As the end of high school rapidly approaches, seniors are searching for the truth behind the transition between high school and college life. Will the facts they firmly believe in be solidified or busted?
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College courses are only slightly more difficult than those in high school.
Although many seniors hope college is just a step up on the scale of class difficulty, they are sorely mistaken. High schools around the country do their best to create challenging, college-level courses to prepare students for life after graduation. Pleasant Valley does an exceptional job at offering academically rigorous courses similar to those found at a university.
However, according to PV alumni and University of Iowa freshman Madeline Patramanis, college requires much more of a commitment to studying than high school does. Patramanis explained she only expected college to take a bit more dedication to the material being taught. For example, in high school, it’s easy for students to finish their homework and study every night in approximately two hours.
Patramanis was stunned because of the challenging nature of her classes and how much time she had to spend studying to receive a good grade. Now, time management is a significant part of her academic success. “For every semester hour a class is, you must put in two to three times that amount in studying,” she said.
PV senior Natalie Cremer was also surprised to find out from family members that an A in high school may translate to a C in college due to the high expectations. “College students must work twice as hard to achieve their goals because of minimal classroom direction and self-reliance,” she said. Cremer’s family advised her to build upon her studying skills and work to become an independent learner.
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Making new friends in a college setting is hard.
In a world that is based on social media platforms, it is difficult for this generation to remain true to themselves, willingly talk to others, and develop close relationships with strangers. For this reason, Cremer said something that scares her about going to college is having to create a whole new group of friends and meet new people during freshman year.
Avery Luepker, a freshman at Drake University, offered sage advice to those who are worried about making true friends in college. “Everyone is in the same boat as you, or they were at one point,” he said. Luepker recommended reaching out to a variety of people throughout college. Each new friend will make the campus environment more interconnected.
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To be successful in college, students have to know what job they want in the future.
A major source of anxiety when applying to colleges is searching for programs and classes that match career goals for the future. But, deciding what job a student wants to have for the rest of their life at such a young age requires a lot of painstaking research without actually experiencing the position. A common misconception for seniors heading off to college is once they decide on a major, they have to stick with it.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, around 30% of undergraduate students change their major at least once throughout college. Both Patramanis and Luepker agreed it’s best to keep an open mind throughout college to see what career you are most passionate about. Patramanis said after you take an in-depth class relating to the field of study you initially thought you’d pursue, “you may realize you aren’t interested in studying what you had planned.”
For instance, Luepker tested out various majors until finding an enjoyable and exciting career path. Already into his second semester in college, Luepker has added another major, plans to add another minor next year, and will drop his initial major soon. He said, “Just feel it out, don’t think that just because you started as whatever major that you have to graduate as one as well.”
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It’s easy for students to balance their school and social lives with an increase in freedom.
Freedom. It can be a college student’s best friend or worst enemy depending on their time management habits. PV senior Christine Moose said she’s looking forward to having more freedom in college. However, she also worries the excess freedom may cause troubles when trying to get homework done on her own schedule.
Patramanis said on top of managing your course workload, it’s even more challenging to balance a social life, take care of your physical needs, and be involved in campus activities all without the help of a parent. Luepker agreed the sharp increase in freedom in such a short amount of time took him a while to get used to because he had to redefine what it meant to be disciplined.
Although many seniors are eager to live independently, Luepker misses having his parents around to remind him to do homework and fill out applications for various programs. Now, after many trials, he has discovered a system that works for him and appreciates his college freedom because he can attend social activities and pass the time with his friends without asking permission.
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Advice for seniors headed to college in the fall.
As knowledgeable and experienced college freshmen, Patramanis and Luepker advised seniors to not slack off on their school work during their final months of high school. It’s extremely easy to fall into the habit of putting off important assignments or studying for tests the night before, but they warned these habits can haunt students during college. “Procrastination is a hard habit to break,” Luepker said.
But what is life without balance? Luepker said, “Spend as much time with your friends as you can. Who knows when you’ll get to see them next.” Luepker encourages all seniors to cherish every last moment they spend in high school because college is a considerable change in all aspects of daily life.
