Advice for transitioning to college

With the end of the school year just around the corner, the transition from school to college can be daunting.

If you’re going away for college you’re nervous and excited about living on your own. If you’re living at home, you’re worried that you won’t gain independence.

Here are some tips to manage the transition and get the best out of your college experience, no matter if you’re going away for college or staying home.

Take a class that you’re not interested in

Just like you will have various jobs in your future career, it’s okay to take a class that might not spark your interest immediately. It’s good to know what you don’t like in order to discover what you are truly passionate about. You might even end up loving the subject and change your major to it.

Join a club or society

Whether you join a sports, music, business, or comedy club or society, clubs and societies are an amazing way to make friends. Everyone joined it for a reason, so you already have something in common. The friends you make in a club or society will be your friends forever.

Knock on your neighbor’s door the first day

Introduce yourself to your neighbors on your apartment floor even though it’s awkward. Becoming friends with the people on your floor will make your life so much better; you will have friends to do homework with, to watch movies with, to get food with, to do anything with.

Go to office hours

In a lecture of 300 students it can be intimidating to raise your hand and ask a question. If you don’t want to ask a question in class or are struggling, go to your professor’s office hours. They are there to help you; they want you to succeed, not fail. And often times the professor will recognize your effort and boost your grade if you need it.

Say yes, but not to everything

College is the time to try new things and get out of your comfort zone. You will be a completely different person by the time you graduate, and doing things you wouldn’t otherwise do plays a big role in that.

Take time for yourself

In college you have a new experience everyday; each semester you have new professors and classmates, everyday you have another assignment, once a week you have a club or society meeting, and on weekends you go out with your friends. It can be overwhelming, but taking time to relax is essential to slow down the fun and stressful life that is college.

College is one of the most exciting times in your life, so make the most of it. You aren’t the only one who is nervous about the unknown; everyone is in the same boat as you. 

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