Navigating through college can be tricky especially when just graduating from high school. With computer science and technology becoming a dominated field that is currently popular to undergraduates, the entire experience can feel a bit overwhelming. If you are having trouble adjusting to this new environment, be sure to read the tips below!
Classes
One of the biggest differences between high school and college is often the amount of guidance you receive. By looking at your school’s website, you will be able to find an outline of the classes you will need to take to fulfill your major–be sure to make sure your studies align with this plan throughout college.
Unlike high school, professors often will not walk through deadlines, their syllabus, or give you reminders of when you need to do your work. Professors will frequently place responsibility on you as a college student. Though do not worry, a planner or scheduler will be your best friend to stay on top of everything. By using online resources (ex: Google Calendar, Notion) or simply a notebook, it will allow you to section off times during your day and create alerts when you have upcoming exams.
Imposter Syndrome
Entering college can be a difficult process for everyone and imposter syndrome can easily occur when you are surrounded by individuals of a multitude of backgrounds. Especially with fields such as computer science not being strongly enforced within high school education, this may be one of your first times in these types of classes.
However, one of the most valuable lessons is to not compare yourself to others. Everyone is on their own journey and starts off at the same point–the important part is to be passionate and dedicated to your work. Consistency and determination are the biggest factors to success and if you put effort into all that you do, you will end up in a good place. It is easy to compare yourself to the success of others, but doing so is detrimental–their journey is not yours and you remember that you are on your own pathway.
Finding Community
If you are going into a college where you do not know anyone, it can be very intimidating. In classes, you may feel as if everyone is focused on the class and their major. However, joining communities such as clubs and on-campus organizations will help you to socialize as well as find people who are like-minded. Especially if you are a minority in technology, there are times where you may feel lost in a classroom with individuals who do not look like you. By joining clubs like the Society of Women Engineers or cultural organizations, it will allow you to bond with others and have a support group.
Even with the bit of stress that college may have, it opens the door to so many different experiences–new knowledge, lifelong friends, and finding your passions. You may not have it all figured out when you just start, but that is 100% okay. We hope you enjoyed these tips and feel free to reach out to our team members who are current college students for any advice!
