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The transition to college has shown to be very hard, by many, generations. The struggles of the transition can cause depression, learned helplessness, and even dropping out of college completely.

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MEFA - Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority

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The transition from high school to college is known to be a difficult adjustment for most. During high school, I had the experience of moving from one end of the country to the other, and starting afresh in a new high school. With that move under my belt, I thought the transition from high school to college would be an easy one for me. As well, I consider myself to be pretty independent. I was home-schooled in high school and responsible for my schoolwork. I kept my room clean without my parent's asking. And I'm capable of preparing basic meals and taking care of myself. Before freshman year began, I also connected with my roommate, and knew of several people from high school who would be attending the same college. The transition from high school to college didn't intimidate me or make me anxious at all.

But as it turned out, moving on to college from high school life was tough. First, academics proved to be a struggle, as classes became more demanding than what I had experienced in my high school courses. College required more effort to study for exams and stay on top of assignments. I also entered college as an undeclared major, and as a result, my school required me to take some classes of no interest to me. Friends were more difficult to make, as I didn't immediately get involved in any activities when I arrived on campus. Friendships in my classes didn't form as easily as they had in high school. I didn't see eye to eye with my roommate, which made my living environment stressful. And even the food made the transition to college harder, as nothing was comforting and familiar like my mom's cooking.

When second semester of my freshman year rolled around, I was not happy with my college experience. At first, I did not take into account what I could do to make my time at school more enjoyable. I instead seriously contemplated transferring. But after a lot of thinking, I knew I needed to make some changes. I decided that it was not necessarily the school that was the problem, but my attitude about my circumstances. I needed to find happiness at UNH within myself.

As I began second semester, I heard about auditions for my college's dance team and decided to try out. After making the team and only a day of being surrounded by my teammates, I knew that I had found my niche. Engaging in an activity with a group of individuals that share my same passion really turned my college experience around. In fact, joining the dance team has been the best decision that I have made during my college experience so far. Being a part of the UNH dance team has kept me busy. It has taught me time management skills and how to work in a group. It also surrounded me with love and great friendships that I would not have been able to find elsewhere.

If you're a student feeling uncertain about your college experience, or a high schooler headed to college this fall, take some advice from me. It might take a bit to time to find your footing on campus. The environment will feel unfamiliar, and you likely won't have your friends and family around you to make life comfortable. But if you're patient with yourself, and branch out to try to new things and find people who share your interests, you'll eventually find your niche. And once you do, college will be a fun and growing experience.
Sabelle A. Bento-Wittman is from Stratham, NH and is currently a sophomore at the University of New Hampshire. She is a social work major and a proud member of the UNH dance team.
Tagged with: College

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Surviving the transition from high school to college

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The transition from high school to college is known to be a difficult adjustment for most. During high school, I had the experience of moving from one end of the country to the other, and starting afresh in a new high school. With that move under my belt, I thought the transition from high school ...

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1.Visit The Edge website @Emich.edu/edge
2.Read About the things the Edge Program Offers
3.Contact adviser for more information if wanted .
4.Apply for Edge
5.Attend Edge Events

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Joining programs like the Edge Program will be beneficial to student who are first year or need help transition from high school to college.This program offers a success coach, tutoring and study tables that helps dramatically for students.

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Now in its 20th year, the EMU Edge is a four-year academic support program designed to help students realize their higher education goals, beginning with the transition from high school to college, and continuing until graduation. Students who are admitted to the University on an academic plan by the Office of Admissions may apply to participate with the Edge Program.

Edge provides students with free academic workshops, training in study skills, academic monitoring, individualized instruction and advising assistance. The majority of students that participate in Edge successfully move on to their sophomore year at Eastern Michigan University.

Find out more about the Edge program by watching the video below.

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Now in its 20th year, the EMU Edge is a four-year academic support program designed to help students realize their higher education goals, beginning with the transition from high school to college, and continuing until graduation. Students who are admitted to the University on an academic plan by the Office of Admissions may apply to participate with the Edge Program.

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Only half of U.S. students think their high schools have prepared them with the knowledge and skills they need for college, according to recent survey data.

Compiled by the nonprofit YouthTruth, the data reveal an uncertainty among high schoolers in how to become ready for college and careers.

