The Catholic University for Independent Thinkers
Many students go through 10 distinct stages during their first year of college. As a parent of a first year college student, you can anticipate what may lie ahead during this time of transition.
High school seniors graduate and begin looking toward the future. They may experience feelings of sadness, accomplishment, and anticipation.
Students begin to realize they will soon be leaving home, family, friends, and the security that each offers.
The student is plunged into the collegiate environment, complete with a new roommate, classrooms, homework, and a foreign social world.
Friendships are forming, and there are no tests for a couple of weeks. Time to have some fun!
Where did all the time go? Where is all of this hard work coming from? Homesickness may appear in this phase.
Some students begin to imagine that transferring to another school would solve their strange new problems.
The feeling associated with this phase begin when the first time students come home to visit and are hit with the harsh realization that family life goes on without them.
Well into the first semester, students have finally learned to use the library and hold reasonably intelligent conversations. They are excited about the things they have learned.
This phase usually precedes finals. Students realize the great amount of work ahead, and know that the future depends largely on their academic success.
Students begin seeing college as a total experience, realizing that hard work and achievement must be priorities but need not totally preclude time for having fun. They have learned what it takes to make the most of the college years.
Adapted from: Hatch, Cathie & Mullendore, Richard H. Helping your first-year college student succeed: A guide for parents and the National Orientation Directors Association.
