The last four years of high school are extremely crucial to becoming a responsible and independent adult. High school prepares students for a variety of things from basic communication and social skills to adaptability and problem-solving skills.
In high school, most students have their parents around to lead them to the pathway of success.
That could be helping them with their time management, managing stress or even just taking care of their daily activities.
But there’s one thing that school doesn’t prepare you for. That one thing is freedom, and it never fails to catch new college freshmen off guard.
Teachers should take time with students to help guide them on how to manage their newfound independence when they go to college. Taking time to break it down might reduce possible feelings of being overwhelmed when they get there.
While it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly what might cause students stress in the future, teachers can still take time to sit down and have full and engaging conversations about how to handle their free time.
They can give them pointers on how to handle peer pressure situations and how to avoid getting involved in certain situations that could potentially ruin their college experience. They can also help students find ways to handle stressful situations that may arise when they first start living alone.
The amount of change in their freedom from high school to college is completely different. In high school, you have a more structured and scheduled day, but in college, everything is on you.
Waking up and getting to class on time, making sure to feed yourself and keeping your living space clean are just a few of the responsibilities college students have.
A 2023 National College Health Assessment showed that 80% of college kids feel overwhelmed, while 40% felt it was hard to adjust and function due to the circumstance and change in freedom.
For many students, the biggest challenge is the sudden change in their lifestyle. Having to deal with your finances, personal life and classes can be overwhelming and nerve-racking.
It takes time to adjust to a new lifestyle so quickly, and realizing that what worked in high school doesn’t work as well in college can be stressful.
Students’ support systems change once they make that transition as well. Homesickness begins to become a big factor in overall student adjustment as well.
A study by the National Institutes of Health states that freshmen that are more homesick normally have a harder time adjusting to new college life than those who aren’t as homesick.
While it’s up to students to grow and adapt to these new changes, it can also be extremely scary and hard for some. They’re just kids making a hard transition into adulthood, and it takes time to figure out. They just need some guidance on how to make it a little smoother.
