For most college students, responsibilities range from homework to other obligations, and their worries are often eased when the weekend hits.

But for war veterans, the challenges often go beyond the classroom.

Erick Toledo, a sophomore majoring in economics, is a service member of the U.S. Marine Corps. This semester was his first back at Binghamton University after he left for Iraq in August of 2007. He returned in March 2008.

Toledo said the transition from war service to a college setting can be a shock.

“When I got back from Iraq, even seeing cars go over 40 miles an hour and seeing greenery was new to me,” he said. “Every day it’s a struggle.”

Toledo said that one of the problems student veterans have to face is catching up academically.

“I have to study twice as hard as other students in order to keep up in class,” he added.

Major Don Johnson, head of the ROTC program at BU, agreed, and said that when students are deployed they face a rather strict experience.

“In the military, everyone has a common goal, purpose and motivation,” he said. “Coming to an environment that is less structured may result in some stress.”

Personal obstacles were another challenge, according to Toledo. He said he wants people to give him respect for what he’s done and treat him as a normal human being, not just as someone who works for the government.

He also said that not enough attention is paid to the needs of veterans, which are different from that of an average student, by University staff.

“We have no support from the faculty because the faculty’s concern is the main student body,” he said. “They don’t concern themselves with veterans who have special needs.”

Cindy Kery, assistant director for administrative services at the TRIO office on campus, which houses the Veterans Services office, agreed.

“I think there is a gap in services,” Kery said. “I don’t think people … have the knowledge of what soldiers in Iraq or anywhere else go through.”

The TRIO programs provide educational outreach to support disadvantaged students across the nation.

Kery said she’s seen instances where a student mentions that he or she is a veteran and the individual is transferred to the Veteran’s Services, whether or not it is the correct office to deal with the problem.

“Staff at the University aren’t taking the time to let the student explain their whole situation,” she said.

Toledo said there are many ways to help make the transition easier for student veterans. He suggested programs that help vets get acclimated back into a social civilian setting and provide psychological and physical support for those who need it.

One student who graduated from Texas A&M University, and wished to remain anonymous, served for nine months and is an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran.

The student said when she returned to school she suffered from digestive and stomach problems for a year, and she also was sleep-deprived as a result of the trauma.

“The adrenaline rush never goes away so I couldn’t sleep, and when I did, I had nightmares,” she said.

As a woman in the military, the veteran said she had less social support than other veterans. Female vets coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan are twice as likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress syndrome and depression as male veterans, according to CNN.

They are also reportedly more likely to suffer from sexual trauma.

The OIF veteran said that having a designated veteran’s care coordinator might be helpful for students returning from service.

“They should meet with every veteran who returns and let them know what support is out there,” she said.

Allison Miller, team leader and clinical psychologist at the Binghamton Vet Center on Chenango Street, said that it is important for faculty to educate themselves about the challenges of the transition process for student veterans.

“Approaching student veterans with sensitivity and compassion is most important,” Miller said.