Welcome to College: making the grade your way!

You've recently finished High School, been admitted to your favorite college and now college is about to begin.

What should you expect as you begin your journey through college?

The major differences between High School and College are mostly cultural.  By cultural I am referring to the social structure and expectations that define the 2 environments:

• In High School, teachers, administrators and parents guide the student through the experience and in college the student is the leader.
• In High School your week is divided into 5 sessions of approximately 6 hours per day and in college classes are typically 1 hour sessions that meet twice or 3 rimes per week.
• In High School your teachers studied how children learn and in college your instructors are experts in their individual fields and seldom have studied how adults learn.
• In High School most of your planning for your learning experiences is accomplished by teachers and administrators and in college you follow a model and make your own decisions about working with that model.
• In High School you are treated like a child; in college you are expected to act like an adult. Unfortunately, this comes at a time in your life when you have limited experience with self-direction.
• In High School your social relationships are filtered by parental controls. In college you will have freedom for the choices you make and yet the college will provide you with something called A Student code of conduct.  This book is written by lawyers and it's language is often quite dense. Yet, you are expected to read the entire book and limit your actions to conform to this conduct code. without even cliff notes.
•  In High School if you require any learning accommodations staff persons coordinated these and you are just directed when to go to receive them.  In college you have an active role in determining these supports and also having a greater awareness and involvement  in the implementation aspects.

Wait, I hear you screaming, isn't college supposed to be fun?

When do we get to the discussion about the fun stuff? (you may be thinking)

There are many sites devoted to talking about the 'fun stuff'; this one is focused about helping you develop effective strategies for college success and happiness so that you are enabled to enjoy the fun stuff without worry about potential penalties associated with The Code. Once you discover and use effective academic and organizational strategies you will discover how much additional time you are able to craft out to engage with the fun stuff!

Here is a gift for you:

Here is a brief video by Dr.Rob Gilbert of Success University.  Dr. Gilbert is a college professor college success coach; I hope you benefit from Dr. Gilbert has to say in this brief video, 

Dr. Rob Gilbert's Secret of How You Can Graduate with Honors

I hope you enjoyed viewing Dr. Gilbert's video and that the powerful point he made was one you took to your heart.

My next post will continue with my thoughts on making the transition between High School and College; with the topic 

Making Relationships work for You! 

Until then, 

Your First Year Experience ~Excelling at Maze Runner Level

 

 





If you've not already had a semester in college you are most likely filled with many expectations and concerns:

• Will I fit in socially?
• Will I be able to handle the academic experience of college?
• Will I be able to manage my time effectively?
• Will I be able to have a positive relationship with my instructors?
• Will I have time to engage in extracurricular activities I enjoy?
• Will I be able to continue with the volunteer experiences I currently engage with?
•  Will I have the supports I need to succeed?
• Will I be able to afford the college experience I dream about?

Now that I am about to enter college; what have I gotten myself into?

Let's take a look at what differences exist between High School and College:

• Who is in charge? Quite honestly, during grades K-12 others have the say and when you enter college, you are expected to be in charge of your academic choices and success.
• Organizing for success. In High School your teachers and counselors do loads of the planning for you.  In college the responsibility is yours.
• Planning for use of your time.  In High School you spend 6 hours per day where the planning is done by school administrators, teachers and counselors. In college you are expected to plan for yourself with input from academic advisers and others.
• Teachers vs. Instructors. In grades K-12, your teachers studied how children learn. In college your instructors are considered experts in their individual fields of research and it is unlikely that they have ever studied how adults learn.
• Meeting with your teachers vs instructors. In High School your teachers often initiate your meetings and in college you are in charge of making those meetings happen; either through attending office hours or by appointment with your instructor.
• Reminders of assignments, exams/quizzes, or projects are frequently offered by your teachers with reinforcement by your parents.  In college, you receive a syllabus for each course, on the first day of class; that is your only reminder.
• So many more that you will soon discover.

 Phase One:

 

Lets take a look at who is in charge of making your education/learning decisions.

In other words, who is driving your learning bus?




 

In your formal learning experience, K-12, it was mostly parents, teachers and school administrators who made your education/learning choices; in college, you have the wheel.

 

Physically, you have been an adult for quite some time. Our current social model is to treat young adults as children and often leaves you out of many decisions that effect you.

 

Our culture, then expects you to morph, over one summer, into a fully in change adult.

That works for no one! The truth is that when most students enter college, for the first time; what each lacks most is experience in the adult mental model. You have the mental abilities and aptitudes to make you successful; once you have enough experience, to make it so!

Yes, once you enter college, your task is to discover how the adult you needs to navigate this new maze called college.

To successfully travel through this maze to come out the other side; you will have many opportunities to practice, using this new mental model' coupled with your skills as...

In the movie, The Maze Runner , 

Based upon the novel “The Scorch Trials” by

James Dashner;

the underlying theme is about the importance of discovering your life's purpose.


Please consider these thoughts on life purpose:

Maze Runners intuitively recognize where purpose and opportunity align.

 

then 

...for your heart provides the passion to make your life's purpose realize!

Like the...

discover your own way through!

Stay connect for my next blog post; a continuing look at your first year experience.

Please feel free to share this blog with your other college friends.

Thank you,