P.O.W.E.R. Learning - Robert S. Feldman

The Case of... Here I Am!

In their first few weeks at college, many students find it difficult to adjust to a new school, new classes, and new friends. Most, however, find a way to deal with the situation and resolve their problems. In the following exercise, you will examine your own first few weeks at college and analyze your reactions to a few common situations. You may choose either A or B. Choose A if you had, or are continuing to have, a very difficult time adjusting to your new surroundings. Choose B if you had some problems, but feel confident that you can resolve the issues. If you're not sure, choose A. Simply fill in the blanks in the paragraph with the names and issues that refer to your personal situation. Following the paragraph, answer the questions in the space provided.

Note: All schools and colleges have many resources available to students who need help adjusting to a new situation. The Student Affairs Office can usually suggest someone you can talk to. Most residences on campus have someone that can help with campus living. Or you can find help at the counseling center or mental health center on campus.

A. It was during the second week of classes that the questioning started. Until then, I, hadn't thought much about my decision to attend college in . It had seemed like a good idea, and I was excited when I was accepted, but now the whole purpose of being at this school seems confusing.

Walking to class one day, I began to think about all that had happened in the first weeks here. My parents and I had a long ride from , they helped me unpack, and left to go home. I really missed them.

Then I met my roommate .
I really had a problem with his/her .
I was confused about whether to take a class in or a class in .
I got lost going to my first class in .
I couldn't understand the first assignment in a class in .
I wondered if I needed to take that class for my major in .

I began to wonder if I really should be here. Some days I just wanted to be home in my own bed, eating mom's home cooking, and talking to my friends on the phone. And it's so expensive. Did I really need to spend all this money for an education when I didn't even know exactly what I wanted to do with it?

The whole situation was overwhelming. I almost wanted to just bag it and go home. But then I thought about what I would do when I got home. I've got good computer skills, so I suppose I could get a good job now, but the way the economy is going, I couldn't be assured that a job in a start-up company would last too long. Then what would I do? Finally, my friend, convinced me that I should stay and work through my problems. That's the only way I could assure myself of a future in the world of work.

B. It was during the third week of classes that I, suddenly realized that this was the place I really wanted to be. Until then, I hadn't thought much about my decision to attend college in . It had seemed like a good idea, and I was excited when I was accepted, but now the whole purpose of being at this school was becoming clearer to me. But the first few weeks hadn't been easy.

Walking to class one day, I began to think about all that had happened in the first weeks here. My Parents and I had a long ride from , they helped me unpack, and left to go home. I really missed them.

Some days I just wanted to be home in my own bed, eating mom's home cooking, and talking to my friends on the phone. And it's so expensive. Did I really need to spend all this money for an education even though I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do with it? I wished that I could contribute more money to my own education.

The whole situation could be overwhelming. But when I thought about what I would do when I got home, I realized that I could work out any problems I have here. Even though I've got good computer skills, and could get a good job now, the way the economy is going, I couldn't be assured that a job in a start-up company would last too long. Then what would I do? Finally, my friend, helped me see that I could manage to solve any problems that came up and that the only way I could assure myself of a future in the world of work was to remain in school and work hard in my classes.

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