Academic writing is essential for EFL students, and teacher feedback plays a key role in improving their writing competence. However, while much research focuses on teacher insight, limited studies explore students’ insights on feedback, particularly in higher education contexts. This study aims to explore EFL students’ insight of teacher feedback, the challenges they face in applying feedback, and their preferences for feedback types. Using a qualitative phenomenological design, data were collected from eight sixth-semester English Education students at UIN Walisongo Semarang through semi-structured interviews. The results show that while students perceive feedback as useful for improving grammar, organization, and confidence, they often struggle with vague or general comments, revision uncertainty, and emotional responses such as anxiety. Students prefer feedback that is clear, specific, written, and supported by examples. These findings highlight the need for feedback practices that are constructive, emotionally supportive, and tailored to students’ needs to enhance academic writing development.