Big changes for incoming students
One adjustment for freshman college students is the responsibility of waking up on their own. Photo courtesy of Photopin
By Kieren Wilson
As an incoming freshman in college everyone has a lot of anxiety and questions. What will the first day be like? Will it be easy to make friends? Will the classes be hard? Those are just a few of the many questions running through the average college freshman’s mind. Everyone remembers their first experience as a freshman in college and it is not always an easy transition. The surprising cost of a textbook and finding classes on the first day can be overwhelming for some and an exciting new chapter of life for others.
“My high school didn’t really prepare me for college. The classes and assignments here are much harder and there’s also a lot more pressure to pass classes,” said freshman Blake Harris.
In the case of most students, it is not always an easy transition to college from high school. Luckily here at Waldorf the classes are much smaller and the teaching is much more hands on so freshman can have a similar experience to high school while still learning college curriculum.
As a freshman some of the hardest challenges to adjust to can be the newfound independence of having to wake up for class without a parent to make sure your not still lying in bed. “Getting up and going to class is the hardest to adjust to. Mommy’s not there to wake me up anymore,” said Harris.
Some students have a much easier time making friends and meeting people, while introverted freshman can struggle in this area. In the case of a student athlete there is usually a whole summer of practice before school starts and the interaction with teammates and coaches can be a helpful ice breaker for a college freshman.
“Having fall camp during the summer and going through double days with my teammates made adjusting to college that much easier. By the time classes actually started I felt more like a sophomore then an incoming freshman,” said freshman Zibrex Cabel.
The new adjustments to college are usually numerous, but those adjustments and anxiety disappear for most after the first semester concludes. In some cases the anxiety is just the beginning. The key is to remain positive and enjoy new interactions with people of all backgrounds. Also, understand that there are a multitude of resources available to help in case a student is having trouble adjusting to life in college.
At times it can seem big, busy and overwhelming but college is basically like high school without parents. So enjoy it and take advantage of everything college has to offer.
“The thing I love about college is that I can do what I want when I want. No one to tell me what to do and when I have success, I can be satisfied knowing that I am solely responsible for that success,” said freshman Michael Payton.