Handling the challenge of transitioning to college

Pursuing a college degree or vocational training is full of new opportunities and experiences. But like any major transition, it comes with challenges.

The transition to school can feel unexpectedly isolating and demanding. This is common, especially for first-generation students who do not have the experiences of family members to draw from. In addition, students from small, rural communities, such as ours, may find the transition uncomfortable, especially if they leave home to live on or near a campus. It might be difficult navigating a school’s system: Being unsure where to go for what; being in a new learning environment or returning to a learning environment; keeping up with course work; finding peers with shared backgrounds or common interests; balancing work with classes or school with family responsibilities.

Bridges Project for Education wants students and their families to know that there is help and that resources are available.

Most colleges and vocational programs offer either low-cost or free services to help support students. These services vary from school to school, but more often than not, they include on-campus health services, counseling, an LGBTQ resource center, tutoring, disability services, writing center, professor’s office hours, computer labs and IT services. These resources are there for you. Your tuition pays for these services, so make use of them. If you need help identifying resources, Bridges can help.

Students run into problems in college that are much more common than they may realize and can easily be remedied by being proactive. Sometimes students fall behind with coursework and feel too intimidated to work with a professor to resolve issues. Professors are inclined to help students who reach out and communicate, rather than wait until it is too late.

Another common problem is that sometimes students have questions about their payments and financial aid that never get dealt with and then holds are placed on their student accounts, preventing them from registering for classes.

In addition, students are often in danger of failing a class, and they don’t know about add/ drop dates that would help them maintain the necessary GPA for scholarship eligibility and ultimately, they lose their scholarships.

Dealing with all of these problems, by communicating with professors, contacting the Financial Aid office, and speaking with Admissions counselors, can prevent a snowball situation that can result in students dropping out of school.

Some things former Bridges clients have found helpful include: Talking with others who have pursued the path they are on; keeping open communication with your family and support network; and getting involved with extracurricular activities or joining a study group on campus.

Bridges encourages family and friends of college students to reach out to them. Second semester tends to be harder for students, as the novelty of the first semester has worn off and winter weather can sometimes bring the blues.

Now, more than ever, it is important to find ways to connect with one another. Contact Bridges Project to set up an appointment at 575-758-5074 or info@bridgesproject.org.