Are You Sure You're Ready For College?

College, what an amazing time in a young adult's life. Adapting to college is what can be the struggle for many. Attending a university is a period of transition in multiple ways. Learning how to time manage, socialize, and adapt to campus life can be hard for most students. Learning how to manage stress as well can be a very difficult thing for new students to do as well.

“Time management is going to be one of the hardest things for a new student to learn,” says Jenna Hernandez, a college student from the University of South Florida. “Students don’t realize that their time outside of the classroom is valuable and needs to be used wisely. One of the best ways to manage time is to plan out when you’re going to do what works. Writing it down in a planner helps visualize what you have to get done.” Jenna is a current freshman studying Communications and New Media, “studying does take up a lot of your time, but when you can manage it correctly you can make time for yourself.” Most students find that almost everything revolves around time management in college and this is a crucial thing to master as soon as possible. Thus, Jenna leaves us with this helpful piece of advice, “Don’t spread yourself too thin because you will burn out before you have even started.” 

First-year college students have high expectations for what college life is going to be like way before they even leave home. About to enter their adult stage, eager to have more freedom and new adventures. Many students don’t realize that with such freedom comes increased responsibility. Freshman students must make important decisions on how and when to study, socialize, get involved, manage stress levels, and much more. This is an important part of a freshman student in college. Though getting involved is a great way to meet people, depending on what you get involved in it could take up a great deal of time. Potentially taking any from any time set aside for studying and homework.

“Most students find college to be more stressful than high school, especially in terms of higher-stake tests and assignments,” says Wendy the writer of My College Guide. You're going to experience the stress of college, it’s part of the experience. Being able to understand how to manage and cope with it is something a lot of students fail at. All Universities have resources available for their students to get the help they need. Don’t be afraid to ask about these programs and services. Seek help when you need it because it will help you have the best outcome. 

“The college years are a developmentally crucial period when students make the transition from late adolescence to emerging adulthood. (Arnett, 2000)” They are entering a new chapter in their lives. These students have never felt what it's like to live on their own until now. You deserve to know all the struggles before entering your freshman, instead of facing them head-on when you get there.

Work cited

Bruffaerts, Ronny, et al. “Mental Health Problems in College Freshmen: Prevalence and Academic Functioning.” Journal of Affective Disorders, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5846318/. 

Burt-Thomas, Wendy. “Roadblocks Most College Freshmen Will Face.” My College Guide, 10 Nov. 2019, mycollegeguide.org/articles/college-courses/college-freshmen-problems. 

Photo By: Emily Hernandez