Adjusting to College | How to Adjust to College Life

Prepare For The Adjustment Before You Leave

Even the most prepared college freshmen go through periods of adjustment when they arrive on campus, but there are some things you can do for yourself to make the transition easier.

Spend some time during the summer reading about your new school and the city or town it’s located in. Surely, the admissions materials you received give you some indication about how students spend their time and live their lives at school, so that’s a good place to start. You can also go online and do some research into your new “hometown” for the next four years. Even if you’re a little scared, be positive. Picture yourself doing some of the cool things you read about in the school’s materials and online.

If you know people from your high school who will be attending the same college in the fall, you might think about getting together with them before you arrive on campus. Also, some schools send out your roommate information during the summer. If your school does this for you, drop your roommate a line via email or even pick up the phone and start planning what you think your room should be like, who will bring what, etc.

Visit During The Spring, The Summer, or Arrive Early If You Can!

A great way to begin adjusting to college life is to take advantage of programs colleges offer during the spring semester for newly admitted students. You might be able to have an overnight visit with a current student who can show you the ropes before you enter as a student, which will go a long way toward making you comfortable when you officially move in the fall.

If your school doesn’t offer such a program, consider making a trip to your college over the summer with your family or some friends. The school will be quiet at this time of year, but you can familiarize yourself with the location of the math building, for example, if you know for sure that’s where you’ll be taking some classes. You can also scout the location of your dorm, the gym, the student union — anything you’ve read about that might be of interest to you.

Barring a summer excursion or a spring overnight stay, perhaps you and your family can arrive a day or two ahead of the official move-in day. This will help you adjust to your new surroundings, because you’ll have family members around you to help you do it. Arranging to spend some time in your new school’s town with your family prior to the move-in day will also make saying goodbye that much easier.

About the Author

Review more industry related articles by Elizabeth Saas at CareersandEducation.com. Elizabeth Saas is a feature writer and often covers topics related to Campus degree programs and Career Advice.

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