The transition from secondary school to college can be a daunting one.
In fact, I don’t know a single person who had an easy time transitioning between the two. It is difficult being a new person in a new environment at any point in life, and for me, being a first-time ‘new girl’ was the most difficult fear I had to overcome.
I found the beginning of college very difficult. I didn’t come straight from secondary school. I graduated in 2023 and ultimately took a year off after the CAO didn’t exactly go my way. Taking a gap year was a great decision for me personally; however,, going back to school after taking a full year off was very difficult. During my year off, I didn’t have much to balance. I had my job, and then I had to balance my social life and the gym. However, adding college into the mix was somewhat like a slap to the face. Adding a two-hour commute, assignments, lectures, tutorials and trying to get involved in student life was a difficult load to adjust to. It took me quite some time; even now that I’m in my second year, I still feel as though I haven’t fully adjusted; however, it has gotten easier.
Another aspect I found especially challenging was the fact that I had never been a ‘new girl’. I went to the same, very small, all-girls school for fourteen years. The primary and secondary schools were on the same grounds, so I never had to adjust to change. So naturally, starting college, a completely new environment in a completely different location where I knew absolutely no one, was very daunting. I found the transition terrifying at first, and sometimes I couldn’t even bring myself to go to lectures. If you had told me that exactly one year later, I would have made some amazing friends and now find myself completely comfortable walking into these lecture halls, I would not have believed you, but I’m happy to admit that is very much the truth.
The freedom that came with college was always an exciting concept to me. The fact that I would never have to wear a school uniform again, or worry about the number of piercings in my ears or even the colour of my hair, was so exciting for me. The freedom to express individuality was my favourite part about starting college, and the fact that no two people looked the same was an exciting aspect of the scary environment for a new college student. Knowing this is the only time in my life where I am completely free to look how I want without receiving a detention or fear of looking unprofessional was the best part about the transition from secondary school to college for me.