Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Hot Topic of the Month - September 2008
School is in! You are in college now tasting your new found freedom and in a new city with limited or no family and/or friends around...Or all your friends from grammer school are going to a different high school because your family have moved or decided to place you in another school...What do you do? How do you start over? Where do you go from here? Are you apprehensive or nervous? Do you live with a stranger now defined as a room-mate in a dormitory? How do you handle the new teachers, professors, and/or advisors that expect so much from you now? Is the transition from preteen to teen or teen to adult blowing you away? Share your stories with us. Let us know how you are handling things or not handling things. Send advice or ask for suggestions.
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I attended four (4) elementary school before graduating from 8th grade. Of my eighth grade graduating class, only two of us went to the same high school and we weren't close friends. I went to a predominately white college and did not live on campus. Each of these experiences were challenging in their own way. Each time I left one grammar school for another I was the new kid. I was tested each time and thankfully I transitioned well. Not living on campus during college was probably the hardest because I didn't feel truly connected with the school. At the time I thought it was best because I could hardly stand being the only black or one of three blacks in a class of 20-30 students. Based on my experiences I would advise a young person to not try to be a stand out, transition without a lot of flare and just observe for awhile before aligning yourself with any particular group or person. At the same time don't be so reserved because you may come off as anti-social or superior.
While in a scholarship internship program my first summer following high school graduation, I had to stay on campus with 99 other high school grads from all over Illinois who had also won the scholarship. Needless to say, I was nervous and afraid, it being the first time I was "on my own." But because we were all future teachers, we immediately had something in common. One important thing to do when leaving home is to leave your room! You will not make new friends by simply isolating yourself. Introduce yourself to new people, not in a boisterous or rude way, but in a way that is classy and intellectual. I would also suggest that you not room with someone you already know. Doing so may prevent you from going out and meeting new people. Plus, if you and your roommate don't get along, you always have a friend's room to go to. But what happens if you and your friend get into it and you are roommates? Going to a new place definitely presents challenges, but if you are open to change, it can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience: I met a lifelong confidante and friend during my time away and she and her family will be my family for life.
I went into a scholarship program knowing nothing about dorm life or the college campus. I had to live with people from all over Illinois and did not know anybody else that was going to be there. I must admit that I almost made the mistake of isolating myself. That is definitely something you DO NOT want to do. Get out and meet other people. Go to events that are going on around the campus. Participate in clubs or groups on campus. Get to know someone in your class. It will be beneficial to you. Trust me! I met a lifelong best friend in this program who love my girls like they are her own.
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