So You're In College: Now What?

By Maria Johnson

This little guide answers some obvious questions about college...well, maybe not so obvious after all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 7, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257452422

Book preview

Author

Introduction

The common denominator among college students everywhere, whether they attend traditional universities, or modern community or junior colleges, is that they have all been exposed to a distorted version of college taken from television and movies.

Some of it is accurate, but I’d venture to say that most of it is romanticized and exaggerated. Real college might have some elements from the crazy fraternity comedies and the serious elements from dramas, but those versions are rarely the full story.

The truth is that students create their college experience while attending, regardless of the nature of the institution.

This guide is designed to help new college freshmen with the transition to college. Most college freshmen find themselves alone for the first time in their lives. While many are comfortable with the unknown and delve right into their new surroundings with confidence, undaunted by the challenge, others may feel reticent or unsure of themselves.

So You’re in College. NOW WHAT? endeavors to reach those students who might not even know what questions to ask. It doesn’t offer solutions to all the problems or challenges that freshmen face, but it does give some insight into the expectations from professors and staff, and that can ease the transition a great deal. It is a small resource to help students get started. The rest, as they say, is up to them.

Chapter 1:

Getting That Acceptance Letter

CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve been accepted to college. Now what? You’re probably feeling giddy with excitement and you can’t wait to tell your family and friends. Enjoy the feeling of accomplishment. Let it sink in and savor it. Soon, you will have to begin a long and tedious process of paperwork with deadlines and fee schedules, so you want to be ready and organized for the challenge.

In high school, your guidance counselor was in charge of keeping all your paper work in order, and he or she was charged with calling you to review your file. Now that you are in college, the task is up to you. If you organize yourself well, then the process will be smooth. You should establish a file drawer where you will keep all of your papers and admission information, and as each term progresses, you will begin adding more and more files to this drawer. Remember, someone else used to take care of this for you, but now it is your responsibility.

The first thing that goes into the file is