Get ready for transition to college

Get Ready for Transition to College

By 19th Jun, 2014 | 11:32 am

School is the most cherished part of your lives with which you associate all your childhood friends and memories. There must’ve been times you hated going to school and wished when all of it was over. Now, when it’s finally over, you’re yet to come to terms with the fact that you won’t be seeing the same old building you’ve grown used to for most part of your life.

Courtesy: www.simpletuition.com

Yes, you’ll be no longer under the protective watch of your teachers. Whether you like it or not, it’s time to enter a different place, leaving behind all the sweet nostalgia, which is going to shape up your life.

College is a discontinuation and yet a continuation of school in a lot of ways. There are few things you’ll like about college (the independence you’re entrusted with being one) which can be both a boon and a bane.

Here are a few things which you can expect to come across while you step into college:

A new world: Unlike school, you’ll have enough freedom to do as you like. You can walk out in the middle of the college or bunk a class. But with greater freedom comes greater responsibilities. So, use the freedom given wisely or else one fine day you’ll wake up to a mountain load of work.

Building connections and not barriers with the other sex: It will be different if you’ve studied 15 years of your lives in an all-boys or all-girls school. You may find it awkward communicating freely with the other sex, but don’t run into a cold sweat or shy away just because you aren’t sure. Communicating with the other gender is an important lesson if you’re working in a team and has life-long implications.

Adapting to a new city: Well, this can be fun as well as a pain for you. India is a diverse country, as you all know. That may well mean you’ll be having the regional food more than which you aren’t used to. Language can be a big problem. Having a local friend and getting well-versed with the local culture are always welcome.

Homesickness: It may well happen that in the initial few months, you’ll be longing for ‘ghar ka khana’ (home food) or being under the protection of your parents or missing your school friends. It’s useless battling all these emotions which can make your stay unbearable.

Accept the positive change which has come into your life. One thing you’ll learn for sure is that nothing is permanent in life. So, deal with the present rather than getting stuck with your past.

Being open-minded and ready to rough it out: This is a potent solution to the problems stated above. Try keeping an open mind. Be open to ideas and to people. Staying out of the house isn’t easy as you’re doing it for the first time. However, it can be fun as well if you come across the right kind of people.

Always use your spare time doing something which you could never do at home. You’ll have the ample space and time to re-discover your self and pursue your passion.

Find a good set of friends: This is difficult but important. Your group can set or break your life. Try keeping away from unnecessary and unhealthy competition and negative peer pressure. When you get the right group, you can create wonders like coming together, networking and honing your collective skills like singing, sports or any other creative thing.

Shed your inhibitions; sometimes, professors can be good friends: A lot of times, your professors can turn into your best buddies. They have years of experience and can act as your guiding light when you’re lost. Sometimes, they can understand your problems better than your friends or your parents and can come up with the right solutions.

At the end, it’s all about the education you get and the experience you gather. When you set foot in college, time tends to fly without you even noticing. Don’t compromise on your education; it was the foremost reason you worked hard to get yourself into college. Even if you lose interest in the middle, you can always learn something useful which will benefit you in the future.

Sayan Ganguly