Gauri Chhabra
Applying to college was growing through a mayhem- fill out a dozen forms-which, for the most part, contain the same basic questions, go through a series of tests, a spiral of counseling sessions… clutch your score card as if it is a lifesaving drug…Getting accepted into the college of your dreams is the result of a number of factors, ranging from your academic performance and fit with the school to your diligence in making the strongest case for yourself in your application.You take a deep breath and you are done.
Well, are you? Not quite
As you stand at the threshold of college, chewing on leather- with a mixed bag of emotions churning in your belly, at what lies ahead, here is some advice for you that would make you overcome your anxiety. Remember, the college gate means you step out of many gates and barriers in your mind that your life hitherto had given you, and step into the new gates with a fresh vigor and fervor:
The Academic Gate:
I know most of you understand that college will be different – and harder – than high school, but many of you do not realize exactly what those differences will be. College is significantly different from high school. The school academics taught you that the teacher would walk you through the curriculum.
Please cross this mental gate as you step into college. You need to be proactive and look at your course syllabi, talk to your teachers, and look carefully at the types of assignments and amount of coursework required. Some of the students who have the most academic difficulty are those students who are taken off guard by the academic differences between both.
The Social Gate:
As you step into the college, you might not have your school friends with you. You might start with a clean slate and will need to recreate your social world. When you were at school you were at the top of the hierarchy, being in the senior most class, in college you start from the bottom of the hierarchy. This may involve swallowing your pride, initiating while making new friends, negotiating life with a roommate, It might be painful in the beginning as you would feel pressured by the need to make friends, join groups find forms of entertainment, and make decisions about alcohol, drugs, sex, and other social activities. Anticipate the changes and decisions you will face to cruise smoothly through them.
The gate of Accountability
When you were at school, there were people around you to take responsibility- teachers took accountability for your grades, parents for your conduct in and out of class. You never knew what accountability was until things went out of hand. As a college student you will be held accountable for all your choices and actions. You would be responsible for making decisions about studying, eating, socializing, finances, health, and managing their time. It may be a new experience for student to be held accountable and not be able to turn to parents to fend for you. You can gravitate towards them for support and advice, but you will need to assume ultimate responsibility for your actions.
The Gate of Dependence
As you enter college, you take rapid strides in independence. You may have to live away from home and have difficulty adjusting to the many changes of being away. You will have to take independent decisions that your parents will not know about- like managing your money, health, and day to day existence. For many students, who come from close families, this is a major transition. While taking independent decisions, always weigh the pros and cons- and remember not all decisions would be right. It is perfectly alright to take decisions and cut the umbilical chord.
The Lifestyle Gate
College students face several physical challenges because their lifestyle changes so dramatically. You may be facedwith a new challenge- that of weight gain because of increased snacking and junk food. Those of you who were athletes at school are no longer playing sports and so are not getting exercise. As you step into college and if you are staying in the hostel, the euphoria takes over. Staying awake till late at night becomes a fashion and you are sucked in. You face decisions about alcohol and drugs. Once again, helping student anticipate the physical changes he may encounter will help. Think twice about what you eat, to know how to contact health services, to continue to get exercise and try to get sleep. Physical challenges are inevitable, but if you are prepared, you would be better able to confront them.
The Gate of Time
As a College student, you would be expected to spend much less time in class and to do much more coursework outside of the classroom. Coursework is often given in larger chunks rather than smaller daily assignments. You would spend less time in structured activities than in school. Many students have on campus or off campus jobs. Think about how you will keep track of your obligations and assignments, how to break large assignments into meaningful pieces, how to say “no” to activities when you need to study or sleep. The best way would be to find a good planner or calendar and use it to keep track of assignments, deadlines, and appointments.
The Financial Gate
Attending college requires an important financial investment – we all know that. Tuition and room comprise the bulk of the costs, but there are also costs associated with daily college life. In addition to costs each semester for textbooks, you also wish to furnish dorm rooms, snack, eat out, go to movies, shows, concerts, participate in on-campus activities, etc. Till now, your parents took care of everything.
Think about how you will handle money. Will you get money from your parents? If so, how often? Will you be responsible for your expenses? Learn how to budget. Try to make financial independence a goal toward which you constantly work.
Many students who head off to college have not had to cope with general life skills prior to their first year away. Understand how to use a credit card responsibly, how to do laundry, how to balance a checkbook, how to shop for food.
Balance is Key
Perhaps by adding up all of the other gates you need to cross while entering College, success during the first year of college relies on achieving a sense of balance. Remember, you would constantly be juggling and jumping from one coat coal to another. You would need to be adaptive to challenges and be aware. Balance is key in this tight rope walk of life. You must balance academics with social life, need for sleep with need for study and fun, desires and budget, desire for independence with need for the security of home, freedom and responsibility.
Summing up,making the transition from school to college can and will be for many students, the most challenging experience they have faced in their lives. You should take the time to plan out your schedules from week to week and month to month. This will allow you to celebrate the success you are experiencing and you will begin to develop good habits. Make sure you use any time gaps efficiently in the form of studying and preparing for upcoming classes or reviewing notes from previous class. And finally, before you leave, place a sign on their mirror in your bathroom, which reads “the buck stops here- right at me”- this would hammer the thought into your mind.
So, with a clean slate and a sure footed gait, walk in the gates of the College and taste this wonderful slice of Life.
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