USING YOUR TRANSITION TO COLLEGE WISELY Student Advice and Transitional Programs
TRANSITION Transition is never an easy word for anyone and it never looks the same from one person to the next. The move to college is one of life s great crossroads. Change is both normal and inevitable, but it can also be difficult and challenging. When transitioning, one of the greatest threats to success is the temptation to suppress or ignore the transition in order to avoid challenges that change brings. You can learn a great deal from students who have recently walked this road. Words of Advice from Current Students 1. What practical steps would you recommend incoming freshman take as they complete high school and prepare for dorm life? Flexibility and communication is key! Dorm life is a lot of fun, and I d encourage incoming freshmen to choose a dorm that will foster community rather than choose it based on comfort. Don t pack too much--everybody ends up accumulating things over their four years here. Wait and see if it s something you really need. Try to get to know the people on your floor, be friends with your RA, but don t feel pressured to attend every single event. Talk to your roommate, be it about dorm decorations or allergies, or just getting to know each other. Don t over-buy things for your room, since you probably won t end up using it all and it ll just serve as more clutter. Make a check list of things you should do or finish during the summer before moving into college. Use this summer as preparation and transition time! 2
Take some time to think about what you would want in a roommate--quiet/ loud, messy/clean, early riser/night owl, other things. I put open to learning about new cultures and I think that s what made housing put my roommate, an Italian MK (missionary kid), and I, an Indonesian international student, together. I d recommend you chat with older peers about what it s like to live on your own and what to expect. Don t be afraid to ask questions! High school seniors have to prepare their minds to be able to be living with people 24/7. You can t necessarily prepare for that, but just a mental adjustment to know that is going to happen. The transition from being on the top of the totem pole to the bottom is real. Everyone was class president or team captain. So, going into freshman year it helps to go in ready to accept changes and know that good will come. Get out of your comfort zone and meet new people - college is a place to meet people of different backgrounds and expand your perspective. Don t take high school study habits to college because there is a higher responsibility in college to get good grades. Study at least 2-3 hours a day (at least in the first year). For pre-med majors this is especially important as this is a very competitive field. Look at clubs you want to join, get connected in the first year. Everyone is excited to get to know you. Go to bed at a good time. Be consistent about it. Get 8-9 hours of sleep. Get your biorhythms regulated. It matters, and you ll be glad you did. 3
2. What were the hidden surprises you faced? Would you have done anything differently had you known about these unknowns? My roommate was definitely an unexpected surprise. Although we were randomly selected, she is my best friend now. I would not have had it any other way. I also realized that I bought way too many things. In retrospect, I would have waited a while (one or two weeks) to see what I actually need, and then go out and buy things. Before that, basic essentials are really all you d need. As a transfer, a lot of the integration process is more intuitive than when you re a freshman. In addition, the experiences transfers have had at other colleges make it easier to get used to daily college life, giving us more time to get involved with the people around us. I m in classes with freshmen and sophomores, but I also know juniors and seniors so I feel like I get to meet people across the student body. Always work ahead. So that when the end of the semester comes, or any other busy period rolls around, you won t be harried. Don t overload on credits. Take 14-16 max. Overload only when you are a junior and have already found your rhythm. Also, make sure you are with people. If you are not with people, it can be hard to see life beyond school. Food is the easiest way to connect with people, I think. 4
3. What part of the transition was the most difficult for you and why? Is there anything you would recommend that students do ahead of time to help with this type of challenge? It may seem silly but the most challenging aspect of my transition from home-life to college-life was getting used to planning my own schedule every day, especially my meal schedule. Yes, we have a class schedule and a meal plan but the truth is that when you live in a dorm, almost every decision about your day-to-day is up to you. In my case, I went crazy with junk food because of the excitement of being able to eat whatever I wanted without pressure from my parents. There isn t much you can do about this except make responsible decisions and set realistic goals when it comes to even the simplest things. Different ones struggle with different temptations - whatever your thing is, prepare and plan ahead. PS, did you know Wheaton has free laundry!? Being physically apart from family and friends. Making new friends. This was hard for me because I was blessed with really good relationships back home, so I never thought much about making new relationships in college. As a result of this, I found myself constantly contacting those back home which is not necessarily a bad thing. However, I did so to the extent that I wasn t interacting with people in my college as much as I could have. Being too attached to technology can keep you too tethered to home, so many kids on my floor literally put their social media accounts away for the semester and found they were more open to new friendships that were made much deeper because of it. 5
