Adjusting to College | Common Concerns | Transitioning from High School to College

The College Experience 

Adjusting to College
            Most freshmen are on their own for the first time when they enter college.  No one budgets their time or tells them when or how to do things.  Before college, others may have made sure they attended classes on time or went to bed at a reasonable hour.  They must now learn to make these and other important decisions on their own.
            Most freshmen adjust well to the college environment because they have good decision-making skills, and assume more responsibility for their behavior and actions.  Through experience they learn to deal with new situations.  Because most students fall somewhere in the middle, there is concern for two extreme types of students: the student who leaves his/her room only to eat and attend class, and the student who rarely goes to his/her room or to class.
            The student who leaves his room only to eat and attend class and spends a great deal of time alone may be having difficulty adjusting to college.  The student may become depressed, overly anxious or fearful, and want to go home every weekend.
            The student who rarely goes to his/her room or to class may become overly interested in socializing.  He/She may have found college to be purely social and extracurricular and, consequently, joins numerous clubs or organizations.  Students may have difficulty in adjusting to the idea that academics and receiving a good education are the main focal points of college.  Beginning college might be compared to an older adult taking a new job in a new location.  Imagine the adjustment problems this situation might present even to a mature person with years of decision-making experience.  Ordinarily the adjustment is made easily, but it is made only as the individual learns the skills necessary to function effectively in a new environment.

Common Concerns

• Reasons for being in college
• Separation difficulty
• Independence and personal freedom
• Establishing identity on campus
• Social acceptance
• Relating with new and different people
• Selecting a major and career path
• Academic success
• Time management
• Managing a budget
• Health and wellness
• Understanding college systems

Transitioning from High School to College
Students ordinarily adjust rather easily to the college environment; all must develop or improve certain skills.  The most important of these skills is self-direction and self-discipline.  For those who master this development task, adequate social interaction, academic success and personal growth will follow.
Along with personal adjustments there are also significant academic adjustments.  A student who received high grades in high school may find that the same amount of effort in college classes does not produce the same result.  College professors may demand more than high school teachers and may present some new and unfamiliar challenges and demands.
High school classes met daily but most college classes meet every other day.  This difference in scheduling will mean that a student needs to learn to adjust to a new routine.  When a student has class at 9 a.m. Monday and the class doesn't meet again until 9 a.m. Wednesday, the student may think there is plenty of time before the next class meeting to prepare for it.  This may give students a false sense of security.  A good rule-of-thumb to follow is to set aside two hours of study time for each hour spent in class.