How students can
transition to life on
acollege campus
ome students may be a little anxious as they prepare to return to campus
this fall. The following are some ways to make that transition go smoothly.
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Much has been made of the challenges that have faced
students and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The shift to remote learning and shortened school days
was difficult for many families, forcing students to adapt
to virtual school on the fly as their parents adjusted to
working from home full-time while doing their best to keep
kids engaged in their studies and occupied when school
let out each day. Given those challenges, it’s no wonder so
many families are looking forward to what figures to be a
more normal school year in 2021-22. But that return will
pose its own unique challenges as well.
Some students may be a little anxious as they prepare
to return to campus this fall. That transition could be
especially difficult for incoming college freshmen, who
must overcome any pandemic-related concerns about
returning to campus while also making the transition to life
on a college campus. The following are some ways to make
that transition go smoothly.
· Engage in the community. The Health, Counseling and
Disability Access Services at the University of Missouri-St.
Louis urges students to take advantage of opportunities to
engage in their new communities as early as possible. The
HCDAS notes that first-year experiences are designed to
help students connect with their new life on campus and
make new friends. All incoming freshmen are facing the
same set of unique circumstances as the 2021-22 school
year begins. That includes the adjustment from remote
learning with limited social contact with peers to a return
to more traditional academic and social settings. Navigating
that transition alongside other incoming freshmen can
make it a little easier to handle.
· Plan ahead. Parents and their college-bound children
can prepare for the coming school year by learning about
on-campus policies over the summer. Will masks be
mandated? Will classrooms remain socially distanced? Are
vaccinations required to attend class in person? The sooner
families learn these policies, the sooner they can begin
planning for life on campus. Parents also can look into oncampus
resources designed to help students readjust to
being back among their peers. Knowing where to go for
help should students need it can ensure any issues that
arise are addressed promptly.
· Encourage students to share their concerns. Opening
up about any concerns they may have can help students
as they emerge from the pandemic. Many parents were
concerned about returning to the office in person, and they
can share those concerns and the ultimate outcomes of
their returns with students concerned about moving onto
a college campus. Parents are urged to periodically check
in with college students about any anxieties they may have
about being on campus.
Returning to full-time, in-person learning after the
pandemic may be especially challenging for incoming
college freshmen. Such students can work with their
parents over the summer to conquer their fears and
prepare for the coming school year.