Everyone comes from different backgrounds and different types of households. Some households are laid-back where you can go where you want, when you want, with no or few rules. Some households are more moderate, where you have a curfew and a fair amount of rules. Then there are the strict households. These households can have many rules and restrictions and little to no freedom. Regardless of which household we come from, we all make mistakes. However, sheltered students from strict households tend to experience more of a culture shock when suddenly exposed to the radical freedoms of college.
I grew up in a strict household and I hated it. I could not even go into the front yard and play with my friends without asking permission first. Finally, my senior year of high school ended and I was on my way to college, a seemingly endless hour and a half away from home. Words cannot describe how happy I was when I moved in to my dorm and found myself free to do what I wanted. I saw many of my friends going out to party and drink every night.
One example of this problem is a good friend of mine, Jane.* Jane grew up in a Christian home, went to a Christian high school, and went to church every Sunday. She lived a sheltered life and decided to attend a public university with the intention of becoming a lawyer. Jane studied vigilantly her freshman year and into her sophomore year. She always did her work, rarely went to parties, and never got drunk. Then, she met her boyfriend. They were both sophomores at the time and he was her first real boyfriend. (Her strict upbringing did not allow her to have one.) After some time together, Jane got pregnant. Her boyfriend left her. Because of her baby, she had to work full time, switch to community college, and be a full time parent. “It was tough, but we got through it,” Jane told me once as she held her young daughter.
Students who have never experienced a real party because of the strict rules of their childhood homes might find a college party as an opportunity to let loose their newfound freedom. As a result, they may spend all their time partying, skip class, blow off their homework, lose their scholarships, and eventually end up dropping out of college. This won’t happen to everyone, but it can happen to you if you are not careful. You can make mistakes that you will forever regret. My suggestion for those students from strict homes (or any college student for that matter,) would be to balance work and play. No one can only work without any fun if they want to stay sane, but no one can party all the time and be successful. Just like everything else in life, balance is the key.
*Name has been changed.
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