Time of Transition

College is a period of profound transition. Many swift changes drastically affect peoples' lives; they know it's going to happen, of course, but the exact changes are quite hard to predict. Nevertheless, some things that happen are so common that they can be confidently predicted. People who anticipate these changes and prepare themselves for what's to come generally have a much better time, and they do better here as well.

Moving away from home to live in a dorm or residence hall or off-campus dwelling is a deep lifestyle change. Many of the subtle things we previously took for granted can be painfully absent in the first weeks of college. Losing the things we are used to, such as an (at least) occasionally made bed, consistent home-cooked meals, a solid family support system right over your shoulder, seldom having to do your own laundry, and having a roommate who you don't know and haven't chosen, can serve as a fierce shock to any incoming student. Indeed, many students have difficulty in first dealing with their roommate or getting used to cafeteria food.

There is a second, perhaps even more serious transition that some students fail to accommodate. In the beginning of your first semester, coursework may appear to be remarkably simple. Students can decline to complete their reading assignments without an obvious, immediate consequence. Some professors do not penalize students who miss class, and offer everything that's in their lectures online. Some classes have little graded coursework at all, with only midterm and final scores counting towards your final mark or GPA. As well, peers may well not be entirely dedicated to academics; they can behave in noisy, smelly and generally objectionable kinds of ways.

Some students feel the temptation to join in. Others are distracted or frustrated or angry, to the point that their concentration is affected. Not only that: all these distractions can also distort the idea of what being a successful college student actually entails. You forget why you came.

As the semester continues throughout the weeks, however, academic coursework intensifies. Students who slacked off early on academically begin to fall behind. Professors regularly require that students apply what was learned or supposed to be learned, in class and in assignments. Hard for the people who never did get around to doing much of anything in September and October.

For these and other reasons, some people have a very disappointing first semester. But for the ones who do succeed in that crucial first semester, much of the most challenging parts of college is past; difficulties and disappointments overcome.

Here at least, the students who do well are the ones who train themselves to say, “Sounds like a good time, but I'm too busy tonight.” And they're the ones who are willing to work harder than they did in High School.