4. In general, what advice on transitioning from high school to college would you give to incoming freshmen? Take the early morning class. There s a special kind of discipline you practice when you wake up early that will be practical for the rest of your life in all areas of your life. I credit waking up at 6:00 am every morning for equipping me with much of the discipline I needed in college. Live in the present - enjoy your last few months/years of high school and being at home this summer. When you get to college, enjoy each year and focus on the joys and challenges of being a freshman, a sophomore, a junior, and a senior as you approach each year. Do what you feel led to do and don t feel pressured to succumb to the typical college experience by joining every single organization and going to every single social event. Invest in younger and older people (in addition to college peers). I also highly encourage taking a Sabbath every week. Don t take yourself too seriously - have fun! Be more here now. Get to know upper classmen. Schedule regular quiet times/ devotion with God. Be all in. Limit yourself. Don t do too much at once. Do what God has placed you here for. Only take on more when you feel that you are ready. Don t feel like you have to do everything all at once - jump into things only when you know that you are ready. Stay off technology, or you won t be present. Diversify outside your cliques. Stay rooted in the Word. 6
In high school, you are often used to seeing the same people and interacting with them automatically. At college, if you want to build relationships with people you won t see often (people who don t live on your floor), then try to be very intentional with your time. Ask that cool person in your class for a coffee at Sam s or for a meal at Saga. Don t be afraid that it ll be awkward or weird, you ll both be grateful for it in the future. 5. Please share any final thoughts with us that you feel may be of help to prospective college students, including preparing your heart for transition and preparing to let go. College will be different from home in so many ways, but change is an amazing opportunity for growth. When you reach hard points, accept that it is hard, but also know that there are so many people who know and love you although they are far away. There are also people in your midst who are willing to walk with you. Seek out a mentor and be willing to be vulnerable because that s a huge part of growing. Don t be afraid to share your culture and experiences with others here and be open to hearing about theirs--there is a lot you can learn from someone if you take the time to listen. One of the gifts of being at Wheaton is being around people from all over the world who love the Lord just like you do. 7
I think one of the most essential things to do when preparing for the transition to college life is to get mentally prepared for the first few weeks of classes and the next few years of your life, for that matter. They are not easy. And the new reality may not be what you are expecting. Everyone goes into college with goals and expectations, which is a good thing. But remember to take things one step at a time. Give it your best and work hard, but remember to take things in stride: make friends, create memories, and just enjoy the next four years of your life. They go by fast! Read about Wheaton College s transition program, Wheaton Passage, on the following page. 8
Wheaton Passage Wheaton Passage, a two-week transitional program located in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, promises to provide you with the tools you need to effectively transition into Wheaton College. Passage allows incoming freshmen or transfer students the opportunity to build friendships, gain course credit, establish a sense of community before classes begin and be mentored by faculty. There are four program options to choose from: Wilderness, Urban, Northwoods or Equestrian. Students spend the first week immersed in the program of their choice and then all students reconvene back on the grounds of HoneyRock camp before returning to campus for Orientation Week. Passage is often one of the highlights among undergraduate students. As one recent Passage attendee noted, Passage has definitely made my transition into my first year at Wheaton easier. While walking around campus during my first day of class, I recognized multiple people I met at Passage. I still hang out with my friends from Cabin 2 and others I met along the way. The community we have developed since Passage is encouraging and fun. 9