There are also programs to support students with disabilities, as well as diversity and inclusion programs for students who may not feel welcome on campus. Students who need it should also seek out academic support and tutoring programs. Along those lines, it’s important to encourage students to seek out the various resources that might be available on campus, such as a counseling center, financial aid office or wellness center. While new college students may be intent upon gaining independence, it’s important to stress that knowing when to ask for help is actually a sign of maturity. In recognition of how stressful the first year of college can be, here are five things that we believe can help ease the transition. A national survey of first-year college students conducted by the JED Foundation, which studies college students’ mental health issues, found that students who feel emotionally unprepared for college were more likely to report poor academic performance and negative college experiences. Many first-year college students report feeling “ stressed most or all of the time,” regardless of where they go to college. Knowing what to expect can make a major difference in a student’s psychological well-being. We also spoke to college faculty and staff about the many ways that new students arrive on campus underprepared for their first semester of college and incorporate tips from college students about what they wish they had known when they first arrived on campus. That’s the message of our new book, “ How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You’re There).” The recommendations in the book are based on two decades of teaching and designing programs for thousands of first-year college students, such as “ The American University Experience,” a course that helps new students adjust to university life. While both milestones are worthy of celebration, there’s much more that students and parents should do after those two milestones are reached.

First-year college students frequently report being stressed.Īntonio Guillem from Lara Schwartz, American University School of Public Affairs and Andrea Malkin BrennerĪs the school year begins to wind down, high school seniors – and those who care about them – typically have their eyes on two prizes: getting into college and graduating from high school.

How to College by Andrea Malkin Brenner