When ending high school, many people tell you that college is completely different and to expect a lot of changes. While there are many differences, such as moving away and the class schedule being a new adventure to master itself, there are a lot of similarities that make the adjustment not as scary as it seems to be.
1) The people are the same
No, not the people themselves, but the overall types of people remain the same. You going to meet the jocks, the nerds, the student government. And just like in high school, many of the people will overlap into other groups. Just find which click or squad with which you find most at home and you are good to go.
2) Clubs and Groups
Yes, there are many clubs on campus, even the small ones. They all cover many events and activities, from helping lead the school to chasing fake zombies and saving the campus from the Apocalypse. Most of the people who are in the club become best buds and tend to hang out outside of the club times. This is a good way also to meet new friends. Join the clubs! Get involved! It'll help in the long run.
3) The Teachers, now the Professors
Yes, even the teachers are almost the same; they still serve the same function and they want their students to pass. Despite not seeing them everyday at the same hour, they are there to teach and to help their students learn the material. There are some that many warn against and others that many will recommend to death. Just trust your own head and do as you see best. After all, some you will see every semester and others you will see only once.
4) The Upperclassmen, or the Guides to Survival
The upperclassmen have been through the Freshmen Trial and endured the transition. Let them act as a guiding tool to help answer any questions. While they may intimidate some for their ranking, they are people and may be easier to talk to than the teachers at times. They may be busy, but they can and may want to help. Just meet one and say hi.
5) Projects
A good reason why to make friends and befriend upperclassmen is projects. Every class has at least one and it can take a big chunk of time, effort, and ingenuity to complete and for a good reason. Most classes may take a project more than the test grade or just as much. Despite being evil and a time slayer, projects could be fun to do. Group projects may be a pain, especially if the others will not help, but you discover who you can trust with these projects.
6) Everything at once?!
The teachers know when nothing is going on, so they have a secret meeting and decide to assign everything at once. That seems to happen everywhere, no matter the insitution. This skill is good, as it tests focus, time skills, work efficiency, and most important, stress levels. Watch the stress! It can literally kill somebody, and not just physically.
7) The fearful one: GPA
Laziness and Procrastination kill this 3-letter acronym. This was VERY important in high school, as it determines scholarships for college. It is still important, just not as major. It needs to be maintained for scholarships, passing to another upper-level class, yes, but that means that you can relax for some classes where a B or even a C is alright. But failing is NOT acceptable. The class that costs about $300 is not something to take lightly. Relax on it, but do NOT forget about it.
8) Finals
No matter where in the world, finals will be a time of stress and thinking, "When will this END?!" Despite being harder and more hair-tearing, the number of ways that the professors can give you a final is long and varying. Just study and be well prepared for them. You have been training all semester long for them. And way to go, the semester is almost over! Yay!
9) Celebrating the Summer
Finally, done with the semester and time to relax. The summer serves as a time to unwind and the ultimate "you time". The choices of how to spend it is infinite. Just remember, next semester is a few months away and may fly up faster. Relax, and bask in the free time.
High school to college is a big jump ,but it isn't all that different. Just take a week to readjust and it'll be alright. If not, then ask for help. People have been through the same.
