How to Transition from High School to College

Student Life 
How to Transition from High School to College

Choosing a college is a huge undertaking, with many late nights spent filling out online applications, requesting transcripts and letters of recommendation, and—lest we forget—writing those sleep-depriving personal statements. But you keep your eye on the prize, thinking once you have chosen the right school for you, all that stress will fade away . . .

Or does it?

The transition from high school to the college of your choice can be stressful too. But I’m here to help you take that stress and channel it in order to become a productive, happy, healthy contributor to your new college or university. It’s really not that hard. It’s actually pretty fun! So strap yourself in and get ready.

Let’s start from the beginning,

You have chosen your college. You’ve submitted your housing information, perhaps filled out a roommate questionnaire, and picked out your meal plan. Maybe you’ve even gotten letters or e-mails from your academic advisor. You’re ready to make the transition from high school senior to college freshman. So, now what?

Freshman orientation is a great way to jump into your new surroundings. Most colleges and universities have summer programs that bring all new students together for a day or so not only to break the ice but to also get some business done so you don’t have to run around in a frenzy once the semester officially starts. Make every effort to attend your orientation! This is your school’s way of helping you reach that first rung on the ladder to a successful transition. You won’t succeed in that transition unless you know what to expect. That’s what orientation is all about.

You’re in college now

It’s finally happening: you are a bona fide college student. Believe it or not, most people will consider you an adult now, which can be scary because with this “adult” label comes responsibility. Your responsibility. Professors might give you assignments, but they can’t really tell you what to do. You have an unprecedented level of freedom, with no parents, no siblings—wait, no parents?! Who will tell you when to get up? When to go to class? When your assignments are due? Yes, these new responsibilities can be a stressful part of the transition, but students have proven time and time again that they can survive it. You will too!

Time management is your friend

It’s pretty simple: If you embrace time management, you will be successful as a college student. If you don’t, well, you can guess what will happen. So what does “time management” really mean? It’s basically looking at all your assignments, events, and responsibilities and then planning your time accordingly.

A rule of thumb: for every hour in the classroom, you should plan on three hours of studying outside the classroom. This is not like high school where you might be able to study the night before and pass a test or exam. College exams come perhaps only twice a semester, which means they cover a lot. If you don’t keep up with the studying and learn to manage your time, those exams could prove to be problematic. You don’t want that to happen.

Class flexibility figures into your time management too. Your class time isn’t structured like high school; the bell doesn’t ring when you have to change classes, and your class times will vary greatly depending on the day and between semesters. Some classes might be 50 minutes; some might be three hours! (True story. If you have to take any sort of lab, you’ll see.) These fluid class schedules are great in a lot of ways, but they also make effective time management skills even more important.

More money, more problems

Financial responsibility is a pretty new concept for most students transitioning from high school to college, especially when it comes to paying for tuition. FAFSA, Perkins Loans, Pell grants, subsidized and unsubsidized loans—these terms may not mean anything to you now, but believe me, they will.

Part of your new responsibilities as a college student is to be financially fit and not abuse any financial aid or other funds you may receive. Students sometimes see the need to take out more money in loans than necessary so they can use it for personal expenses in college. This is not a good idea, because six months after graduationjob or no job—you have to start paying that money back. If you, like most students, need to take a loan or two out to make ends meet, that’s fine, but don’t overdo it. Remember to think long term. Be financially responsible now so you will be able to pay your debts after graduation.

A different kind of “social responsibility

College is social. High school was too, but in college your fellow students can be a surprisingly important and influential part of your life. They will help you in study groups or with tutoring. They will be your support system when your family and hometown are hundreds or thousands of miles away. They will even enter the workforce with you as your peers and professional network for years to come.

You need to put yourself out there and be social to reap the benefits of surrounding yourself with supportive students, professors, and other staff. Do not be afraid to introduce yourself to faculty, staff, or fellow students, especially at the beginning of your college experience. Taking advantage of your college’s community is another new responsibility on your plate. This isn’t like high school, where relationships are made by the mere fact you are in the same homeroom with the same people every day for four years. In college, you may meet someone new every day for four years!

