Freshman Check-Ins

As freshmen return to college for the spring semester, I decided now is a good time for a check-in. Let’s see who is heading back happily and who may still be undecided if it was the right choice. It is good to know how everyone is faring. It can help when advising future clients, and maybe you can even help them further with acclimating to where they are or providing transfer planning. I sent texts and received some great responses. With each one my smile grew wider. I am telling you, there is nothing quite like the words of a happy student! These are direct quotes:

• “Hi!! I had a great first semester, UMiami was definitely the right fit for me.😁”

• “Hi Corey!! I’m doing good! How are you? I love South Carolina and definitely this was the right choice for me!”

• “Hi, it’s so amazing to hear from you. Yes, it was the absolute BEST decision. I am having the best time in the world. Thank you so much for reaching out. I hope everything is well and happy new year to you and your family!”

• “Hi Corey, thanks for checking in. Yes I love it here. This was absolutely the right choice for me.”

• “Hi Corey!! How have you been? Everything at Wisconsin is amazing. I’m really happy there. I love it! Thank you for all the help and for reaching out☺️”

• “Hi thank you so much for reaching out!! Yes it’s the best place in the world and I couldn’t be happier❤️❤️”

• "Wilkes is good I swim in every meet and I did good in my classes. I’m happy here."

I love it when students find their fit, but that is not always the case. It is the students who are not feeling comfortable that tears at my heart. From my Class of 2025 I have two of them. The reason usually falls into either culture, academics, or geography. All I want is for these kids to be happy so they can thrive. Sometimes it doesn’t happen on the first try. I know that and their parents know it too, but when talking to an 18-year-old it can seem like the world is crashing down. If the first semester was not a success, there are two directions that can follow. First there is trying harder to find that fit in the second semester. The second option is looking into transferring. Sometimes planning for both simultaneously is a good course of action. The correct answer will usually show itself before long.

Step one is figuring out which of the big three is the problem. Is it culture, academics, or geography? Academics can mean the student chose a major the school does not offer, or maybe the classes are too big, or the support services needed are not available. Can we find tutors or even outside resources to assist? Is there an alternate path to the career of choice? This one may make staying more of a challenge.

Geography can also be a deal-breaker. If you are too far from home to be happy what can you do? Is there any family closer that you can visit? Are you near planes or trains? Must you go a full semester without seeing your parents, and is that something you are no longer willing to do? Maybe the geography issue is the weather. Sometimes teenagers picture the south as sunny and happy all day every day. They picture themselves on a Hollywood set rather than a college campus and the reality is that a classroom is still a classroom. Or maybe it’s the opposite. The weather is freezing and dreary and you can’t motivate yourself to leave the dorm. The gray outside has taken an emotional toll.

Culture, however, is what I hear the most often. Students are sometimes unable to “find their people” during their first semester. This one seems dire at first but is actually the easiest to fix. If your roommate does not turn out to be your BFF, you may need to make an effort and look elsewhere. Challenge the student to try three clubs or organizations. It doesn’t matter if they are social, athletic, or professional. A student who thinks their thing is baseball may find their people in an acapella group. I’ve witnessed the student who was certain she was meant for the big southern sorority life find out her happy place was with fellow equestrians. And who knew the boy who had to be at a school with a club hockey would end up most enjoying his participation in the professional business fraternity?

I have one student currently who decided they want to pursue a degree that is not offered at their current school. He has high aspirations and wants to fill out applications to schools that are highly rejective. I am working with him now, just as I did last year, to broaden his scope. Another student seems unhappy society. She is not finding her people and fears she made the wrong choice. We are applying to a few schools she had considered in the past and a few new ones, but I am also working with her to try and find her people. I am not convinced that she will end up transferring. Either way, I am glad I am able to be there for her no matter which direction she ends up taking.