College can be many things, but easy it is not. There are many changes that you will face transitioning from high school to college. Academically is only one aspect of the type of change you will experience. The other is socially. This combination can be very difficult to adjust to, especially if you are caught totally off guard. Here are a few things you can expect, therefore making for an easier transition.
Being homesick. Amidst all the changes no matter how ready you think you are to be away from home, you will most likely experience some homesickness. There are many things you can do to help with homesickness. Try not to call home constantly; this may only make it worse. Call home from time to time and visit home, again, not too often. Get out there and meet people. Hiding away, burying yourself in work will only hinder your progress in experiencing college life.
Social Activities. Get involved in activities on or off campus. There are orientation activities, intramural sports, clubs and much more where you can meet interesting people and make new friends. Do not be shy, get out there and experience all that college has to offer.
Roommate issues. Issues can always come up between roommates and can cause much stress. Compromise and good communication will go a long way in helping with this. You must be willing to adjust your way of doing things and be able to talk things out to avoid bigger problems. Even if it seems to be a “little” thing that is bothersome, talk it out so it does not become a “big” problem.
Safety. Use common sense. Not everyone can be trustworthy. Keep your property safe (laptop, ipod, cell phone . . .). You should keep anything of value out of sight and not accessible, including anything of personal value and things with personal information.
Do not expect high school treatment. You will not be babied. If you receive a bad test score, the professor will not be the one to come to you and help. You need to take matters into your own hands and get help right away. You will need to be the one to keep up with your school work and homework including keeping track of deadlines. Also remember, you will not have your parents waking you up in the morning making sure you are on time for things.
Time management. You will have to learn to balance you school work and your “play” time. Yes, you do need to make some time to relax and go out. Learning how to manage your time to do this can be challenging, but you will eventually get it down just right.
Take care of yourself. Eating right and getting enough sleep are very important in college. Some students get very lax in this aspect. But by doing this you will be able to better avoid getting sick and be less stressed.
Keeping all these things in mind will help you through the start of your college years. Good luck!
