A wise person once said “One day of college is like one week of high school”. You might have been your high school valedictorian, president of student council or the home coming queen. The differences between college and high school are numerous. Not only will this be the first time you will have this much independence, you will have to meet new people, make new friends, adjust to a different schedule and lifestyle AND take some tough courses too! Did you know that one out of every four students will leave college before they complete their second year? Almost 50% of college freshmen will drop out of school before they complete their education OR they will move to another school to finish their education.
Why? There is no single reason. A recent study found that the top ten reasons for dropping out or leaving a school were: focus on freedom and parties instead of classes and grades, homesickness or a sense of isolation, unprepared for workload, financial issues, family or personal issues, climate and fit of environment, wrong major, no guidance or advisor help, juggling a job, moving to a different state or country. But you should ENJOY your years in college! They can be the best years of your life if you manage your time and set some goals.
You can expect to feel stress and to be homesick and uncertain for a while, but everyone feels this way and it will pass. You SHOULD attend orientations, consciously work to make friends and try to get yourself settled in. This will make your dorm, campus and classes seem more like home. Take advantage of the organization time and information the professors and Resident Advisors (RAs) will give you. This is important. The more prepared and in control you feel, the less uncertain you will be. Go to class! This is the culture and fabric of your time in school. Staying in your room to sleep late just puts you on the fringe of the community and will not help you feel like you are a member of the new neighborhood.
Use your professors and advisors to help you adjust and get oriented to schedules and expectations on campus. Your advisor is a key resource so go meet her/him as soon as you can and visit the office often to talk about issues regarding courses, majors etc. Try to gain some balance between your work and your social life so that you can reward yourself for doing good work. Don’t just sit in your room and study and DON’T JUST PARTY. Balance is the key. Join a club or organization. You will meet new friends there, outside of the people you know from the dorm, and you will begin to feel like you are part of something. Take advantage of study groups and set goals for yourself so you can get the grades you want. If you are feeling confident and successful, you will WANT to stay in school.
Don’t feel you have to decide right away about a career or even a major. Most colleges give you a year to declare a major, so use your freshman year to get oriented, get your feet wet and learn to live in your community. Take courses you think you will like to explore the majors in which you may be interested. Later, you can talk to the Career Services center to start to focus your interests. Prioritize, set goals, don’t procrastinate. Eat right, get enough sleep and stay healthy. Call home and talk to family and friends when you need a cheering section. Don’t go home all the time, even if you are close enough to do so. Stay on campus so you can get used to the community and people. Ask for help in the counseling or health center if you really need someone to talk to. Don’t try to handle the stress and loneliness by yourself. Manage your personal money and finances so that when you need something, or when you want to splurge and reward yourself for a good grade, you can afford to do so.
The MOST important thing to know about adjusting to college life is that you will feel lonely, uncertain and stressed out for a while. EVERYONE does! Just knowing that it is normal and that these feelings will pass is the key to keeping your head on straight. Good luck in school!