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How to Adjust to Your First Year of College Life
Living with a new roommate. Making new friends. Succeeding in classes. Choosing a major. Finding your way around campus. Adjusting from high school to college life presents a lot of unknowns, which can create both excitement and anxiety — particularly when your friends are sharing social media posts portraying their new lifelong besties and booming social life. But the reality is that nerves are normal for new college students, according to Peter Forkner, director of the Counseling Center at Bentley University.
“Our brains are wired to take comfort in the familiar, so being uneasy or lonely are common feelings as a part of the process when tackling something new,” Forkner says. “When you get to college, building a new community won’t happen overnight; it takes time to get to know others. Give yourself some breathing room to explore interests.”
Bentley’s Division of Student Affairs and the Counseling Center share 11 tips to help ease the college adjustment process.
- Bring a few items from home. Moving away from the comfort and familiarity of home is challenging. As such, consider bringing a memento such as a favorite blanket, photo or even food that will allow you to feel connected even if you are far away.
- Appreciate that you are opening a new chapter in your life. Take the time you need to say goodbye to the people or situations you’re leaving behind and reflect on all you have learned that has prepared you for your transition to being a college student.
- Develop a routine. Schedules can help reduce feelings of uncertainty and automate more familiar tasks while you’re learning new ones. Add in regular habits that bring you a sense of peace and stability, such as going to bed at the same time every night, starting your morning with tea and 30 minutes of reading or taking time to call home every Friday.
- Get involved — but manage your time. Staying busy can help you start to feel more settled into your new lifestyle. Join student groups, establish an exercise routine or look for on-campus employment or volunteer opportunities. Balance social and recreational activities with academics.
- Discuss preferences and expectations with your roommate. Adjusting to living with someone new can come with challenges. You may find that you and your roommate differ with respect to things like how clean you like the room to be, where you like to study, what time you go to bed, comfort with visitors and even preferred room temperature. It may feel awkward at first, but having a direct conversation about the issues most important to you can help avoid conflict down the line.
Meet the Bentley Residential Center team to learn how residential directors, residential assistants (RAs) and student office assistants can provide assistance with questions.
- Introduce yourself. Reach out to new classmates, club members or teammates, or introduce yourself to professors and teaching assistants after class. While this can seem awkward, you can be sure that other people are looking to form connections as well. Mutual friends are great for facilitating introductions, too.
- Manage expectations for new friendships. It is completely normal to wonder whether you’ll ever feel as close to people in college as you do to friends from home. However, it’s important to recognize that developing true friendship takes time. Feelings of connectedness develop from shared experiences so prioritize recurring events like weekly dinners or club meetings. Also don’t forget about the value of casual acquaintances. Not everyone will become a best friend for life, but they may be a part of your wider community.
- Take care of your health. Prioritizing getting good sleep, engaging in regular physical activity and maintaining a balanced diet are essential for keeping healthy both mentally and physically.
Learn about health resources through the Bentley Health Center and Counseling Center.
- Adopt healthy study habits. It’s not uncommon to arrive on campus feeling like you are being pulled in a million directions which can lead to spending less time on your academics than you had originally intended. So it’s important to ensure there is enough time to be the type of student you know you can be! Be sure to attend your classes and review the syllabus at the beginning of the semester, marking important assignments and due dates. Stick to a schedule that helps you avoid procrastination and all-night study sessions.
- Reach out for help. There’s no need to do this alone. Your college has plenty of resources to support your adjustment to college life — so don’t be afraid to reach out if you have questions or need support. Get to know your resident assistant or dean of students. Visit inclusive spaces and groups or access health and wellbeing centers. Not sure whom to talk to? Ask a faculty or staff member to point you in the right direction.
- Remember that you’re not alone. There are plenty of other students who don’t know anyone else and are eager to get to know their new community. Take advantage of this opportunity and reach out to other students to explore together. Student organizations are a great opportunity to connect with others.
Forkner reminds students, “It’s natural to have some level of stress when you’re adjusting to college life; this is normal and to be expected. It’s important to recognize that everyone is in the same boat and that pushing yourself outside your comfort zone is the key to success.”