My First Year > The Transition
The Transition
The transition to college-level studies can be a difficult process for many students. All students experience some level of anxiety as they leave familiar surroundings behind for new academic challenges. Thomas J. Thomas, Executive Director of University College has many years of experience preparing high school students for a successful transition to college. His experiences include serving as a counselor and administrator with government programs designed to assist first-generation students to achieve a higher education. In the following responses, he shares the experiences of first-year students who had to make the adjustment to college.
Do all students experience the same difficulties in their first semester?
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Wilkes University Campus |
Thomas: No. There are similarities as students face the same obstacles, but they are affected in various ways. It is always important for those of us who work with first-year students to remember that we have to take the time to get to know each student before we can have some sense about their experience.
What are the most common obstacles that first-year students face?
Thomas: Generally, they fit two major the categories. The first includes all the aspects of adapting to a new environment and everything that goes with it. The second category includes all those challenges that come with higher academic expectations.
What do first-year students need to know about adapting to college?
Thomas: Most importantly, that the environment is new to everyone, so no student need feel alone in the anxiety that comes with beginning studies at a University. A number of psychologists have claimed that adjusting to new environments and confronting new situations present the ultimate test of our intelligence. In other words, while a paper and pencil test may present challenges, it is our ability to adapt to our new environment as a whole that is the true test.
Is there anything that students can do to make the adjustment easier?
Thomas: Yes, there are many things. First keep things in perspective by focusing on the fact that everyone must make adjustments. True, some students are better prepared for the academic challenges, and some students adapt easier to changesAugust 27, 2006 take advantage of all the supports in place to help students adapt. Every year, we assist hundreds of students with their transition and have become quite good at creating a supportive environment. It is important to remember that overall, colleges are supportive environments designed to help students succeed.
Finally, be patient. Know that almost everything about Wilkes will appear much more familiar when students return for their second semester.
Is there one obstacle to tAugust 27, 2006trong> Thomas: No single obstacle comes to mind in my experience because students come to the University with various levels of preparedness. However, generally, the gap between high school expectations and those found at colleges has been becoming wider. As a result, students are often surprised that their professors will not accept minimum effort in many instances. It takes time for students to learn to raise their own expectations.
Otherwise, there are the usual challenges of managing time and developing effective learning strategies. Students who are dedicated to improving these skills usually find that they experience an easier transition. After all, new environments require new strategies to be successful and some students are slow to realize this and continue applying the same strategies they used in high school.
Are intelligence and SAT scores important to a successful transition to college?
Thomas: If given a choice, I would always choose to be more intelligent, but there is little to suggest that college entrance exams measure intelligence. If intelligence tests or SATs were that accurate, we would be able to predict the award winners of the departmental awards four years from now.
I would also choose higher SAT scores, if for no other reason than they would probably give a student more confidence when confronted with academic tasks. Otherwise, it is important for students to remember that professors do not see their SAT scores. They only see a student’s performance during the extent of a particular class, and there are many factors that affect the learning process. I suspect that most professors would be surprised to learn the SAT scores of their students after the course grades were assigned at the conclusion of a semester.
So students are best focusing on their learning process and not worrying about their scores on standardized tests. The important thing about a higher education is to make the effort to learn more everyday. The cumulative effect of this process on intelligence and overall success is astounding. But like all areas of human performance, it takes consistent practice and intense focus.