Transition to College Life: How Can Families Help?
Understanding and empowering students to find support at college/university
Do you wonder if your young adult/child has transition challenges, such as leaving high school or your home and heading to college/university? Have you been thinking that they might be having adjustment issues? You might have noticed their frustration or irritation about college life but have yet to talk to them about it.
As a parent or family member, do you need to know what office or campus staff they need to approach instead of you so they can start building their independence and ability to self-advocate?
Many students have to put on a brave face because they do not want parents, guardians, or family to be too concerned about them. Plus, you are trusting them to navigate and manage how to cope with this transition.
It’s normal and natural for newly minted college/university students to feel challenged by their transition to university life.
In many cases, it can make a significant difference in study habits, living arrangements, and primarily, their newfound freedom. They might be a little scared once they step out, but they are also excited for what journey may come.
The process from high school to college life takes time, patience, and diligence. You can’t rush the adjustment as a parent or student.
New or returning students come to campus and struggle with various challenges from academic, financial, and social integration into a college system.
Many of these challenges can be overwhelming, but there are activities, programs, and offices that can support and equip them with the best set of new skills to make them successful.
Understand that the adjustment to the college environment has two main parts — academic and social integration
Students often forget that various support systems to help them adjust to the new environment exist within the college or university structures.
Most college campuses have key services to help students integrate into the collegiate environment. These services include student affairs/services, counseling, diversity and inclusion, tutoring programs, student activities, career services, health services, student housing, recreational sports, and leadership development opportunities.
There are also academic services to assist students, such as academic advising, writing or math centers, faculty office hours, group studying, or tutoring for general education classes and major courses. These offices and programs can get students started if they are new, or back on track if they are continuing/returning.
Is your young adult changing before your eyes?
I would not be a true student affairs thought leader and professional if I did not share a little bit of theory to support what you and your young adults might be experiencing.
As your young adults join the halls of higher education, they will develop and discover a new set of emotions, feelings, independence, and drive for achievement.
These changes and transitions, along with a new sense of exploration, can be explained by looking at Arthur Chickering’s seven vectors of development — “(a) developing competence, (b) managing emotions, © moving through autonomy toward interdependence, (d) developing mature interpersonal relationships, (e) establishing identity, (f) developing purpose, and (g) developing integrity.” (Killam, 2017, p.102)
The vectors explain the stages in character identity and development — in plain terms, why your young adults are changing.
We all know that young adults grow and develop identities of their own but do you often wonder what are the signs of character development at each stage of their lives?
In line with Chickering’s vectors, you can observe some of the following changes. You might notice an increased sense of self-esteem and confidence as they are willing to address challenges in their life on their own.
Another is that they will grow in self-reliance and demonstrate the ability to commit to their goals and commitments more consistently. A final example might be a young adult becoming more self-directed including reaffirming their values and moral compass for life.
While a student experiences all seven of these vectors throughout their time at college, I would say that “managing emotions” and “moving from autonomy to interdependence” are most noticeable during their transition into the university setting.
Many students are grappling with missing home, familiar routines, family, and friends, but how they manage those feelings and emotions can look very different.
Some of your children will call you daily for months while others will intentionally not call because they do not want you to know their feelings.
If you are getting the daily calls, support and encourage them to focus on their new surroundings, and perhaps create a call schedule so that calls are more manageable. If they are not calling, give them a call, do the check-in, offer support, and plan a regular check-in even if for just five (5) minutes.
At the same time, your young adults are navigating those new emotions; they are also working through the process of autonomy to interdependence.
While in high or secondary school, they developed some autonomy — flexibility and freedom, but they were still at home. Now that they are at college/university and in many cases living on campus, they are learning to understand and develop interdependence.
They are navigating the balance of how they can do on their own versus what they still need to rely on you, their family/parent(s), to assist within their new setting.
As a Student Affairs practitioner who has worked globally, these experiences can be seen in young adults in all parts of the world. The effects may be more noticeable depending on the local context or culture, but the change and transition occurring are the same.
Your young adults are developing identities of their own in the local context. So, whether you are in Europe, Oceania, North or South America, or Africa, as a parent, know you will see different behaviors and experiences from your child once they have started their university journey.
No need to worry! They will have support from you and the myriad of professors and staff at their institutions.
Encourage your child to visit these offices for assistance. The staff are knowledgeable and trained with a genuine awareness of helping students who might be struggling in a specific area of their college life. Let your child know that these offices are resources to help them with all aspects of their transition — social, financial, or academic.
Tips and recommendations for students with challenges during their college experience:
- If students struggle to get involved socially — encourage them to get involved in clubs and organizations, or join a leadership student employment opportunity.
- If students struggle academically — suggest that they visit their professor during office hours, seek one-on-one tutoring, or join a group study program.
- If students struggle with overall adjustment to campus and university — suggest that they attend workshops about time management, talk with their academic advisor, or consider the tips and suggestions from their first-year experience seminar or college transitions class.
- If students live in student housing — the housing staff of student-peer leaders and professional staff members are great resources.
- If students struggle with homesickness, which often happens with new students to a university — have them attend gatherings, connect with other students with whom they have things in common, or stop by the Counseling Center to talk to someone if the homesickness is prolonged or is affecting all aspects of daily life.
- If students feel other burdens of being in college, such as a financial strain — recommend they use the career services to help them find a part-time job on-or- off-campus or visit the Financial Aid office to inquire about other resources/funding available. Additionally, if the family has experienced a significant financial loss, the student can again speak with the Financial Aid office.
- If students struggle with class content — have them visit their faculty member or Teaching Assistant’s office during office hours and continue attending class.
Working globally in the higher education sector, I have found that some student behaviors for transitioning to university are universal.
Most students are generally adaptable, but it is more so their families who are highly concerned about the adaptation to the new environment, academic rigor, social culture, or student living accommodations.
Students can help their parents/family by having reassuring conversations and setting up a communication plan.
Students should always feel supported and know where to find it.
Most students have adjustment challenges during the first semester into the first year; however, students could experience adjustment throughout the remainder of their college years due to unexpected circumstances. At any point during the college journey, they can find support from staff and various campus offices.
Both student services and academic affairs have been created to support the character-building and personal development your young adult will experience during their time studying.
Whether they live in campus housing or commute daily, these support services are readily accessible to all students. They should not hesitate to ask for assistance that will boost their ability to succeed in the pursuit of their educational goals.
Those of us who are student affairs/services practitioners, in conjunction with our Admissions teams, can and do have the aptitude to reassure parents/families while fostering a sense of belonging for students.
The campus environment provides a new feeling of home for both residential and commuter students due to the activities and number of hours they spend on their academic journey.
