explain that students enter the university with
eager hopes of a bright future, leading to a prosperous life endowed with social status
and economic stability. However, students in most of the disciplines become hopeless
when they realize that securing suitable employment is a difficult task. The
consequences of such problems affect students’ mentality. For instance, there are
evidences that some students face personal difficulties such as depression, frustration
and anxiety (De Silva, 1977; Athukorale, 1992; Senadeera, 1999).
To identify these worrying levels the survey was included relevant statements asked
respondents to rate them. The statement were:
1. I don’t find worry about my presentation skills and English speaking skills
2. I worry about finding a job once I graduated
8.1 Worrying about the English speaking and presentation skills
In most of the elite jobs in Sri Lanka the medium of conversation used is English. And
some may need better communication level as well. This has led some students to worry
about their employment in the future.
To know about their worrisome level they were given a positive statement to rate and
figure 34 depicts its values.
(4*4 + 3*16 + 2*21+ 1*13) /54 = 119/54 = 2.203
This means as an average students at University of Moratuwa worry about their
presentation and English speaking skills.

(Figure 34)
8.2 Worrying About Employment Once Graduated
University of Moratuwa has a higher level of Employment rate according the official
website of the University, www.mrt.ac.lk. But nevertheless worrying about finding a job
may lead to many psychological side effects. Can even feel stress since the students
have come to the university to find a better job with better paying in order to develop
their socio-economic wellbeing in the society.
score of 2.11which is a par score. (4*4 + 3*14 + 2*20+ 1*16) /54 = 114/54 = 2.11
This means as an average student at University of Moratuwa worry about his/her job
opportunities.
(Figure 35)

9. Other Challenges and Problems students face
during their University life
Although so far in this report there have being discussed many traditional issues the
undergraduates faced in the perspective of psychology and physical wellbeing there
are some issues that have come up recently.
9.1 The 80% Attendance Rule
One such being the 80% attendance rule imposed by the make sure the attendance of
students at the lectures. If the undergraduates are unable to secure the 80% they won’t
be allowed to sit for the exams in that particular year. But they have to take up the
exam next year.
This has put a massive pressure on students specially the ones who are involved in part-
time jobs and those who pursue other education qualifications since all lectures are
lined up from 8.15 a.m. – 5.15 a.m. those who continue with either extracurricular work
outside the university or do a part time job find it hard to keep the 80% attendance. This
may have a connection to the unhealthy stress levels of the students.
To find out more about it, the students were given to rate the statement; “I believe, 80%
attendance rule impose an unnecessary burden on students”.
score of 1.491 which is a par score. (4*0 + 3*12+ 2*15+ 1*28) /55 = 82/55 = 1.491
This by far is the lowest score that a statement received in the survey. This means an
average student at University of Moratuwa feel strongly stressful about the 80%
attendance rule imposed by the government.

(Figure 36)
9.2 Accessibility to the University
University of Moratuwa is situated in Katubedda, Moratuwa. Although it’s close to the
Galle Road, everyone who’s coming by the public transportation has to one route bus,
which is 255 (Mt.Lavania - Kottawa). This particular bus service’s frequency level is 15
minutes. And since during the morning office hours the bus gets packed with the
students and other commuters at the Katubedda junction making transportation to the
university an unfavorable. Since this is the case students’ productive level might get
lower due to the difficulties they have to face in the morning.
And in the evening during the office hours this trend seems to be the same. In night
after 8 p.m. it’s very hard to find a bus to go to the Katubedda junction although there
are busses to Kottawa till 9 p.m.
Since this is the case the survey, the undergraduates were asked to rate the statement
“transport facilities accessing the university is up to the standards.”
The results are included in figure 37,
(Figure 37)

score of 1.491 which is a par score. (4*3 + 3*20+ 2*23+ 1*5) /51 = 123/51 = 2.412
This is slightly negative response which means an average undergraduate at university
of Moratuwa believes that the transport level that accessing the university premises has
cons.
10. The Gender Specialization of the General Issues
faced by the Student Population
According to the figure 9, the students were given nine common issues that they might
face in their university life. Here included the percentage of the gender population who
are suffering from each of the issues.
(Figure 38)
20%
57.89%
68.42%
0
0
63.15%
84.21%
36.84%
26.31%
55.26%
60.52%
15.78%
21.05%
60.52%
23.68%
47.36%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
DEPRESSION LEVEL
LACK OF SLEEP
EATING CONCERNS
HOSTILITY
SUBSTANCE USING
ACADEMIC DISTRESS
HOMESICKNESS
FINANCIAL DISTRESS
percentage of the gender population
male female

