Adjusting to College

              Going to college requires many adjustment; some favorable and not so favorable. While you are still supposed to be going to school to learn things, the style in which you learn, your support system, as well as your lifestyle changes. Most of the learning becomes independent, there is no one forcing you to do anything and your lifestyle is more independent.

                For starters, the biggest adjustment for me was the learning style. I always did my own work and went to class without my parents or teachers forcing me to do anything, but the biggest difference for me was how the material was presented. I was accustomed to being spoon-fed information in high school, not doing textbook reading, and only half paying attention in class. I learned that this method does NOT work in college. I found that it is extremely important to do the textbook reading the night before, so I went into class with an idea of what we were talking about. In the lectures in college, a lot more information is crammed in, so the more of an idea you have of the material before you go in, the better. I also found that reviewing my notes after class and redoing problems that were done in class can be extremely beneficial to help you learning. Studying in groups with friends in your class is also extremely helpful. Chances are that one of your friends understands what you don’t, and there is someone else who has the same question as you. In college, you really have to make your struggles vocal; this includes taking advantage of office hours. Just do it. The teachers offer office hours in order to help you, so take advantage of this resource that you’re paying for.

                The next biggest adjustment for me in college was the independence and freedom. I found out that I could waste so much time on nothing. I discovered that I need to organize my day and plan out my activities. It is really helpful to print out the schedule from eLion and pencil in your meetings, office hours, and other events. This helped me to keep from socializing too much, allowing me to get my work done. Yes, socializing is good, but in moderation like everything else. One of my favorite quotes is “Everything is good in moderation, including moderation.” I think it speaks for itself with scheduling!

                As for meal times, it is so important to eat three balanced meals a day, you just feel so much healthier and you’re so much more productive. While sometimes it’s hard to force yourself to get up and go to the dining commons instead of microwaving something, do it. It’s a good time to socialize, get away from your room and work, and to give yourself a break. It is such a bummer that you can’t just walk downstairs to mom or dads cooking, but when you go home, it makes you appreciate their cooking so much more!

                College opens the door to a lot of opportunities, and don’t take anything for granted! Getting used to being away from home, as well as classes and the new lifestyle can be a lot at first but after a little bit of time, it will come naturally. You will find that your new family at Penn State will support everything you do!

Nikki Stoner is a junior in Industrial Engineering, and she is a Mentor for WEPO '14!