You may not be able to remember everyone’s names, at least not in the beginning, but this is how the transition helps you give back. When you become an upperclassman, you’ll have the opportunity to introduce yourself to those shy freshmen you see coming in the next few years. It will be up to you to help make them comfortable in their new surroundings.

It will be overwhelming at times. You will meet people from new places, new backgrounds, new ethnic groups, and new religions. You will meet people who challenge you—and not always in a good way—and people you will wish you had met years earlier. Remember, each new person is a new opportunity. You just don’t realize it yet. But you will.

Don’t sweat the small stuff”

So said Dr. Richard Carlson in his famous book. Remember those words. Live them. You will experience so many awesome things once you leave high school, you won’t ever want to go back and you won’t remember the little stuff that bothered you. Your college experience will comprise some of the best times of your life, memories you will carry with you for a long time. Just keep these tips in mind, and your transition will be a success.....

A taste of "Thailand"

A taste of Thailand
Let me preface this article with the disclaimer that in my ten-day excursion to Thailand, I visited three areas – Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai – which were all hubs of tourist activity. With the tourist industry comes a tendency towards Westernisation, and I only wish I had the knowledge of the Thai language to have enabled me to venture out into lesser-known parts of the country. Since I was constrained to the trodden paths, my experience of Thai food may not have been in its spiciest and most ‘authentic’ form. But then again, this may well have been a good thing for me given my weak palette for spice!

With the exception of a few delicious green curries, I erred away from dishes that sounded suspiciously spicy and chilli-filled. Instead, I found myself eating an awful lot of rice-based dishes. I have always been an avid fan of rice – an underrated comfort food – but I must confess, by day ten, even I thought I never wanted to see a grain of rice again!

The first thing that strikes me about the food I ate in Thailand is how light and healthy it is. My first (and possibly favorite) meal of the holiday was on a boat tour off the coast of Phuket. It was a buffet meal on a ‘floating island’ called Koh Panyi, which enabled us all to sample a range of dishes. At the spicier end of the selection was a chicken curry with coconut rice, which was much enjoyed by the sterner-palettes of my fellow travelers. However, for me, the main delight of the meal was a garlic pork dish, which was slightly salty, rich and indulgent, served with vegetable fried rice.

  It was here that I discovered that fried rice in Thailand is a far healthier and lighter dish than its typical student takeaway equivalent.
In spite of the name of the dish, the rice and vegetables are often boiled rather than fried and then briefly cooked together with some oil (and soy sauce plays no part in the occasion!) At this first lunch, I made a discovery that changed my experience of the rest of the trip – homemade oyster sauce. Although I’d only ever encountered oyster sauce before as a slightly sweet and nondescript flavoring in a dish at Wagamamas, this oyster sauce was salty, rich and sweet all at the same time, and, when served together with some boiled vegetables, created a meal I could have eaten for days!

When we hit Bangkok, we found ourselves surrounded by the far greater degree of culinary choices. On our first night, some friendly Germans from our hostel invited us to join them for dinner in Chinatown. While every big city in the world has a Chinatown, this experience was something quite different – the restaurants were set up from makeshift tables, boxes and stools and one chef was cooking every meal before our eyes from a few flaming-hot woks. This combination of factors gave the place a very homely feel. The menu presented to us was written in Thai so we had only good luck/my tactic of pointing at an appealing dish on a neighbouring table (which was much to the amusement of the waiter) to go by. It was certainly an adventure but I struck gold with a sweet and sour pork dish, which was not only delicious but also incredibly cheap!

By the time we reached Chiang Mai, we were pretty familiar with the format of a Thai restaurant menu. Popular dishes we sampled included, of course, Pad Thai (I tried this once despite disliking peanuts – which is often a key ingredient), Kuay Tiew (a wonderful light noodle soup), and Gai Med Ma Moung (chicken with cashew nuts, but be warned, this can sometimes be unexpectedly spicy!).