When you look at the figure it is evident that in some areas the female student
percentage is well ahead of their male counterpart’s percentage. Especially in “Home
Sickness”, where 84.21% of the female population has expressed they face the
particular problems. This may be due to the strong bond that women have with their
families or another reason for this phenomena may be that since more adaptable to
the new environment and in making in new friends than girls, boys have a lot of friends
and activities to do which helps them to relieve the home sickness even for a while.
Financial distress is felt more by the male population than the female. This may due to
the needless expenses by the boys or may be due to their involvement in more social
functions and recreational activities.
Academic Stress felt by the both alike which means may it be a boy or a girl the
academic life has no gender inequality. And also there’s not much difference between
lack of sleep, Eating concerns and depression levels.
Only male undergraduates are facing the issues created by the substance using and
hostility situations. No female has come across such situations.
11. Social Support
As we saw in the earlier pages there were numerous challenges and problems faced
by that directly impact the psychological and physical well-being of the students.
More often these physical and psychological issues ended up traumas or various other
illnesses if they are ignored by the university authorities. And the academic stress and
financial burden that the undergraduates are facing can be turned university students
to be violent. This can lead the society to believe that the university students are bunch
rage filled incompetent flock.
But these can be prevented if the right medication or attention can be given to the
students. One of the best ways to prevent such an issue being erupted is providing
good facilities to keep up the mental and physical wellbeing of the students.
The University of Moratuwa keep up one medical facility with a doctor assigned to it
and counselling service as well.

To find out the quality and the quantity of servitude these facilities do to the students
two multiple questions were given in the survey to the students to evaluate.
1. I have used the medical facility provided by the university
2. I have gone to the university councilor seeking help
11.1 MEDICAL FACILITY USAGE
(figure 39 )
28 out of 55 which accounts for 50.9% have responded that they have used the
medical facility provided by the university.
11.2 COUNCELLINSG FACILITY USAGE
Earlier in the report it’s pointed out that the most of the students are faced with
psychological issues that connected to academic and non-academic life.
The main objective of establishing a counseling center at the university is to deal with
students’ grievances, to identify their problems and help them to solve such problems in
its primary stage.
However, that objective does not seem be fulfilled due to several reasons. Some
reasons are associated with students’ weaknesses while others are related to the

irresponsibility and inefficiency of counselors, academics and entire university system as
a whole. Out of total number of respondents 54 only 3 have responded that they’ve
actually met the university councilor to seek help. Which only accounts for a 5.6%
portion of the student population.
(Figure 40)
11.3 SOCIAL SUPPORT TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS THEY FACE
Since the undergraduates are facing numerous problems and challenges as the report
points out in the very first stage, are there anyone to guide or advice when they marred
with these problems. Sure if someone is there to help them out it would be easy for them
to handle the pressure.
And it will be less stressful as well and would be a solution for many psychological issues.
To find out whether they are getting the necessary support from the others to solve their
individual problems, the survey form included the question “do you find any person to
guide/support on these issues?” The results are given below in the figure 41

(Figure 41)
11.4 VARIOUS MATHODS, FROM WHCIH STUDENTS TRY TO RELIEVE THEIR
STRESS
As the first part of the report suggested the undergraduates have different levels of
psychological and physical issues.
They are exposed to many mental illness. To find about how they relieve their stress, in
the survey there was a question with multiple answers. And the results are shown below:
(Figure 42)

Majority of 91.1% have said that they watch movies, play computer games or listen to
music to relieve the stress. The second popular method was the social media. Since as
the figure 41 depicted only a few finds someone to guide them through their problems
and challenges, it is quite obvious the undergraduates find their way through the social
media like facebook. Now that’s being said, sometimes these social media can be
addictive and waste a lot of time of the undergraduates creating further issues and
problems for them.
40% of the undergraduates release their stress level by hanging out with friends while
28.6% of them watch pornography. Now this behavior would harm the undergraduates
mind in a way although it release their stress levels. Another 28.6% find the assistance
from their family members and 30.4% relieve their stress by engaging in religious
activities.
14.3% of the student population use alcohol and other drugs as to relieve the stress this
can lead to many other issues such as financial issues and health issues. Authorities
should find a way to help students to get out this conundrum.
On the other hand only 5.4% uses the counselling service to reduce their stress levels.

