Many college students experience difficulties during their first year. According to the Higher Education Research Institute survey, most first-year students struggle with sleep and eating well. Many students report feeling homesick, lonely, and having trouble managing their time.
Transitions to college can be difficult. However, if you prepare yourself to face potential challenges, your first year in college can also be enjoyable and rewarding.
Table of Contents
1. What To Expect From High School To College Transition
Homesickness
Homesickness is common for students who move away from home to attend college. Students who say they can’t wait for college often feel homesick. Independence doesn’t always outweigh the support, comfort, and cooking from home. It can be difficult to adjust to a new environment and without your parents around to support you in trying situations.
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Social adjustments
Students might also be able to develop strong relationships with their instructors and peers. Living in an apartment or dorm room with your peers can offer a different experience and allow you to feel closer than you might be used to. Students in their first year often share a dorm or apartment with one to three other roommates and some are not ready for such change.
Picking a major
Many college students feel the pressure from their parents or themselves to choose a major and follow a career path. What do you want to do after you graduate? This is a question that professors and peers often ask. This can lead to stress and increase the difficulty of adapting to college.
2. Study And Academic Tips For A Successful Freshman Year
There are many things that can go wrong in your first year at college. Moving away from family and adapting to dorm life can be challenging. You also need to learn how to balance work and classes. If you lack the right study habits, it is easy to fall behind. The same habits that worked in high school might not work in college.
Group study
Most likely, you have a core group at college that you can study with. Do they make the best study buddies? If you are too distracted, it is not a good idea. Find people with whom you can study.
Find suitable environment to study
You need to find the best place to study, whether it is in a busy coffee shop, dorm room, or quiet library room. It’s great if you already know the answer. Try a few different places to find out if the environment is conducive for studying.
Schedule study time in calendar
High school had structured classes and you were taking six or more of them. You may take fewer than six classes in college and have them spread out. It may appear that there is less studying, and you have more time. However, this extra time must be used to study. You can start early by studying for classes, and then schedule the time for each class into your schedule.
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Evaluate yourself
After you have established a study schedule, it is time to check in with yourself. Do you find the methods you’re using effective? This is metacognition. It’s when you become conscious of and reflect upon your own knowledge.
3. Money Management And Life Skills You Should Know When Transitioning To College
It’s a great time for you to learn about financial management and develop habits that will set you up for financial success throughout your entire life. You can set bigger goals by being more clear about your spending and saving habits.
Create budget
A college budget can be a powerful tool for personal finance. If you track your spending habits and create your budget, you can see exactly where your monthly income goes. Consider all the expenses for each month: tuition and fees, textbooks, class supplies, insurance, car payments, public transportation costs, haircuts, toiletries, food and most importantly your Orange and Rockland costs. Once you have a plan for how much money you have, it’s easy to rest assured that your priorities are being met.
Stay healthy and safe
While it may be fun to stay up late and eat junk food while drinking beer (when you are legal), don’t let this get in the way of your health. You’ll feel better if you have good habits and are willing to indulge occasionally. This will make it easier to stick to your coursework.
Build good credit
If you are looking to rent an apartment, or make major purchases, it is important that you have a strong credit history. Employers may conduct credit checks before hiring applicants. It is a good idea to get a credit card you can use for gas, groceries, and other emergency needs. Numerous companies offer cards for students with low credit.
Bottom Line
You won’t achieve success overnight. Keep working hard at these habits every single day. You may not have much money right now as a college student but smart decisions about how you pay for college can help you retain more of your hard-earned cash after graduation.