The survey didn't require students to explain why they felt they way they did - but anonymous comments provide some clues.

"They just want us to have high grades, and that's what most kids are doing by cheating or studying really hard, not by actually learning something," one student wrote. "School has taught us that having better grades is better than actually learning something, and that's not how it should be."

Another student wished for a bigger push toward college support services:

"I'm actually really upset that my school doesn't do more to help their students with the scary and confusing process. They haven't helped me in choosing a major, choosing a school, applying to that school, knowing what I need to do to get into my dream school, how to pay for my school, what I should expect from college life, or even to help me register for scholarships or other things that could help me pay for my university."

The percentage of students who reported feeling prepared varied slightly across demographics, with 56 percent of Asian students saying they are ready, compared with 53 percent of black, 52 percent of Hispanic, 50 percent of white, and 46 percent of multiracial students. It also varied widely across schools, with the lowest score 11 percent and the highest 78 percent.

Although a majority of students - 84 percent - said they want to go to college, only 68 percent said they expect they will.

And many admitted they weren't using college prep resources. Only about one-third of students said they use tools like admissions exam preparation or college counseling, though a majority of the students who did use the services found them helpful.

"There's a clear message that there is a lot of work to be done," said Jen Vorse Wilka, executive director of YouthTruth.

The surveys were taken between September 2015 and December 2016 by more than 55,000 high school students in 21 states. The students were 29 percent white, 28 percent Hispanic or Latino, 13 percent multiracial, 12.5 percent black, and 3.25 percent Asian.

The data are not nationally representative, as they are collected from schools that pay to participate in YouthTruth programs and surveys.

"It's a reality check to let us know what our kids really think versus what we think they would say," said Brian Shumate, superintendent of the Medford School District in Oregon.

Though the data represent the perceptions of high school students who haven't yet attended college classes, educators said the information is valuable for checking in on how students think their education is progressing.

"We have to trust our students' perceptions; they are our clients. They know themselves," said John Boyd, superintendent of the Quincy School District in the state of Washington. "If they're not feeling prepared for college, we've got to make them feel prepared for college."

There certainly isn't a shortage of programs districts can choose from for college preparation, said Quincy Assistant Superintendent Nikolas Bergman. That's why comparing student perception data and college-going rates is helpful when sifting through these offerings. Bergman said he has noticed students reporting that they feel more prepared for college since the district adopted AVID, a program that starts in eighth grade with college-readiness skills and behaviors. (Students gave the district an average YouthTruth preparedness score of 3.47 on a scale of 1 to 5, ranking in the 41st percentile of similarly sized schools.)

" School has taught us that having better grades is better than actually learning something. "

But they're still experimenting: The district takes students on college tours as early as sixth grade, uses teaching resources designed for high-poverty and migrant populations, and is expanding dual credit courses. "We want to do things that are making a difference," Bergman said.

Medford students gave their district a college-preparedness ranking of 3.05, which falls in the 12th percentile of similarly sized schools. This surprised Shumate - but gave him ammunition to advocate for a career-academy model. The program is in its beginning stages: Currently, freshmen in Medford pick a subject pathway, similar to a college major, to take specialized classes that fit their interests.

"We want it to be more like the outside world," Shumate said.

In 2011-12, 29 percent of students at four-year colleges and 41 percent of those enrolled at two-year schools had to take remedial classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. In 2015, only one-third of high school seniors scored at or above proficiency in reading and math on the National Assessment of Student Progress, known as the Nation's Report Card.

A 2011 nationally representative survey conducted for College Board found slightly better perceptions for students who were surveyed one year after graduating from high school. About two-thirds of students said their high schools did a good job of preparing them for college and college-level work, while one-third said their high schools should have done more.

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When It Comes to College, Only Half of America's High Schoolers Say They Feel Prepared, Survey Finds

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Only half of U.S. students think their high schools have prepared them with the knowledge and skills they need for college, according to recent survey data. Compiled by the nonprofit YouthTruth, the data reveal an uncertainty among high schoolers in how to become ready for college and careers.

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Student feel that high schools have not taught them the skills or knowledge they need to be successful in a college class.This issue is why most student are afraid to go to college or doesn't finish college at all.