Transition to College

I know that for some of you, coming to college in the fall will be a piece of cake. Once your family says their last goodbyes and drives away into the distance, you’re on your own. Voila! No more curfew, no more restrictions (to a reasonable extent) and FUN FUN FUN. You’re welcomed into the new environment, full of roommates, suitemates, dining hall food, shared living space, and friendships waiting to be formed. Nothing sounds like more fun, right?

Yet, to others, the transition into college can leave one with contradictory feelings towards the change. “Will I get along with my roommates? Will I like the college food? What will my classes be like?” Coming to college is a completely novel experience. You are in a different environment and you are no longer in your comfort zone of being at home. Although many have the time to mentally prepare for the transition into college, the change from living at home, to living on campus may still hold difficult, as most likely, people have never experienced anything like this before.

Those feelings of anxiety that some of you may feel are completely normal. Rather than letting the anxiety about coming to college hinder your college experience, go out! Make friends with your new suitemates and roommates, meet your RA, start a game of Frisbee on the lawn… the possibilities are endless. Your perception about coming to college can have a huge affect on how you enjoy your college experience. So keep an open mind about it.

Before coming to college, I was so excited to finally be getting away from home. As the time approached for me to finally start packing up my boxes, I began to have doubts about if I would really enjoy college. Homesickness had hit me… and I hadn’t even left home yet! I had a difficult time telling my dad and sister goodbye, and as I drove away from home with my mom, it hit me; I was starting college and there was no turning back. Once I got situated here, rather than spending all my free time talking to my parents, and trying to decide when I was going to go home to visit, I tried to immerse myself in the new environment. I made the best of my orientation experience, I went to Meet the Beach, I went to all of the different college dances, and I befriended all my new floormates. By the end of welcome week, I had already pushed the idea of being homesick out of my mind.

During orientation, I realized that I was not the only one who was uneasy about the transition into college. Comfort in numbers, right? Not only did orientation allow me to see how many other people were also anxious about coming to college, it helped introduce me to the campus and college life. No longer did I feel like I was just taking one of the student led tours while visiting the campus; I felt completely integrated into the college. I had become a Triton.
As an orientation leader now, that is one of our main goals, to make the transition from home into college the easiest possible. We’re the first personal, “non-mass-email” source that you can talk to once next year starts to approach. And don’t be afraid to ask your orientation leader for any advice. I can speak on behalf of any of the Orientation leaders, saying that we’re here for you.

Remember, regardless of how you feel coming into college, the best advice I can give you, is to make the BEST of it. You only get to live college once. You’re in the prime years of your lives! Enjoy it while you can!!
WELCOME to UCSD, namely Warren College!!!
Lauren T
Freshman Orientation Leader