As the academic year begins this August, approximately 2 million new students will flood campuses in the United States (according to the National Center for Education Statistics), representing about 68% of the nation’s recent high school graduates. It’s a time given a mythical status in the minds of many of these students, and their families…. a time for exploring new ideas, opening of the young mind, discoveries of purpose, new friends, new opportunities, and new challenges. A place where you will start your career, join organizations that will change your life, and maybe even find “that special someone” to spend the rest of your life with.
And many of these things do happen to college students, so the myths were born of the seed of truth. But like many seeds, myths grow in fertile soil that is often full of…well, crap.
Things aren’t ever perfect, and the fall arrival period is a time when many students (and their parents) discover the truth…when they arrive and the experience doesn’t match expectations.
- The roommate is going to be your best pal, and you’ll go everywhere together, until you’ve built a solid bond for life…best man or maid of honor at each other’s weddings, future business partner, godparent to your children, etc. Maybe you’ll even name your children after them. Except that when you arrive, the kid you met at orientation, and decided to room with, isn’t assigned to you, and you find yourself in a 4-person lounge that was converted into temporary housing. And you have nothing in common with the three other roommates, and don’t see the point, since the situation’s “temporary,” and you’ll be moving as soon as they find a space for you.
- The classes will all be engaging, and you’ll spend time outside of class out on the green lawn with your favorite professor, talking philosophy, debating quantum mechanics, or imagining the next big thing in technology…which will lead to a fabulous research assistantship or internship, the adulation of all the best minds in your field, and of course, a great job upon graduation. Only when you get there, the class has 300 people (or more) in it, is taught by a grad student, with occasional input from a professor you’ve never actually met, and probably won’t, because he only has open office hours once a week, during the time you have 3 classes back-to-back. And no one spends a lot of time on the campus green talking philosophy, because they are all on their cell phones with their parents and friends back home, or texting someone.
- And let’s not even get into parking, the dining halls, whether you can get football tickets, or the alcohol policies that never seem to get mentioned in movies like Animal House and PCU.
So the first critical year of college starts for many students well before they get to campus…in their mind, which is full of expectations (realistic or not), and the plans they’ve made based on them. And anyone can tell you the quickest way to frustration is paved with unrealistic expectations.
Last week, I wrote a post, titled “If They Knew Now, What You Know Now, That You Wish You’d Known Then…. What Would They Know?,” and asked readers to comment and share advice and perspectives. It didn’t get the comments I was hoping for, so I thought I’d try again. If you have some brief advice you would share (or a life lesson that would serve as a good example), please visit the post and comment.
I also think that many readers out there would have some good perspectives to share, so I am hoping to have guest bloggers for the next three Mondays featuring life lessons and advice for this year’s incoming college students, and to talk some about the back-to-school season and college transition issues on my BlogTalkRadio show.
So, whether you are a current college student, a graduate, a parent, a career coach, or a higher ed professional (or from some other category entirely), you’re invited to share your thoughts as a guest blogger. Please e-mail me at sean@higheredcareercoach.com this week if you are interested, and check back next week, as I extend the “Monday Morning Quarterback” guest blogger series from HigherEdCareerCoach.Com to include HigherEdLifeCoach.Com as well.
Related posts:
- Free Life Coaching for College Students and Parents!
- If They Knew Now, What You Know Now, That You Wish You’d Known Then…. What Would They Know?
- How Does College Change Students?
- I Can’t Believe My Baby is Growing Up!: Some Basics About Student Development Theory for College Parents
- Happy Birthday to Us!
Sean Cook has 15 years of experience working in Higher Education, as a Student Affairs Professional. He is a Certified Life and Career Coach through the Life Purpose Institute, a program accredited by the International Coach Federation. Sean also writes about career issues in higher education for our companion site, HigherEdCareerCoach.com and is a periodic contributor to the Student Affairs Collaborative Blog.
