The Mathematics and Statistics Department held a student meeting under the auspices of the College Dean H.E. Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Babtain, and chaired by  the Head of the Mathematics and Statistics Department H.E. Dr. Rubaiya Turki Al-Qahtani entitled "Solving Students' Problems". The meeting was held on Sunday 26/5/1437 A.H. corresponding to 6/3/2016 at 9:00 A.M. for an hour in the main hall of the College of Science. The objectives of the meeting were to enhance communication between the department and its students, to solve students' problems quickly and to give them effective guidance for the success of their academic journey inside and outside the college. 

The meeting was attended by a number of faculty members of the department (Dr. Nabil Kerdeed, Dr. Anis Gherbal, Dr. Muhammad Masoudi, Dr. Samer Al-Ashmab, Dr. Majed Zakaria, Dr. Waleed Al-Tayeb, and Dr. Ahmad Al-Rifai), together with the students of  the Mathematics and Statistics Department. 

H.E. Dr. Rubaiya Turki Al-Qahtani, Head of the Department gave a speech at the beginning of the meeting entitled "Problems of the University Student and the Strategies for Solving them", which included welcoming the students and stressing the importance of reinforcing constant communication with them in order to solve their problems. He remarked that the meeting was one of a series of meetings with students for listening to their various problems whether related to the academic process (instructors, students, courses, educational environment) or related to the administrative aspects or any other problems hindering their academic progress.  

H.E. Dr. Rubaiya Turki Al-Qahtani, Head of the Department, proceeded to say that university students usually face many challenges, especially at the beginning of joining the university, some of which could be solved over time like: the problem of adaptation to the new university environment, and the difference between university study and high school study. University study requires students' awareness in terms of:        exerting more efforts than they used to do during their high school study, lack of reliance on the instructors, openness to academic research, realizing that a course is not restricted to one book only, encouraging information search, having breaks between lectures, and being  more self-reliant (self-learning) …etc.  

The source of the student's problems could be: the student himself, the syllabus, the instructor, or the educational environment. It could also be an internal source (the student previous experiences, influential psychological factors such as anxiety about exams or study, lack of study and exam skills, pathological factors, student's satisfaction with his major, and to what extent the student trusts the college…), or an external source (social conditions, friends, family members, the course instructor, the syllabus, the university environment…)         

In general, academic problems that may face a student could be classified as follows:

1. The schedule of the student (long breaks between lectures).
2. Exams (the difficulty of questions in some exams …).
3. The Student (the problem of having academic warnings, the problem of failure…).
4. The classrooms and laboratories.
5. The course (subjects of some courses…).
6. Academic advising.
7. The university library.
8. The lecturer (lectures, dealing with courses and exams, dealing with students…). 

H.E. Dr. Rubaiya Al-Qahtani mentioned that those problems can be solved by following effective methods, styles and instructions, which are: 

1. To attend to prayers in their scheduled times in the university.
2. To concentrate during the lecture, and ask the instructor about any unclear points.
3. To contact the instructor for further clarification or for expanding on information about the topic of the lecture during office hours, and visit the university library.  
4. To make sure of handing in assignments on time and paying attention to their quality, correctness and overall form as well as to organize time properly. 
5. To use the lecture time in focusing and understanding without distracting oneself with what is useless and reduces understanding like using electronic devices or having side conversations with the colleagues during the lecture.
6. To befriend righteous students and academically distinguished ones who encourage the student to excel.
7. To entertain oneself sometimes by doing useful sports either at the sports facilities in the university or at the Student Club.
8. To be polite when dealing with colleagues and instructors as a student in college does not only learn knowledge but also builds his personality to benefit from it after graduation. Therefore, do not waste your time in useless matters and spare no effort in building your personality so that you would always be distinguished. 

H.E. Dr. Rabee` Al-Qahtany finally addressed the students saying, "Dear students, I advise you to fear Allah, the Almighty, as you are in the knowledge arena mixing with scholars of various specializations. Our upright Islamic religion urges us to seek knowledge and to respect scholars.  Allah, the Almighty, said:      "Allâh will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do." (58:11)

In addition, Abu Hurairah reported that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: "Allah makes the way to paradise easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge." Abu `issa said this is a hasan Hadith narrated by Al-Tirmidhi (2646)

Once a poet said:

              Whoever does not taste the bitterness of learning, even for an hour 
              Will drink the humility of ignorance for the rest of his life

              For him who misses out on learning in his youth,
              Then announce four takbirs over him for his death is due

These are my directives to you and verily Allah is the granter of success." 

Then there were discussions with the students to present their problems and discuss them.  

Finally, the meeting ended at ten o'clock in the morning with a promise of holding other meetings, by Allah's will, to serve the students and develop the educational process in the department. 

May Allah grant us success.

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