Adjustment

Category: Life as a Student

What is the biggest adjustment my student will have to face when they come to college?

Students face a number of adjustments over the course of their first year at college, and each student may handle the transition differently. Typically the initial biggest issue is homesickness. It takes time to get used to life away from home, with a person they may never have met before, and without the support system that you as parents often represent for them. Later in the semester, roommate issues may loom large as the "honeymoon period" of living with that other person wears off. Academic pressures begin to mount as the semester goes on and students realize the greater amount of time and effort that is needed to be academically successful at UP.

The good news is that UP has resources for students at each point of their adjustment to The Bluff. Homesickness is tempered through frequent and intentional opportunities to make connections and get involved in campus life. The Counseling Center has counselors available to speak with students about their homesickness and any other issues they may want to discuss. For roommate issues, we encourage students to first communicate with each other to resolve the problem. Residence Hall Staff are also available on each floor to help mediate. Finally, students facing academic difficulties can talk to their professors and utilize the services of the Shepard Academic Resource Center.