Developed by First Year Programs
Research has shown that first-semester students often worry about their transition to college, yet eventually they become comfortable and find a community of people with whom they are close and feel they belong. Share your own story of preparing to be a college student. *
Karen Goodlad and Sarah Paruolo, 2022: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Initially, I was worried about the transition into college. For one, I would probably never see most of my friends from high school again. Also, I heard from the teacher at my high school that college professors are very strict. I thought that if I was 2 minutes late to a class, then the teacher would burst into rage and not allow me to take the class for the rest of the semester. Even though I wasn’t shaking in my boots, I was a bit nervous. After the first week though, it wasn’t really bad at all. It was way nicer compared to high school because even though the classes are longer, the classes actually matter to me. Also, I didn’t have to take the same class every single day. I’ve also been meeting new people and have grown comfortable with it.
Yeah you’re right, graduating high school and not being able to see your friends is actually sad but I hope you meet new people at this college and make new connections that is probably gonna last for the next 20 or 30 years of your life. It was nice meeting you!!
Hi Dwann,
It’s normal to feel nervous about starting college, but it’s great to hear your transition has been smoother than expected! Enjoying meaningful classes and meeting new people shows you’re adjusting well. Keep building those connections and making the most of it!
Usually for me its hard to adapt to something new. When I graduated high school, I was worried about getting into college and starting from the bottom again. Whether it was making friends or making new connections through people. Highschool was hard for me personally because I didn’t really have any friends. But coming to this workshop made me realize that I’m actually good at communicating with other people. So I think I’ll smoothly transfer into this college. I’ll start participating more, and I’ll do my best.
So it was nice meeting you all. I actually liked coming to class for the workshop session. I don’t know if I did well but I’m glad I got to know you guys. Hope to see you guys around. đ
Nice meeting you too Shahzoda, you did perfectly well, and I pray this new chapter will be your best ever. â€ïž
Hi Shahzoda,
I’m glad this workshop helped you build confidence in communicating with others. Starting college can be challenging, but your willingness to participate and connect will make the transition smoother. You did well, and it was nice meeting you too. Best of luck, and hope to see you around!
When I first prepared to be a college student, I was excited but also nervous about fitting in and handling the workload. The first few weeks were tough felt a bit lost and unsure of myself. However, as I joined classes, met new people, and adjusted to the routine, I began to feel more comfortable. By the end of the semester, I realized that I had found a community and started to belong. The transition wasnât as hard as I initially thought!
It’s great that you found the community that you belong to. Good luck with your semester.
Hi Mahmoud,
Starting college can be nerve-wracking, but itâs great that you found your rhythm and a sense of belonging. Adjusting takes time, and itâs inspiring how you embraced the challenges. Nice post!
I’m gonna be honest for me starting From 0 sounds pretty scary to me. I’m not really the kind of person that adapts quickly, after high school I felt really scared and sad because most of the people I spent half of my life with were all gone. I felt like for me my high school experience wasn’t the best with teachers as well as with students things got really bad I really didn’t have as many friends, there was always some sort of problem with teachers that tried to make It seem like other kids couldn’t graduate or that weren’t as talented or smart as others. For me personally I feel like this workshop has really helped me open up and realize that its not that bad to start over it’s actually just a new experience that will help me persevere the goal I have, and it’s a way of me starting something new but also having goals in mind and learning more about the school and how my classes work.
I’m very thankful for meeting everybody and thankful for the opportunity that Ms. Ait-Ziane has gave me and the college itself. I really hope to see you guys around and I wish you all the best of luck. <3
Hi Yahira,
Starting over can feel overwhelming, but itâs clear youâve embraced it as a chance for growth and new opportunities. I’m glad that this workshop helped you open up and gain confidence in your journey. Wishing you all the best, and I hope to see you around campus! Keep striving toward your goalsâyouâre on the right path.
When I first started college I was at CSI, I was over-excited. I was registered for 18 credits, and I attended all the free events and clubs that were possibly there. Reflecting back, I regretted it. I slowly started to fail and was not able to pass most of my classes. In my second semester, I transferred to Kingsborough for their fashion design program but while in the program for a few weeks, the major was more about the money(the supplies) than the actual degree itself. And finally, now I’m at City Tech for their fashion business program(fingers crossed).
I can connect to your story as I also transferred from another college before City Tech as the SUNY lifestyle didn’t suit me and was uncomfortable with the environment over there which was why I decided to go to City Tech to feel more comfortable.
Hi Jesse,
Iâm glad you decided to give City Tech a chance to see if itâs the right fit for you. Youâve had quite a journey to get here, and I truly hope it all works out. Keep pushing forwardâyouâve got this! Great post!
For me personally, I started preparing for college a long time ago. One of my biggest concerns was the fear of starting this new adventure alone. Once I realized that, I began joking with my friends about applying to the same college. However, they weren’t fully convinced because they had other options in mind. Luckily, I remember one day when a teacher came into the room while I was with my group of friends, and he told us about City Tech, he convinced most of us to apply, which we ended up doing. Unfortunately, not all of them were interested in architecture. In the end, my fears subsided when my best friend, who was interested in architecture, chose City Tech as the college she would attend also thanks to STAR, we were able to match our schedules.
Hi Christopher,
Itâs great that your teacher guided you to City Tech and that your best friend joined you. Having someone close by must make the transition much easier. Best of luck to you both!
I have been preparing to be in college for a very long time, but for someone from a foreign country whose English is not her first language? I have fears and my concern have always been âwill I hear my professor accents well?â It had me started watching American movies, YouTube videos, and I will turn off the subtitles, it was hard at first because it was so fast, I ended up turning it back and decided to figure it out by the time Iâll start college, I said to myself âI will ask my professors if I am not understanding it and I hope any of them wonât see it as a troubleâ my hope got increased when prof. Ait Ziane started lecturing us, I read her lips more and I understand every words that came out of her mouth, easy peasy right? Her tone was so calm and gentle, I donât feel rushed unlike what I had pictured it would be, I hope my other professors turned out that way too, I am very optimistic and I am looking forward to a great experience and an happy grades.
Hi Adeolayinka,
Itâs great that youâve been proactive in preparing for college and tackling language barriers. It sounds like youâre adapting really well, and your positive mindset will surely help you succeed. Nice post!
At first, I didn’t consider going to college, instead, I wanted to go to trade school to become an automotive technician maybe but later decided to pursue mechanical engineering as my career. When I first entered college, I thought that it would be similar to high school, as I experienced my first semester, I realized that college is much harsher and stricter than how high school was. I eventually realized that time management and proper organization are the most important tools for a college student.