The Transition
The transition from high school to college was a major shock and a very big change from what I was used to in high school. I lived in a very small town and went to a school that had a graduating class of 60. And then coming to a university that has a population of 25,000 was mind blowing. It took some time to get use to, so many different faces all the time, because where I lived everyone knew each other here I’m lucky if I know fifty people. Getting the hang of things at first was overwhelming and it still is at times.
The high school that I went to barley prepared us for college. The faculty/ staff still treated some of us like little kids. We were always reminded when homework was due and when our next test was. In college you have to be responsible for that by your own self. Your professors don’t constantly remind you when an assignment is due. The work we had to do was mediocre compared to what I have to do now in college. Sometimes I wonder if my college transition would have been a little bit easier if the work I had to in high school was a little bit more challenging.
For college you definitely have to be prepared academically, physically, and mentally. You go from knowing just about everybody in your hometown to knowing no one at all. Once we were the oldest at our school then we go back to being the youngest. Which is really a big change. The classrooms get a whole lot bigger. No longer is it just fifteen students in one class now its 100 or more. Mentally you have to prepare yourself for that because your teacher may not even know who you are when there are that many people in one class. It is now your responsibility to ask for help on anything you don’t understand because your professor won’t know and could probably care less if you don’t speak up. I can say I was physically prepared because I am a very independent person. I do what I am supposed to and go to class when I have class. So getting up for class or even deciding to go to class is very easy for me. Me personally I don’t need a constant reminder all the time I just get it done.
The transition from high school to college was challenging at first, I had to get used to not having my parents around, and having total freedom. I can say my first semester at college was great, and you learn a lot about yourself. Even though my high school didn’t prepare me academically, physically, and mentally I think I am doing a pretty good job. Even though my transition wasn’t easy, all of my professors have been very helpful. Somebody is always there to help you, and make sure that you are on the right track to success.