Uprooting oneself and starting all over at college comes with a host of stressors—forming new friendships and juggling academics with extracurricular activities and a social life are two among many. Fortunately, the transition to college is well-charted territory.
Miki Tanahashi, a second-year student at Soka, currently works as a Student Orientation Leader, which means she has both lived the college transition and currently observes it in the first-year students she guides through the process. Tanahashi noted that one of the first major hurdles for students at Soka is readjusting to a larger campus population after fall block ends and a new semester starts.
After living a month on-campus with virtually only one’s class, being flooded with 300 new people in addition to a full course load can be stressful. Tanahashi referred to the Soka Class of 2021, “I know a lot of you are struggling with getting to know more people, but I think that’ll happen with time.” She said the transition for her was particularly difficult, as not seeing the classmates she had grown close to over fall block as often could have an isolating effect.
Aside from patience, any adjustment period takes time, she noted. Tanahashi’s strategy for dealing with this was engaging with students outside of her class and asking questions. “Everyone has their own story that’s unique to them, and it’s super eye-opening to hear,” she said.
An impending stressor that college students face is balancing commitments with a social life and personal well-being. Tanahashi noted that the pressure to overcommit is particularly strong at Soka because of the school’s ethos. “There’s this culture of busy here, where you feel like you need to be doing everything,” she said.
As a first-year, Tanahashi was involved in Spirit Committee, the hip-hop dance club Rhythmission, the Soka Education Student Research Project (SESRP), the Haka Warrior dance club, Archery Club, and had an on-campus job as a tour guide. She juggled her commitments by checking the club schedules beforehand and making sure they didn’t overlap, but her level of involvement came with a fair amount of stress and didn’t leave a lot of time for social activities. At times, she said, she felt overwhelmed.
For Tanahashi, realizing that just because it seemed like everyone was busy all the time didn’t mean she had to be, took time. “There’s nothing wrong with not being busy,” she said, “and it’s okay to take some time for self-care.”
Anhthu Dang, Soka’s mental health counselor and a resource for all students regardless of their mental health diagnosis or the nature of their problems, noted, “A lot of people get caught up in comparing but avoiding comparisons is really important to our health and wellbeing.” Part of adjusting to college, Dang noted, is realizing everyone has their own needs and their own way of dealing with those needs.
Coming to this realization required Tanahashi to reach out to others, particularly upperclassmen, who could share their experiences and give advice. However, if students don’t feel comfortable addressing a certain problem or emotion with their peers, Tanahashi also recommends talking with Dang, who can provide support to any student for any reason.
Brian Durick is Soka’s Director of Student Services and a former Residence Hall Coordinator for the majority-first-year hall 300. His duties at Soka have given him an inside look at how first-years both struggle and overcome the stressors of the college transition. Part of the stress that can come from the transition, Durick noted, is when expectations don’t necessarily align with reality. Some students come in with a certain perception of what college will be like, and when it doesn’t fit that notion, it upsets them. But, Durick noted, getting upset about one’s reality doesn’t change it. “If reality is different than your expectations, let go of your expectations and appreciate what that reality is,” he said.
Different students have different experiences and therefore different coping mechanisms to deal with those experiences. However, Durick noted, putting off dealing with legitimate problems doesn’t make them disappear. “People who pretend there isn’t a struggle and try to ignore it tend to eventually have to face up to it,” he said.
Dang noted that suppressing emotions and ignoring problems isn’t just an ineffective strategy—it’s an unhealthy one. “A lot of times people come [to my office], and they’re really upset because they’ve been holding it all in,” she said. Certain problems, especially when it comes to friendships and roommate relationships, need to be dealt with earlier rather than later. She stresses communication as an immediate strategy to relationship issues, and if communication with the individual doesn’t work, then consulting a third-party, like a Residence Hall Coordinator or Dang, is a practical way to go.
Both Durick and Dang stressed Student Affairs’ open-door policy. Even if students aren’t having a particular problem, the Student Affairs staff welcomes students who just want to sit down to chat. The same is true for many professors and other staff at Soka. However, students who may not yet feel comfortable reaching out to people on-campus can access online resources for college students. Dang recommends settogo.org, which provides advice aimed toward first-years adjusting to college life, and halfofus.com, a website about mental health problems and other emotional problems many college students face.