It is a known fact that coming to the university environment for the first time can be frightening, and this experience comes with a mixed-bag of reactions for most of these first-year students. Undoubtedly, how they react to this new environment, generally impacts on their academic and social adaptation at these institutions. Therefore, the intention of this article is to look at some of the common challenges which these students (with special reference to CUT, FS) are confronted with. Some vital coping strategies are also recommended for especially novice lecturers to be able to effectively manage this challenge posed by these new entrants.