Transitions and Change

The new school year is here. It is a time for new friends, new adventures and new stresses. College life creates a variety of experiences and situations that often cause students stress:

·Leaving friends and significant others

· Having a roommate

· Struggling with financial burdens

· Experiencing increased freedom and responsibility

· Completing class projects, taking exams and making other deadlines

· Choosing a major

· Making new friends

· Participating in a variety of extracurricular activities

· Balancing school, work, and social life

· Discovering who you are

 

Feeling excited, overwhelmed, lonely and confused is common. The first step to coping with these changes is to accept that your mixed feelings are normal. What else can you do to adjust to the changes?

1. Remember past adjustments. Think about the times in your past that you have lived through change and transitions and were able to adjust.

2. Establish a routine. Routine provides a sense of comfort and familiarity to our lives.

3. Talk to other students, RA's, RD’s, staff or faculty members. It is often helpful to realize others are experiencing the same feelings you are and to be supported.

4. Focus on the positives. You made it to college!

5. Become involved. The best way to meet people and feel a part of your new environment is to become involved in campus activities.

If you continue to have difficulty adjusting, contact the school counselor. Seeking help is a proactive way to solve problems and grow as a person.

 

Check out these web sites for more information on
adjusting to college life:

Last modified by webmaster@ncwc.edu on 05/09/07
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