12. FINDINGS

13. RECOMMENDATIONS
We recommend the following next steps:
1. Continue to monitor the psychological wellbeing of our student body. We recommend
conducting this study every three to five years and join national and international
benchmarking initiatives whenever possible. This will enrich our understanding of issues
and allow us to share best practices.
2. Share the findings and disseminate the results with the university community. By sharing
the results, the community discourse will be based on evidence and can collectively
identify properties and strategies that are appropriate for members of UOM community
3. Explore national and international models of community wellbeing best practices
`* For example, the systemic approach to post‐secondary mental health proposed by
CACUSS /CMHA (2013). (In Canada)
(Figure 42)

4. Create a better and student friendly environment in the university premises(make
university more physically attractive)
5. Have a flexible time table allowing the undergraduates to involve in
extracurricular activities.
6. Organize student discussion sessions formally arranged by the university
authorities as an alternative to “KUPPI” session from which those who have
language barriers will get the benefit.
7. Make the food sold at the university premises more healthy and nutritious
8. Encourage the students to seek help from the university councilor rather than
getting addicted to harmful behavior.
9. Find a way to provide hostel facilities to every student(both male and female)
10. More developed Initiative to provide financial support to those who are in need.
11. Take measures to increase the level of recreational activities that can be done in
the university.
12. Conduct workshops in order to develop students’ presentation and English
speaking abilities.
13. Conduct more industrial related orientation programmers and help the students
to develop their contacts within the industry so that they don’t have to worry
about finding a job once they graduated.
14. Develop the transport facilities entering the university.( a shuttle service from
Katubedda junction to University)
15. Veto the 80% rule or take measure to reduce 80% to lower level.
16. Provide female undergraduates a way to meet their family members frequently
since most of them are suffering from homesickness.

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The Survey Form
Identifying the problems and challenges
faced by the students in University of
Moratuwa
This survey is conducted in order to identify the problems and challenges faced by the University Students with the
intention of finding appropriate solutions. Please complete the following Survey based on your experience during the
University Life.
* Required
Gender *
o Male
o Female
Level *
Faculty *
I'm from
o Western Province
o Outstation
I come to university by staying at
o Home
o Private Boarding Place
o Hostel
o Other
I have come across these issues during my stay at the university
o Depression
o Social anxiety
o Academic Distress
o Eating concerns
o Homesickness
o Hostility

o Substance Use(Alcohol/Drugs)
o Financial Distress
o Lack of Sleep
Do you find any person to guide /support on these issues?
o Yes
o No
I have used the Medical facility provided by the University
o Yes
o No
I have met the University Councilor seeking help
o Yes
o No
I'm receiving these scholarships
 Mahapola
 University Bursary
 Other
 None
I actively participate in following Clubs and Youth Organizations in the University
 Gavel Club
 Rotaract Club
 Leo Club
 AIESEC
 Other
 None
I'm a member of the University Sports/Games team
(Respond even if you are going to practices frequently)
 Yes
 No
I'm pursuing another academic qualification like CIMA, CIM, JAVA etc.
 Yes
 No

I have a partner in the university
(Girlfriend/ Boyfriend)
 Yes
 No
I find recreational activities provided by the University Authorities to be satisfactory
 Yes
 No
I've faced with verbal/mental/physical abuse by seniors
 Yes
 No
I use these methods to release the stress
 Drugs/Alcohol
 Assistance from Family members
 Music/Movies/Computer Games
 facebook and other social media
 Pornograhpy
 Hanging Out with friends
 Counseling
 Religious Activities
 Other:
I regret of choosing the course that I'm following right now
(I'm not happy with what I'm studying)
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
 Strongly Disagree
Adapting to the University environment was not an issue for me
 Strongly Agree

 Agree
 Disagree
 Strongly disagree
I find it hard to understand the lectures because
 Lack of English Knowledge
 Lecturer's incompetency
 My incompetency
 Lack of supportive study material provided
 I don't find lectures hard to understand
I rely heavily on 'kuppi' conducted by my colleagues to prepare for the examinations
(kuppi - academically supportive sessions conducted by fellow peers)
 Yes
 No
Lecturers are friendly and cooperative
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
I don't feel like I have enough time to do the work assigned by the lecturers
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
University provides adequate practical knowledge and Industrial exposure for me
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
Academic material and services provided by the Library is satisfactory
 Strongly Agree

 Agree
 Disagree
University doesn't utilize its IT facilities properly for the benefit of the students
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
University provides excellent and clean hygiene facilities
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
Food I'm consuming is nutritious and healthy
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
Food items are unfairly priced inside the university premises
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
I believe, 80% attendance rule Impose an unnecessary burden on students
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
I don't feel safe during my stay at the university
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
I find the university premises to be unattractive

 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
Transport facilities accessing the university are up to the standards
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
I don't worry about my presentation and English Speaking abilities
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
I worry about finding a job once i graduated
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
I feel like I could perform academically better if these factors are improved
 Financial help
 Better hostel facilities near to the university
 Good class room environment
 Better communication with the lecturers
 Better communication with the seniors
 More industrial exposure
 Flexible Time tables
 Nutritious food
 Mentor-ship programs to improve English knowledge
 Help from counselors
 Attractive University Environment
 Other:

A SURVEY OF THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS With particular reference to University of Moratuwa

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A SURVEY OF THE PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES FACED BY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS With particular reference to University of Moratuwa