Transitioning to College
You started college and so much has changed. During the transition to college many students are so wrapped up in the new experiences and increased expectations that they don’t realize how overwhelming it can all be. On the other hand, many students are all too aware of these changes. Either way, you can see an impact on college students overall happiness and performance. This is a big transition to make and feeling overwhelmed is all too normal. At Through the Woods Mental Health Services we enjoy helping college students through this transition.
College started and you were excited through the first week and now that you are finding your rhythm you’re finding that the workload is a little more than you expected and juggling friends, family, and school is taking a lot of you. We have some suggestions on how to manage these shifts.
Create Your weekly calendar
Getting organized at the beginning of the week allows you to feel a sense of control over what you have going on and allows you to better manage your time when you know what to expect.
Communicate expectations with family and friends
After spending the summer with our friends and family it can be a harsh transition to no longer having much time to spend with the people we love. It can be even harder if we don’t communicate with these people about what is going on and express our desire to spend time but make the priority of your school work known. This conversation can save you and others from hurt feelings and many conversations.
Schedule more than enough time for homework
Give yourself too much time, especially during your first year in college. Finishing an assignment early is always fine but it is not preferred to have to rush through an assignment because you did not give yourself enough time to complete it. As the semester progresses you will get an idea of how long you need per assignment but early on it is best to give yourself more time.
Schedule time for yourself
We often overlook the importance of having downtime but we benefit from having time to recharge and do things just for ourselves. It can be easy to get wrapped up in school work and friends once you start college so be intentional about saving time to check in with your needs.
Although this is not a complete list of tips and tricks for early college it is a great place to start! Reach out today for individualized support!
