Transitions are always tough, and transitioning to college, a new job, or any other big life change for the first time (or let’s face it, the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th time), is tough! Check out these resources or sign up for one of our workshops to get tips, tricks, and support with your transition to college.
Transitioning to College
Transitioning from high school to college can be difficult for a variety of reasons. There are new responsibilities associated with college and you will likely experience a difficulty adjusting at first. Fortunately, there are many resources available to help.
It is a normal response to feel homesick while transitioning to college. While it is perfectly acceptable to feel homesick, here are some tips that can help you cope with leaving your family.
Some Tips to Help Feel Less Homesick:
- Try to leave your room each day. Leaving your room can often help you feel better.
- Make a point to exercise frequently. Whether you go to the gym or on a short walk, making sure you engage in some sort of physical activity each day is an important way to take care of yourself.
- Become involved on campus by joining a club. You can look through our different clubs here to see which ones interest you.
- Seek help by taking advantage of resources on campus. Students can schedule an appointment with a counselor on campus here if they feel they would benefit from talking with someone.
- If you miss your pet, check out our webpage on Pet Therapy, where you can find tips on how to cope without a pet at college and useful resources to connect you with opportunities to interact with animals in the Houghton area.
Another important topic to address is how to be successful in college. If you have any academic concerns, such as how to properly study for your classes or how to deal with academic stress, you should check out our Academic Concerns webpage.
Here are some additional tips on how to cope with the transition from high school
to college.
Coping with the Transition to College
- One of the most important things you can do for yourself is get enough sleep. Getting enough sleep each night is necessary for your mental health and well-being.
- If you live on campus, try getting to know your RA. Your RA can offer you different resources to help you adjust to college.
- Find some different places on campus you like to study. Studying in different environments can create more cues to help you retain information.
- Stay in touch with your family.
- Get to know your academic advisor. Your advisor can offer you useful advice throughout your time at Michigan Tech and help you be successful.
- Finally, make sure your expectations are realistic. It is okay if you struggle. College offers many great opportunities and it can be a very fun time. However, it is also meant to be a lot of work. Classes are supposed to challenge you and it can be difficult coping with everything sometimes. Know when to reach out for help and how to take care of yourself.
If you are struggling with transitioning to a new job or another big life change, here are some other resources that might help.
Tips for Other Transitions:
- Recognize that big life challenges are scary, but they can also be opportunities to grow and create new memories.
- Reflect on previous transitions where you successfully adjusted.
- Turn to your support network. Those around you can help you manage change. If you can not physically be with someone, try turning to people online or giving some old friends or your family a phone call.
- Prepare for the transition so it will not be as stressful.
- Focus on positive aspects of the transition.
- Seek support from a mental health professional. Mental health professionals can guide you through the transition in a supportive and safe environment.
- Here is a useful TEDx talk on how to successfully cope with change
We also offer a variety of workshops that can help with specific areas you are struggling with or are simply interested in learning more about. You can check out the different workshops we offer here.