The Transition to College: What to Expect
You’ve gotten into colleges, selected the one for you, and sent in the deposit. Whew! Now you can look at the most exciting part: actually going to college! What should you expect? How should you prepare? And what should you learn now that will help?
Jump to information about Common Pitfalls | Academics | Extracurriculars | Majors | Friends | Top Tips
Common Pitfalls
Before we get to the exciting parts, we should talk about some of the ways students set themselves up for a bad experience right from the beginning. Less-than-adequate preparation, unrealistic expectations, and a blase attitude can become obstacles to both happiness and success. About ⅓ of undergraduate students transfer at one point during their careers, and even more drop out, so staying in college is becoming increasingly difficult for many. While this isn’t necessarily due to poor preparation, there are some things you can do to minimize the odds you’ll have to apply to transfer schools.
For many students, college is a rite of passage into the onset of adulthood, which ought to be a time of focus on the major life transition. However, after all the extensive effort put into applying and choosing colleges, students then have to focus on their APs and final competitions. There’s a large gap between acceptance and attendance, which can lead to students second-guessing their choice before they’ve even set foot on campus. The anxiety about transitioning can add to this as well. On the other hand, students who assume it will be easy and fun more than anything else may have a rude awakening when they get to the school and may blame this feeling on the specific school, leading to more transfers than successes.
Imposter syndrome, or the feeling that you aren’t good enough to have this opportunity, can be a crippling factor for new students. Feeling inferior to classmates, not being smart enough to handle college, or like you won’t be able to contribute to classes or manage the workload are all manifestations of this syndrome. Because of these feelings, students might be too afraid to go to office hours or TA sessions, as that would prove to the college that they are imposters. So, if you’re feeling like you resonate with any of what we just described, remind yourself that you were chosen by this school! You earned the grades, completed the application, and wrote the essays, and the college saw something special about you. Celebrate that victory and remind yourself of that fact anytime you start to doubt yourself. Going to office hours and seeking support from the institution is something that the most successful students do, and if this seems too intimidating at first, consider joining a study group instead! You’ll be able to connect with other students who may feel the same way and also learn better.
The last pitfall we’ll discuss is the trap of perfectionism. You likely spent a lot of time and effort to find the ‘right’ college, so you may be lulled into the sense that nothing could go wrong there. No college is perfect, though, and small disappointments can quickly derail your college experience if you’re expecting perfection. Obviously, if it’s a major issue, seek assistance, but otherwise, try to adjust your expectations and appreciate your school for what it does have.
Academics
Many students have the right idea that college classes are going to be more rigorous and challenging than high school classes. But with all the excitement of your first few months on campus, you may find yourself spending more time socializing, trying out new activities, and enjoying your independence than on your studies. Try to set yourself up for success by spending a set amount of time studying and doing homework before engaging in other things. The classes you take in your first semester will still affect your GPA, and you’re attending college for an education, so try to keep your priorities straight. You should also try to figure out how you study best! Try studying at different times, in different locations, with and without music, with and without people, and in varying time chunks – testing out all of this your first semester will help you find what fits you best and sets you up for success for the rest of your time at college.
A good way to start out on the right foot with academics is to connect with professors and other support systems early in the semester. Office hours are times professors set aside to connect with students and to help them out. So utilize them! Even if you don’t have questions in the class yet, drop by to get to know the professors, what research they’re working on, what other classes they’re teaching, and to get any advice. This will not only help them remember your name faster, but it will also help you form a significant connection. Professors can help you navigate a lot of aspects of the collegiate experience and can also recommend you for internships and other opportunities, which will be easier for them if they know you as more than just a face in their class!
Extracurriculars
While we advise you to prioritize academics, that doesn’t mean you should be a shut-in outside of class. Students who engage actively in campus life feel more comfortable faster and find their niche on campus. Whether you want to try a sport, a club, or get a job, getting involved on campus is the best thing you can do. It’s easy to drop something if you end up being overwhelmed mid-semester, but it’s much more challenging to jump in halfway.
Your college will probably have an activities fair early on in the semester, so take that time to get to know your options and the people in the organizations that spark your interest. You should aim to be involved in some clubs similar to your interests in high school and some that are really new and different!
Majors
While this falls under academics, it’s also a separate and anxiety-inducing topic. Every college has a different policy of when you have to declare your major, so make sure you’re aware of this deadline before you even set foot on campus. Do not choose your major based on what you think you should be doing. That’s an easy way to get burned out extremely quickly and regret coming to college altogether. Take your time before declaring, and try out as many departments as possible. If something surprises you, take another class to see if you may want to pursue it. Don’t be afraid to speak to department chairs about your potential interest to gauge further whether this might be right for you! Most schools don’t require a major declaration until the end of sophomore year, and minors can usually be declared at any time. Don’t rush this; take your time to figure out what you really want. If you know for sure that you want to take the pre-med or engineering tracks, then by all means, get started early, but don’t feel like you’re set in stone when you first get to campus!
Friends
Making new friends is certainly one of the scarier parts of going to college. Without a support system right away, the transition can feel very isolating. Try to remember, though, that every single person is in the same position. Even if they know someone else already, they’ll still need to make new friends. Hopefully, this will make putting yourself out there easier. Friends can be made in clubs, classes, study groups, jobs, internships, dormitories, and so much more. You’ll be surprised by how many connections you can make when you’re open to it! In addition, don’t put pressure on yourself to find your forever friends within your first month. It is very common for you to have different core friends by your junior year; you and everyone else are at college to learn and grow, so your friendships should, too!
Top Tips
A few things that will make this all easier relate to classes. The first suggestion is to go to class. While it seems obvious, sometimes it can be tempting not to go, especially once you start having 8:00 ams or night classes. Keep this in mind when scheduling your classes wherever possible. If you do miss, it’s up to you to catch up on that information, and professors have to move at a fast pace to get through all the material, so that might mean a lot. Additionally, no matter who is paying for your education, every single class you skip is equivalent to throwing money out the window. Unless there’s a good reason, keep your attendance up.
Being engaged in class is another simple-sounding but critical tip. Taking good notes, participating in class discussions, and asking questions will help you keep up your participation grade and will help you learn better. Your classes may end early or occasionally go late, and there won’t be downtime during the class. This goes to show that every moment in class counts for the teachers, so it should count for you, too.
Utilize the resources offered! College campuses are full of resources offered to help students succeed, but you have to seek them out. Writing centers, tutors, academic advisement centers, career counseling, math centers, disability services and accommodations, and mental health services — all of these and more are more than likely available free of charge as long as you ask for them!
Sleep well. We cannot stress enough how important sleep is – deprivation is a huge issue on college campuses as students are trying to do as much as possible during their time. Not getting enough sleep impairs decision-making and learning, which means students who regularly don’t get enough sleep tend to have lower GPAs than students who do. While it’s definitely hard to fit in everything and still get your eight hours, failing to do so can lead to students feeling like they need to take stimulants to keep up, which can be a very dangerous path.
So, how do you balance your time? Choose your classes wisely. Connect with an older student to see which departments are in which buildings and make sure you’re not making a 15-minute walk with only 5 minutes between classes. Avoid early classes if you don’t focus well in the morning, and avoid evening classes if you don’t focus well after dinner. Stay organized. Keep track of your social media use and try out different productivity hacks. And make sure that you’re scheduling in time for yourself! With classes, clubs, internships, jobs, and friends on your plate, you have to make sure you’re not pouring from an empty cup. Making time for some relaxation and fun is the single best way to make sure you don’t burn yourself out.
College is an incredible experience, and we hope you’re feeling more prepared to go now!
