Transition from High School to College

Transition from High School to College

By: Tezeta Gant, Joseph Knaggs, Kadeem Parker and Menu’Ette Silver

Beth Stallings, the Director of Freshman Advising and Retention, plays a hefty yet essential role for freshman students enrolled at FSU. When asked what she does, she gave an enthusiastic description of her duties. “I provide leadership, direction, and supervision for the ORIE-Introduction to Higher Education program, and staff.”

“I also help freshman understand how they can further their studies,” she pauses and starts back up, “fostering that interest is part of what I do.”

A rather interesting topic that was discussed was the process of monitoring freshman progress. There have been many recent installments within the Frostburg community to help supervise the progression of freshman students.

“My biggest fear about college was thinking that I needed to know exactly what I was going to study that first week.” said Hannah Little, an 18 year old undeclared freshman.

Multiple college freshmen have mentioned that their “preview” session was stressful when people would mention that they knew what major they wanted to go into. Others stated that it was stressful meeting with an advisor and having to tell them that they had no idea what they wanted to do.

In order to succeed successfully in college, you have to ask for help. For the students who state that they had met with their professors on a regular basis; students were more confident in their classes, students did getter in the classes (grade wise) and felt more comfortable talking about those classes with other college students both inside and outside the class.

Avery Taylor is a freshman at Frostburg State University (FSU). He is majoring in Health science and minoring in psychology.

While Taylor did not have a hard time transitioning from high school to college, he feels that the transition was definitely a learning experience.

“Some professors will work with you and teach the class in a way that’s easier, and other professors really just want you to go out and teach yourself the information to a certain extent,” Taylor said.

Taylor believes that balancing his social life and school work was a slight challenge. Nevertheless, he has the FSU community which he found to be different than his home town in Prince George’s county.

“It’s a lot more quiet and relaxed. You don’t have to be on your toes as much,” Taylor added.

Freshman Samantha Eck currently has an undecided major. She says that moving from Kent Island to the town of Frostburg was a pleasing experience, but also a culture shock.

“It’s cute, I liked that it’s old because it’s something new to me with all the mountains and stuff, but at the same time that means a lot of things are a lot more run-down than where I live at home,” Eck said.

Maddy Augustine, a 19 year old freshman in the Pre-Med program looked around the room the empty library and took a deep breath.“I think I was more worried about if I was prepared enough for college.” She said this all as if it was the biggest secret that she had ever revealed.

Augustine stated that her and her friends had all agreed that the summer before entering college was one of the most stressful summers that they had ever had so far. Trying to prepare for the unknown and getting ready for multiple unknown situations that one would be unaware of can the hardest part of transiting from high school to college.

College is a balancing act, you have to have a social life and balance it with your academic life. This is the major aspect of college that can be the hardest for most college freshmen who are transitioning from high school.

“The allure of college parties and being social were a big thing for me. I knew that if I wanted to party, I was also going to need to keep my grades up.” Augustine says.

Augustine took a drink from her water bottle and looked down at her Zoology notes.

“I would say that yes, yes I am a party girl, but I am one who also gets their work done. Why does a ‘party girl’ have to be a bad thing?

The transition of going from high school and living with your parents to college and living on campus with no parents can be a good and a bad thing for some people. For those who need structure and need someone to tell them to do their work, it can be a harder transition when it comes to doing things on your own. A new environment is always something that takes some adapting to.

Bradley Jones, now a sophomore at Frostburg University recollects on his first year coming to the school for the improving Men’s Lacrosse Program. An average routine and not-so rookie-feel surrounds the starting defender in his second year; however he remembers it wasn’t always that way.

Coming in to the first day of practice, confusion was in the air for many players. “I wasn’t really sure what to expect, as soon as we went out and huddled up together our coach said (“if you don’t know where you are supposed to be , then ask one of the older guys who played the same position”) … then I knew how fast pace this was really going to be.”

Tapping into his previous statement, the biggest difference he believes between college and high-school sports; “The speed… every player on your team was “the best player” at their high school which shows you how challenging it really is.”

Many players worry a lot about how they’re going to get along with the rest of the team coming in, especially the upperclassmen. In Bradley’s experience, joining the team was trouble-free, starting,  “All the guys were great, they include everyone who’s on the team no matter what.”

Another big issue for incoming sports players aside from fitting-in, is the worry of time management with school work, classes and sports events… not to mention a social life.

With academics being challenging alone, incoming freshman sports players worry a lot about sports intruding on their academics, due to less time on their hands to do schoolwork. However, many sports programs require a mandatory study hall every week-night to ensure students are completing the necessary work for their classes. Some give exemptions to students doing well in their classes, such as in Frostburg Lacrosse’s terms; a previous semester GPA of 3.5.

Bradley doesn’t have study hall this semester; he says all it takes for sports to not become a barrier for academics is to be “smart about how you use your time”.

Mike Fassett, a member of the FSU Football team in his second-year after transferring from Wesley College, believes the hardships of being involved in sports and academics is only a lesson in life, “I knew it was going to be hard, but I signed up for it so I took it as a personal responsibility and knew being able to work through playing a sport and full-time classes was going to help me in the long run.”

One of the worst problems for sports players is enrolling in all the classes they need, all the while scheduling those limited classes around practices, games, and other sport-related events. Bradley informs,

“During the season you have to choose classes wisely… but school comes first and the coaches support that.”

It’s not so easy for the other side either. Scheduling for one’s own responsibilities proves to be a tough process for almost every student… how about scheduling for a large number of everyone else’s responsibilities, now that’s stressful.

A number of advisors are working around the clock to ensure necessary classes are taken for their listing of students.  ORIE teachers handle most freshman’s schedules, as well as providing insight on how to adapt to college for these first-year students.

David Stern is a lecturer within F.S.U’s Communication Department. He has taught ORIE each fall semester from the year 2012 until 2014.

The purpose of an ORIE class is to help new freshmen adjust personally, socially, and academically to FSU.

“There are some components that are more helpful, and some that are not. I believe ORIE is important, and could be more helpful than it is,” Stern said.

Students cope with the transition from high school to college in various ways. ORIE instructors should expect students from various backgrounds and different learning skills.

Stern concluded with this,

“Every student is different. Some students feel isolated, and have trouble in finding a group of friends. Other students cut loose for the first time, and spend too much of their time socializing. At Frostburg, many students are not prepared, emotionally and academically, to put in the time and hard work demanded by college courses,”