Hours of traffic, food and rent: while daily life influences adaptation to university

Hours of traffic, food and rent: while daily life influences adaptation to university


The criteria for students to choose the best college must go beyond academic excellence

The joy and pride that the student Helisa Teles Rodrigues felt for the vacant place Employment therapy at USP Last year they lived with concern and anguish to reach the Campusin the western area. It was three and a half hours on the road from Capela Garden, at the end of the South. Mobility has improved with a residential place in USP Residential Ensemble (Crucp), but other challenges emerged, such as the distance of college from restaurants.

Although difficulties are an inseparable part of university life – almost all of them have a perrence to remember the serialty times – it is worth looking beyond academic excellence in the choice of the university.

The difficulties of locomotion become more urgent because they add other students’ needs. Resident of Heliópolis, Thiago Neres, 26, must wake up at 5 in the morning to arrive at 7:30 in the morning at the Polytechnic school. He takes a bus for the Sacom at the Sacom, two metro and another bus for the university city.

“I ended up becoming a more daytime person. But when the semester approaches the end, it becomes more difficult due to accumulated exhaustion,” says the production student of production.

To facilitate this adaptation, the condition recommends that the student will make the journey to college during preparation for the admission exam. “He has to go to college and understand the time he takes to move.”

Where is my support network?

In other situations, the young man must adapt to another city or state. This is a common practice when the student uses the votes of enemies to participate in the unified selection system (SISU) and jobs for disputes in public higher education institutions in the country.

Here, it is important to identify students’ residence policies, according to Vanessa Passalarelli’s opinion, future coordinator and cars of Banderans College. Actions may include: financial help, academic support, services and follow-ups focused on health and well-being, as well as possible inclusion programs.

“Try to understand the support network during this period of adaptation is essential. Depending on the distance, of the evaluation of costs, not only with accommodation, food and transport, but on possible trips to the city of origin, for example,” he says.

Maria Clara Hernandes Dos Santos had to leave the city of Vinhedo, inside San Paolo, to live in Butant, West, to be closer to the international relations course at the USP.

“I started living with a friend, far from the family, reorganizing my daily life. I developed greater independence and control over my actions, my bank account and my life in general,” says the 19 -year -old student.

Here is the problem of accommodation. Especially for public universities, housing costs can be a decisive factor. The sale price of residential properties in San Paolo showed an increase of 6.56% in 2024, the highest number since 2014, when the annual accumulation was 7.33%, according to the Fipezap index.

The availability of students for students is limited. In the capital, one of the few examples is the residential set of USP (Crusp) which offers 1,600 seats for university students and posts -laurea in socio -economic vulnerability.

At Unesp, student houses are intended for the same audience – in total, 1,240 vacant places in 13 cities of San Paolo.

When it exists, housing construction cannot offer infrastructure and basic services (markets, pharmacies) found on university campuses abroad. “Student accommodation are one of the key issues for the students of the University,” says Anderson Nakano, professor at the Unifesto Cities and researcher institute at the Metropolis Observatory.

High collection rates

The lack of knowledge of these factors can lead to retreat. “Many students confuse dissatisfaction with the teaching methodology or institutional culture with a lack of taste for the course itself,” says Renata Conde.

In Brazil, 25% of students leave their degree in the 1st year according to the 2025 edition of Education at a glanceA study that brings together educational statistics from Brazil and over 40 countries produced every year by the organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD). On average, the index is 13%, also considered high in the ratio.

“High abandonment rates in the first year may indicate a failure to correspondence between the expectations of the students and the contents or the requirements of the course, possibly reflecting the lack of professional orientation or support for serial number”, says the analysis of the relationship.

Importance of university support

These are such important and profound changes in the life of students who require greater participation from the universities themselves in the opinion of Claudia Costin, an expert in educational policies and former director of global education of the World Bank. It underlines the importance of support, in particular psychological, for young people.

“Abroad, universities offer scholarships for the shopping of other students and which go beyond the payment of the monthly tax itself”, exemplifies. “Maybe this practice can inspire us.”

USP informs that it has granted 4,561 new aid to students in a socio -economic vulnerability situation only in 2025, with values ​​ranging from R $ 320 to R $ 850. Those that are contemplated with high aid have the right to free meals in university restaurants.

Mariana Freitas Nuer, executive director of the Executive Council to support and stay by UNICAMP students, says that the University offers housing units with vacant places and family studies, with the Internet, laundry and free water, as well as subsidized energy.

The Director also mentions financial aid and project expansion projects and partnerships with companies in the student housing sector to ensure multiple vacant places.

UNESP reports that in 2025 it reserved R $ 90.7 million to the student stay, which allows socio -economic aid, student accommodation, transport allowance, aid/paterlage maternal, food allowance, among others and R $ 27 million to the Sans program, which helps in the supply of feeding at affordable prices on campus.

Where to look for information on universities

  • Official universities sites: information on courses, selection and infrastructure processes.
  • Social network of students and athletics: routines, events and salient points of academic life.
  • Evaluation platforms: sites that compare institutions and provide details such as the number of students from teacher, workshops and health services.
  • Professions and events “open doors” fairs (open day/virtual tour): visit the structures of the universities (in person or practically).
  • Professionals and mentors: professional or study consultants can help in research, the creation of plans (e.g. flat in abroad, plan B in Brazil) and the preparation of costs calculation sheets (school fees, homes, cost of living).

Source: Terra

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