On the drinks front, Thailand also had a few delights to offer. I very much enjoyed the famous ‘Mai Tai’ cocktail, which was often served creatively in a pineapple. Anyone who enjoys rum will love this drink, however, probably not as strong as they make it in Thailand and sadly not for only about £3! You’ll also find alcoholic drinks flavoured with fruits like mango, passionfruit and the very suspicious (and gross!) durian.

On the ‘morning after’ side of things, Thailand surprised us all with various little coffee spots. As the climate was extremely humid, we leant towards iced coffee, which took the form of a black coffee with ice and was served alongside a cup of this hot, very sweet milky concoction to add to taste (I added the whole cup to satisfy my sweet tooth!). This drink proved a refreshing and invaluable cure on several mornings to prepare us for a day of sightseeing

Things to do before you leave university 25 to 50

Things to do before you leave university 25 to 50

26. Swim in a fountain (campus if possible, town will do)

27. Go paddling on a hot day

28. Hold your own Come Dine With Me with other student houses

29. Take part in a protest

30. Write in to the uni radio station or newspaper

31. Dress up! As a fictional character, an animal - anything

32. If you think a lecture was particularly good, try and instigate a standing ovation

33. Do something – anything! – silly, for charity

34. Give your parents a in depth tour of all the great stuff you do and love at University (It'll make for an amazing trip for them, and make them feel happy whenever they think of you at uni)

35. Have a sleepover

36. Play an elaborate prank on a housemate

37. Win a pub quiz (whatever it takes)

38. Make a kite and fly it

39. Have an 80s montage house cleaning session, with appropriate outfits and music blaring

40. Go on a blind date

41. Find out the names of all those people you know far too well to not know their names

42. Dye your hair

43. Sleep out under the stars

44. Make a movie starring your friends and your favourite places

45. Celebrate something by doing the classic shake up a bottle of champagne and spraying it all over yourself and everywhere (or at least do it with sparkling wine..!)

46. Make friends with a student from a country you've never known someone from or been to before

47. Go inside (and have a little explore of) every building that is part of the university

48. Become a wise mentor for a Fresher doing your course. Tell them what you wish you'd known

49. Learn a new sport or instrument or activity that you never thought you would

50. Get loads of discounts, free things and cool stuff by joining the UK's largest student money saving club studentbeans.com, of course

Top 25 things to do before you leave university

Top 1 to 25 things to do before you leave university

1. Feed the campus wildlife

2. Have an epic karaoke night at your house using just YouTube, booze, and your natural star quality

3. Go on a date with someone you would normally say no to - give them a chance

4. Hand in an essay early

5. Busk on campus for a charity (even if you have zero talent)

6. Teach someone something

7. Read a book that isn't study-related

8. Hire a bike for a week and see how it works out for you

9. Study in every library that exists at your university (like you're ‘on tour' - but studying)

10. Drive to a beach. Swim. (If your uni is miles away from the coast, you'll just have to stay over)

11. Make your own booze

12. Go to a university sports team's game. Get vocal and animated with your support.

13. Have an incredibly elaborate picnic on a uni green space one lunch time

14. Sit in on a lecture that's completely out of your field, but that you've always been fascinated by

15. Join a society for something you've always wanted to do, but never got round to

16. Apply for internships and jobs

17. Turn up at a 9 am lecture along with all the other students dressed in your PJs and dressing gowns

18. Go to the careers office and speak to them completely honestly - whatever your thoughts and fears, loves and hates...

