High school to college, the transition

The transition from high school to college can be seen as difficult and even a burden on every senior's shoulders. As a college freshman, I have gone through the stress of starting something new and I would like to tell any graduating senior and any one with college in their near future to not worry too much. My advice is to continue to work hard as you did in high school but to step it up a notch, and remember that your biggest fears are the least of your worries.

I remember throughout my senior year I felt ready for college, and then one week before starting my first day in college, I was suddenly so nervous. I didn't know how I was going to make friends, how I would last through the long classes and how would would avoid getting lost on campus. After my first day, I learned that the transition is fairly easy. As a shy person, I was shocked at how friendly people were. Of course there are those that stay off to the side amongst their own friends, but I found that most people feel just like you and want to make friends. The friends that I made in my first week of college are already some of the best friends I have ever had.

As for the long classes, I didn't think I could make it through an hour and a half-long class when in high school each class was just forty-five minutes long. The format of a college course is very different from high school. Most classes meet twice a week and all the work that you would do in a week by meeting every day in high school is lumped into two days. I personally like this, because you are able to finish understanding topics when you have more time in the class room, instead of your high school teacher struggling to teach what he or she can in forty-five minutes and not starting at the same place the following day. The hour and a half classes allow students to grasp concepts and remember them better.

Getting lost is inevitable and it happens to everyone. My best advice to prevent this is to pay close attention during your orientation. I learned where the library was, where I could spend my long breaks and where I could go for any guidance. Don't forget, there are always people in the halls that are willing to help. Since the first day of college, I've lost count of how many students have asked me where a room was. There is no harm in asking, or if you choose not to, then give yourself extra time to find the class and get ready for the professor's instruction. College is a big step up from high school, but that doesn't mean that it has to be difficult.

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