Week 3: Looking For Pain Points And Defining The Core Problem

 Navigating university life is an exciting yet daunting experience. While students are eager to learn and grow, many encounter obstacles that make their journey more challenging. From administrative inefficiencies to academic pressures and limited support systems, these struggles often go unnoticed. In our latest round of interviews, we spoke with students—Brayan, Frank, Datan, Fiona, Darel, Celjie, Jeed, and Jenica and Cris—who shed light on these pain points. Their experiences reveal common frustrations that many students face but rarely get addressed.

Brayan – Struggles with Academic Pressure

Brayan, a third-year university student, emphasized the immense academic pressure students face as they progress in their studies. He shared how workload intensifies, and professors sometimes assume students already understand complex concepts without proper explanation. This expectation creates anxiety, leading to sleepless nights and burnout. He wishes for a more structured support system, such as study groups facilitated by the university or better access to professors outside of class hours.

Frank – Enrollment and Administrative Issues

Frank, a second-year student, pointed out the recurring issues with enrollment. He described how university portals often crash during registration periods, leaving students scrambling to secure their preferred subjects. Additionally, miscommunication between departments leads to schedule conflicts, forcing students to adjust at the last minute. He believes that a more efficient enrollment system and better coordination between offices could greatly ease student frustrations.

Datan & Fiona – Technology Barriers and Mental Health Concerns

Datan and Fiona both raised concerns about issues beyond academics—one struggling with outdated technology, the other with student mental health. Datan shared her frustrations with the university’s unreliable online platforms, which often crash during critical times like enrollment and grade checking. She also mentioned how some professors resist digital tools, making it difficult for students who prefer modern learning methods.

Meanwhile, Fiona highlighted the mental health challenges students face. She noted that while academic pressure is high, there are limited resources for students dealing with stress and anxiety. Counseling services are often inaccessible, and the stigma surrounding mental health prevents many from seeking help. Both agreed that universities should invest in more student-friendly digital platforms and provide accessible mental health support to help students cope with the pressures of university life.

Cris – Adjusting to University Life as a Freshman

Cris, a first-year student, talked about the challenges of transitioning from high school to university. He expressed how overwhelming it is to manage his time, balance academic and personal life, and navigate an entirely new environment. Without proper guidance, many freshmen struggle to adapt, often feeling isolated and lost. He believes a stronger mentorship program—where upperclassmen guide freshmen—could make this transition smoother.

 Darel, Celjie, Jeed, and Jenica - IT students

As students embark on their academic journey, one of the most significant hurdles they face is finding reliable and accessible information about their university. For many, particularly freshmen, navigating the labyrinth of admissions processes, course requirements, policies, and even everyday campus operations can feel overwhelming. The frustration often stems from the fragmented and sometimes contradictory sources of information available to students.

In interviews with IT students Darel, Celjie, Jeed, and Jenica, it became clear that a centralized and reliable source for university-related information is not just desirable—it’s essential. According to their experiences, existing information channels—whether online platforms, administrative offices, or even informal peer advice—tend to be inconsistent, unclear, and difficult to navigate.

The pain point is clear: without a dependable, unified platform, students are left to piece together information from multiple sources, leading to confusion, delays, and unnecessary stress. This lack of consistency makes it difficult for students to make timely and informed decisions regarding their academic life, from enrollment to graduation.

The core problem that CampusGuide AI seeks to address is the absence of an efficient, accessible, and trustworthy resource that consolidates all relevant university information in one place. This means creating a centralized platform where students can find up-to-date and accurate information effortlessly, without the need to navigate multiple conflicting sources. By solving this, CampusGuide AI will help students, especially freshmen, make informed decisions more quickly, reducing the stress and uncertainty that often comes with the lack of clear, reliable guidance.

Key Takeaways

From these interviews, we identified major pain points that students commonly face:

1. Academic Pressure – Heavy workloads and unclear expectations lead to stress and burnout.
2. Administrative Hurdles – Enrollment and scheduling issues create unnecessary frustration.
3. Technology Barriers – Outdated or unreliable systems make online processes inefficient.
4. Mental Health Struggles – A lack of support and awareness makes it difficult for students to seek help.
5. Transition Challenges – Freshmen often feel lost due to the sudden shift in academic and social expectations.