19. Go on a weekend country jaunt with friends - get as remote as possible

20. Start a conga at a big union night. See how long you can get it, before leading it as far from the music as possible (if you can get it to a house party or another club night, you can officially retire from doing stuff. Your work here is done)

21. Go and see the art departments' end of year shows

22. Go to a play put on by the drama department or a uni society

23. Get involved in a play or some kind of performance (e.g. fashion show, etc.)

24. Visit all historical building and monuments in your town (including churches)

25. Go out sober and dance all night (at least once, repeat as required).

The First Year College Experience

The First Year College Experience

Those of us who are college veterans will never forget our freshman year at college. Some of us may like to forget our freshman year, but in general it is a time filled with anticipation, some anxiety, and wonderful discoveries.

College is a lot different than high school. You may decide to commute from your home to a local campus. Your freshman experience will definitely make an impression on you. Without doubt, though, the most dramatic freshman year is for those living away from home. What can you expect as you head off into the wonderful world of higher education?

The first thing you’ll notice is the workload. It will be heavier and more intense than you ever experienced before. The major challenges of college work are the large volume of reading, the short deadlines, and the writing, writing, writing. A related effect that can be brought on by the workload is doubt, frustration, and possibly loneliness. You’ll be away from the comforts and friendships your home provided for you over the previous years.

On some of those long, seemingly endless nights of studying and writing, it will be only natural for you to long for the good old days. Hang in there. These down periods will pass. Whatever you do, don’t make major decisions about your major, your courses, or even your roommate during one of these blue periods. Things always look better in the morning.

You’ll be making a lot of new friends. Continue to be yourself. Don’t strike a pose or play the role of someone you’re not. Select your friends with the same care and patience you have always used. Believe it or not, your college friendships will be among the most satisfying and long-term of your life. It’s always exciting to discover how wonderfully diverse college relationships can be.

You’ll also be on your own, your own boss (more or less) 24 hours a day. Be careful here. Don’t go flying off the end of the pier. Enjoy your new  found freedom. Stay up until dawn talking about your ideals and ambitions with your dorm’s regular bull session buddies. Sleep in until the afternoon on a light class day. Explore the local town or suburbs with one or two of your new friends. Remember, though, with freedom comes responsibility. Even though your parents won’t be around to follow up on your loose ends, you shouldn’t let things go completely. Just find your own style.

You may even start to think about your future. Be on the lookout for role models. Maybe a certain professor is especially inspiring. Perhaps your school has some ground-breaking research going on. Be sensitive to your own gravity. If some area of study attracts you, find out all you can about it. It might be the beginning of your self-definition process. Going to college is as much about finding out who you really are as it is about getting that degree......

Summary of successful online students

Summary

The responses of these successful online students highlight several techniques instructors can use to help their students develop effective online learning skills. Most important is a student's ability to develop a time-management strategy to help manage course requirements as an independent learner.

Students who participated in this study agreed that online discussions with fellow students and the instructor are central to the learning experience. Instructors can encourage students to develop techniques to make the most of online discussions, which may add to a student's learning experience and promote success in the online course. The instructor can also encourage students to apply concepts from the online course, or as one student described it, "use it or lose it," to develop an ability to retain and synthesize course objectives.

The successful online students who participated in this study also agreed on the importance of developing and asking thoughtful questions as a technique to engage both fellow students and the instructor. As one student explained, this is a way to "go deeper into the subject" and that "going deeper makes the subject matter more understandable."

Staying motivated in the class is a challenge for students studying independently. Students who develop a personal motivation strategy find it a great asset to the online learning experience, one that can keep them from losing interest or burning out..

Another technique the successful online students in this study agree on is the importance of making a connection with fellow students. Students who develop a meaningful connection with their fellows can receive and provide support. The online connections also promote a sense of being a learner among other learners.

No magical formula guarantees success in online learning. One important step for instructors teaching an online course is to recognize that a different set of student skills may be required for students to get good grades (indicating that they have achieved the desired understanding of the subject) and to get the most from an online course..

 The techniques identified by successful online students can promote a rich learning experience for other students and provide a foundation for them to develop these skills. Instructors can help them get there....

