Challenges Faced by College Students: An Exploratory Sequential Mixed Methods Study

College students often face personal and academic challenges that interfere with their ability to perform well and succeed in their studies. While prior studies have examined these issues, few have integrated both qualitative and quantitative data to gain deeper and more valid results. To address this gap, the present study employed a sequential explanatory design to explore and measure the common challenges experienced by college students. In the qualitative phase, one-on-one chat-based interviews were conducted with 25 purposively selected students from different year levels. Thematic analysis revealed key areas of difficulty, including academic pressure, emotional stress, financial struggles, time management problems, and learning difficulties. These themes were used to develop a survey instrument for the quantitative phase, which was administered online via Google Forms. A total of 281 responses were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. A merging approach was used to integrate findings from both phases through a joint display. Results showed that academic pressure, particularly fear of failure (88.26%), exam overload (68.33%), high academic expectations (62.99%), and performance anxiety (62.28%) were the most frequently experienced challenges. Emotional stress, time management difficulties, and financial issues were also prominent. The study highlights the interconnection between academic, emotional, and financial challenges and provides a basis for policymakers, school leaders, and educators to develop actions that respond to the actual needs of students.