How Universities Help New Students Adjust to University Life
It was Wellbeing Wednesday, which you first learned from your pen friend from Edinburgh. He was a huge BMX fan, so he asked you about Connor Fields's whereabouts. You don't know him, or the sports, so you were clueless about the fact that Fields, a Las Vegas native, was the first American to win the Olympic gold medal in BMX (in 2016). Fields was unable to defend his Olympic title in Tokyo, as he fell violently into the track after Sylvain Andre's bike crashed into his in the qualifiers. (Andre is the 2018 BMX world champ.) Your mate thought that he would die, prompting you to ask him if he was a close friend of the Fields family. (Your buddy changed the subject after you asked the question.) it turned you to your first year in the university, which would be different from past years. Starting at university is daunting, and the pandemic could have an adverse effect on you. Are you ready?
Your father couldn't emphasize your generation's need for assistance during this time of the year, as he didn't have problems with leaving home, meeting new friends, and fending for himself for the first time. And he was confused about the student wellbeing offering. It kicked in from the moment you had contact with a number of universities. Moving 600 miles was a big deal, which might cause you to become depressed. Your parents would think otherwise. (They met in New York, during a holiday, which your mother described as close to "An Affair to Remember". You don't switch to TCM whenever you're in front of TV, as you still haven't moved on from the season finale of "Superman & Lois".) Your pen friend described the Wellbeing Orientation Welcome (WOW) summer school, which his university (of choice) offered to youngsters who have autism, Asperger's, or other issues that could make the move to the university potentially traumatic. You became defensive. (And it was your turn to change the subject.) You were worried about anxiety, not to mention the pandemic. (Your father told you to ignore the campaign of those who weren't in favor of vaccination, most of whom were rich.) You've become used to Zoom meetings with your high school buddies, so you could imagine a recorded team-building exercise (with your coursemates). And knowing your peers through social events might have to wait. (You're narrowed down your list, but no one could tell if you would meet other students next season.) You had an exchange of emails with tutors, who told you about what to expect from universities before you chose a degree course. This would cover the importance of self-care and emotional awareness. (You didn't tell the tutors, and your parents, that you were green with envy at your pen friend. He's dating a second year, who is studying journalism and creative writing.) And this is a start.
3 Easy Ways to Make Contact With Your University
Online orientation week. The pandemic would make an actual orientation week very challenging, if not impossible. An online version must not be missed, as faculty (and older students) would welcome the new academic year. Welcome talks should make you look forward to the fall semester, and the students' union events would give you an idea of where to meet new friends. Orientation should ease the transition, as you wouldn't be overwhelmed at meeting strangers. No awkward moments when you live with them. Soon.
Friends for Life program (or its equivalent). Your pen friend was teasing you after he described the Friends for Life program (in his university). He was grateful to a graduate student who often began his emails with quotes from authors he hardly knew. He's studying in Turin. (And he hopes to meet him during his third year of study.) This engenders a sense of belonging, which could reduce the number of undergraduates opting to leave their courses. You don't see yourself dropping out of college, as you won't dare disappoint your parents. However, the pandemic threw a curveball. But don't worry. Friends for Life (or its equivalent) would illustrate that there's a lot of support available.
Wellbeing team. You may not be available on (Wellbeing) Wednesday, which is OK. Expect someone from a wellbeing team to get in touch with you after you accept an offer from your university of choice. There's no guarantee that he/she would be your best friend, but you would see him/her on a regular basis. It would make you much more comfortable and confident during your first semester.
Is This the Start of Your Big Adventure?
Starting at university is quite a change for a teenager, so take your time in choosing your university. You would make a wise choice if your university (of choice) offers a wide array of transitional support services to new undergraduates, as well as ongoing guidance once they settle in. It might not be right to explore the university - and the city - together, as the (delta and lambda) variants would be speed bumps. You would be told of what a wellbeing group does and where to reach them, as well as (online) activities to ensure that your studies won't be disrupted. These initiatives have been in place, so don't be overwhelmed.