Online Students Identify Successful Seven Tips

Successful Online Students Identify Seven Tips
Students responding to the survey agreed on a number of practical steps that helped them succeed in their online courses:

1. Develop a time-management strategy.
Students were asked what time-management strategies they found most helpful. One challenge facing an online student is the self-discipline required to devote adequate time to class in courses that might not have regularly scheduled times to meet synchronously online or in person. Most students found that establishing their own schedules for class time helped them ensure enough time for class participation. One student commented,

Setting and staying to specific study days was one factor that worked for me. For example, in the evenings, throughout the week, I read my lessons. Saturdays were generally reserved for writing assignments. Saturdays were also devoted to responding to other online postings and building on what I had already submitted.
Another student stated that designating specific times to read, complete written assignments, and post dialogue to other students proved helpful. Students also emphasized the need to create a schedule that gave them some flexibility and wasn't overwhelming. One student explained, "I was careful not to put too much pressure upon myself when completing a homework assignment. I found that doing a little bit here and there avoided trying to do too much all at once." Developing a schedule that designates specific times to log in to and participate in class and to carry out other course-related activities such as reading and doing research promotes a student's success as an online learner. Students identified the most helpful time-management strategies as setting a schedule for study time (78.9 percent) and devoting time daily to the course (31.6 percent).

A key difference between in-person and online learning is the independence and ability to participate in the online class at a time convenient to the student. This also presents a potential problem, as procrastination could cause a student to fall behind in the online course. The graduates who participated in the study were asked how they avoided this problem. A few students (15.8 percent) commented that logging in to their course portal every day and checking for new postings or updates helped prevent them from falling behind. Other students (36.8 percent) commented that weekly assignments from the instructor kept them on a regular schedule in the course. One student explained,

You have to discipline yourself in maintaining your schedule and not allow any distractions to disrupt your plan. I would allow myself one hour of winding down from work, eat my dinner, and get to my study room. I found that if I put in about 3–4 hours of studying during the week, the weekly assignment would be completed by Thursday or Friday.
Another student stated that an upfront planning process was critical to succeeding in the online course because studying was integrated with many other responsibilities.

2. Make the most of online discussions.
Student interaction mostly occurs through an online threaded discussion that allows students and instructors to interact in asynchronous time. This is a significant shift for students accustomed to in-class discussions. It may provide opportunities for richer discourse through written discussion that allows students to spend time crafting their responses. When asked how they made the most of their online interaction with other students, these students mentioned some interesting techniques. One student commented,
 "Interacting with the other students was the fun part of my (online) classes. As much as possible, I would post a response, question, or comment to another student's posting. This built up an online relationship." Another student suggested, "Respond to several student postings, but make sure you have something meaningful to add, don't just say 'good post.' Also, don't always interact with the same few classmates. Look for something to say with various students."

Participating in threaded discussions helped 52.6 percent benefit most from interaction with their classmates, while reading the responses of others helped 15.8 percent. About 21 percent found e-mailing outside of the course platform a useful way to interact with their fellows.

The instructor's role is important in encouraging class discussions online. A student explained, "Weekly discussions were best when the teacher encouraged it, especially by having pro versus con discussion, or asking 'why' or 'how' questions." Instructors who establish clear expectations as to how threaded discussions are used or who ask specific questions in response to student postings can expect to encourage richer online dialogue. Students who incorporate a plan for regular communication with their classmates into their overall course schedule will have greater success in their online course.

3. Use it or lose it.
One challenge some students face when learning online is retention of the course content. Students surveyed agreed that finding a way to apply the concepts helped them retain the information. "I applied the 'use-or-lose' technique. As soon as I'd read or study it, I put the knowledge to work through collaboration with students or at my place of employment."

One way to apply these concepts goes back to the use of the online threaded discussion. Concepts can be interpreted and restated in each student's own words in an active dialogue with others.

