Black Catholic Young Adult Article ~ { Print Version }
The National Black Catholic Congress
www.nbccongress.org

Transitioning from High School to College
By Marissa Auguster

Youth Article Index

We've Come This Far By Faith: St. Augustine Parish Youth Ministry About St. Lawrence Abstinence Education Notre Dame's First Black Valedictorian Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist: Two Sacred Sacraments and Blessed Acts Who Am I My life serving in the African American Catholic Community African American Young Adult Ministry is an act of Social Justice It's Time to Walk the Walk Your talents: Gifts from God and a call to action. A Purpose-Driven Life Not My Own Abstinence Saves Lives Our Forgotten Children "Prayer Changes" Pro-Life Pilgrimage If You Don't Know Where You're Going, Any Road Will Take You There Transitioning from High School to College Examination of Conscience PRE-CANA Archdiocese of New Orleans's IMANI Team

Youth Article Index

You have passed your exams, walked across the stage and received a college acceptance letter-congratulations! You are now off to college. You are entering a land of freedom, independence, and opportunity and of course education. But it takes a great level of maturity to transition successfully from a high school life and mind set to a collegiate one. It takes maturity, determination and a strong support system to help make your transfer to the other side a successful and worthwhile one.

In high school when we are late, do not turn in assignments, or are consistently out of dress code, we are sent to detention or sometimes a phone call goes home to our parents. We depend on our teachers to tell us when each test date is, when homework assignments are due and beg for that small chance of extra credit when we realize our grades are not up to par. We even stay home or create elaborate excuses for missing important exams and presentations simply due to our unpreparedness. This is not at all the case in college. You are completely responsible for your actions, and there is no such thing as a parent-teacher conference. The detention hall is replaced by a curfew or even the infamous "out by 5 pm" policy some universities implement. Make-up exams and extra credit are virtually non-existent, and slipping below standard can result in academic probation or expulsion. And for those of us on scholarship or in search of financial aid, keeping your school's designated GPA requirement is an ongoing and sometimes perilous task. Keeping a focus on your academics should be your first and foremost concern while in college.

And that big land of no parental supervision, endless parties and wild nights on the town? I urge you to rethink your conception of college. While college is a place of virtually no boundaries, it is also the place where we can learn to be mature and responsible adults. Of course you should have fun, make friends and enjoy the college experience for it will only come once. But moderation is the key to balance and success. In other words, if your work is not complete, or you have an early exam the next morning it probably is not in your best interest to go out Thursday night. Also be mindful of who surround yourself with, everyone does not have your best interest at heart, and at the end of the day you are responsible for your own actions.

Living arrangements can get complicated or down right annoying when you clash with your roommate. While minor disagreements are inevitable, you can avoid the big ones by thinking: what can I do first to help the situation? Or talk openly to your roommate(s) about what is bothering you. If you are lucky enough to have a single room or live off campus, more power to you. But I must admit there is no comparison to dorm life, but for many it is a one-time only experience.

I know one of the hardest adjustments I had to make was sharing a bedroom with one other girl, a bathroom with fourteen other girls and a kitchen with 250 girls. We were all told that "sharing is caring" when we were little, but remember in college you are on your own, and often have to put yourself first before you can help someone else. Bottom line: take care of yourself first, and then help someone out if you can.

Last but not least, the struggle almost every college student will face is home sickness. Being away from home, family and friends is indeed difficult and stressful. No amount of pictures, phone calls or letters will ever substitute for the presence our loved ones, but we can always seek God for comfort. And even if we don't know it now, it will eventually get better.

So transitioning to college is hard work. We not only have to prepare our study habits, but we have to prepare our minds for what is in store. We are not just simply "leaving the nest" or going away to school, we are transitioning; transitioning from high school students to college students: our first major step towards adulthood.

Marissa is a freshman Accounting major from Los Angeles, California. She currently attends Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia.