Little fish, big pond

When June of your senior year in high school rolls around, it’s easy to get caught up in graduation concerns: how to hit all the graduation parties in one night, and how to spend that graduation money from the relatives. It’s easy to put your anxiety about your changing life on the back burner. The first step to making a successful high-school-to-college transition is to admit that you’re nervous. You’re not alone in your anxiety. Cornell University’s 1999 freshmen voiced five of their most frequent concerns about college life.
Fear number 1: “I’m afraid I’ll end up at the bottom of the curve.” The thought of bombing a test in college can be a scary one. Barbara LeGendre, an English professor at Cornell who teaches first-semester freshmen, suggests using your past experience as a guide. It’s important that you don’t forget your past accomplishments and life experiences. “Remembering that one has been successful in the past helps give one confidence that this situation now can be mastered,” LeGendre says. Fear number
2: “I’m never going to be able to keep up with the work.” Throughout the semester, you might feel swamped. It may be difficult to adjust to the intensity of studying for a college exam. But your first-year success isn’t determined by academics alone. LeGendre stresses that the first semester of college is supposed to be a learning experience, both in and outside of the classroom. Sometimes that means you might not do as well academically as you did in high school. At times like these, ask your professors for help. They can offer after-class help or extend deadlines. Your professor knows that everyone gets overloaded with work. They, too, were once students. If you’re honest about your schedule, they are better able to help you succeed.
Fear number 3: “I’ll never be able to find my way around campus.” Your campus might seem huge at first, but there are resources to help you get your bearings straight. Many colleges offer daily campus tours to prospective students; grab your roommate and join the group.
Senior Jenny Brunn remembers doing this during her first week at Cornell. “I thought that the tours were only for students considering the school,” Brunn says. “My orientation counselor said that he’d gone on five campus tours before he was totally comfortable with the campus layout. My roommate and I went on one. It was really helpful!” LeGendre says that a solo walk around can be just as helpful. “The first way to begin to deal with generalized anxiety is to begin to put a few things in place,” she says. Don’t worry if you can’t get the feel for your new home right away; LeGendre says it can take months to get used to a new area.
Fear number 4: “I’m uncomfortable about approaching my professors.” Professors can seem scary and intimidating. They will, after all, be the ones grading your work. But when the time comes to ask for a deadline extension or extra help on class concepts, it’s better to have already met your teacher. “Never wait until the day before a test or something else is due,” Brunn says. Brunn learned the hard way her freshman year. “I got behind in my reading and I had a test the next day,” she says. “I e-mailed my professor to ask if I could take it a day later. I received a short reply: no. It was my fault for falling behind. Had I contacted the professor a few days earlier, my chances for getting an extension might have been better.”
Fear number 5: “Where can I find help?” Lots of students need help preparing for college exams. LeGendre tells her students to look at old exams to get the hang of them. “In many courses, professors want to know more than the obvious answer to a question,” LeGendre says. “They want to determine if you understand the concept behind something. Try to find old exams and analyze the type of questions they are asking.” You’ll get better at answering in-depth questions with the more college-level tests you take. Ask your upper-class friends to keep old exams and pass them on to you.
Everyone gets homesick at one time or another. Some students tear up while their parents drive away; others don’t get lonely until a few weeks have gone by. LeGendre tells her to students to talk about their feelings with others, such as a roommate, a friend or a trained counselor. Campus health services often have trained students who have felt the same as you. You’re not alone, so reach out when you need help.
Making the transition from high school to college can be one of the greatest challenges you’ll face. Self-confidence can make the transition easier. Talking to friends, remembering how you dealt with past situations, talking to professors and using campus resources are the quickest ways to get used to your new place. And when in doubt, remember LeGendre’s parting words, “You belong here.”

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