Another student commented that "applying the new material to what I already knew" was a helpful way to retain the material from the online course. Several successful online students mentioned that they retained what they read by developing a way to apply those concepts to a current or past experience, for example at work (31.6 percent). Just under half of the students (47.4 percent) explained that taking handwritten notes from the online text helped them retain essential points. One student explained that she "took notes from the book and micro lectures, just as if [I] were in a regular face-to-face course."

4. Make questions useful to your learning.
One student commented that "asking questions is integral to learning. By asking questions, fellow students and instructors would go deeper into the subject. Going deeper made the subject matter more understandable." The online course environment typically provides communication tools (such as threaded discussions, e-mail connectivity, and live chat) that students can use to ask in-depth questions. Students also can take the time to craft questions that may go beyond what they would ask in an in-person course, probing the subject with greater specificity. Another student explained,

Asking questions helped me to understand the material. I was a student that did not have experience in many [online] classes, but the other students did. Asking questions of some of the other students helped me understand the principles and practices professionals in the field face on a daily basis.
From the responses to this survey, successful online students spent time researching and crafting questions (21 percent) and making them clear and understandable (10.5 percent). They found thoughtful questions to be a valuable resource in support of their online learning experience, although 26.3 percent of their peers admitted they just asked questions.

5. Stay motivated.
Without direct physical contact and interaction with other learners or an instructor, online students can lose their interest or motivation mid-way through their course or program. The graduates who participated in this study were asked what motivation techniques they found most helpful in preventing burnout or loss of interest when studying online. As one student put it, "keeping your eye on the prize" is always helpful. Another student commented, "The main motivator was envisioning myself in cap and gown, walking up and receiving my degree, and having all my dear family and friends in attendance."

Students also mentioned they find motivation in getting a good grade (21 percent) and in setting personal goals (42 percent). One student stated, "I always want to get an 'A' in every course I take. It doesn't matter as much in graduate school as it did as an undergraduate, but it still motivates me."

Some students took advantage of opportunities to work with other online students, using the encouragement and feedback they received from that connection to stay motivated (15.8 percent). One student explained, "I had a friend (in my online courses) that I teamed up with, and we tried hard to make sure we not only finished our assignments, but that we turned in only the highest quality work possible."

Each individual may find something different that works for him or her in staying motivated. One student promised to buy himself a new truck if he completed the degree. With a greater amount of work done independently in online courses, a new online student would be well advised to consider developing personal techniques for staying engaged, specifically by creating a self-motivation plan.

6. Communicate the instruction techniques that work.
Instructors in online courses employ a variety of techniques aimed at engaging the learner. The participants in this study discussed some of the techniques that were most successful. One student commented, "I liked instructors who logged in often and asked a lot of questions. Not only did this help to increase understanding of the subject, but it gave people the opportunity for class participation." Another student added, "One teacher went farther than I would expect, but I found his technique wonderful. He posted the initial question for discussion, and then asked us individual questions based on our answers." This technique worked well with a variety of learners (42 percent). The instructor was able to craft questions that matched the students' level of understanding of the material and provide online resources that helped them (15.7 percent).

7. Make connections with fellow students.
The participants in this study had the opportunity to share successful techniques and practices that helped them in developing their online student skills through some open-ended questions. One student mentioned that making a friend (connected with online) helped. Being part of a community of learners is helpful in courses that are taught in-person, and the same holds true for online classes (15.8 percent). One student explained that "it made a huge difference when you had good students in the class." Another student commented,

The experience was enriched greatly by the relationships and interaction with my fellow students. It amazes me how well we got to know each other even though we were often thousands of miles apart and were only virtual classmates.
I learned as much from other students and their experiences as I did from the instructors. I never expected that type of rewarding learning experience in a traditional classroom.
Using online threaded discussions in their course management system, the students can extend classroom discussions beyond the traditional boundaries of physical class time. Students in the online class may get to know one another more from recognizing the writing style and expression of thoughts and ideas rather than by physical attributes. Many students develop meaningful connections with their online classmates that can translate into career networking opportunities later.