Transition to College

Starting college for most students represents a major transition. The change for some students might be considered monumental, as in moving away from home and to a whole new part of the country. For others the change may be less extreme, as starting college in their home town, but most parents and students would agree that starting college is an important transition step toward independence and adulthood.

Although students and parents generally report college to be a positive experience there are often challenges.

Here are some tips on coping with both the opportunities and challenges of the transition to college.

Tips for Students:
• Explore new interests, discover new places, and meet new people. College should involve learning outside as well as inside the classroom.
• If you are moving away from home expect to be at least a little “home sick”. The cure is time, involvement on campus and possibly talking to a campus counselor.
• Participate and prioritize, enjoy the fun of involvement but be careful not to become overwhelmed be doing too many things.
• For academics “Hit the ground running” to make sure you stay up to date with your work but also be patient with yourself. It takes time to understand the rhythm of a new academic life and for students to develop a personal learning/studying style. Over the first semester it becomes easier to understand the flow of work and realize how to accommodate different teachers' standards and course requirements.
• Never ignore a problem. Both academic and emotional challenges are most successfully managed early when small.
• Understand your personal values, they will help guide you through difficult decisions
• Use the resources available to you to solve problems, these include University staff and, of course, your family.

Tips for Parents:
• Discuss your expectations and shared values. Students will face some difficult situations and helping them think ahead about what is right or wrong for them can help
• Support the student in working through any crisis they may face, offering guidance can be great but try to let them work things out. Students will generally learn and grow best by solving their own problems. Parents know their student best however and must judge when it is time for more direct help.
• Determine appropriate expectations and guidelines and be explicit. If parents expect or want a weekly phone call, they must say so. If parents and students want to spend a particular holiday together, they should plan ahead. If parents expect to see the student’s grades, that should be made clear in advance.
• Allow for mistakes. Parents can encourage and accept the student's ability to make independent decisions. Both the college student and the parents must realize mistakes will be made along the way and the student will learn from them.

Adapted from Transition to College:
Separation and Change for Parents and Students
by Robin F. Goodman, Ph.D., updated by Anita Gurian, Ph.D.
The full text of this article is available at www.aboutourkids.org