Many students are trying to mentally prepare themselves for a big milestone in their lives– entering their first year of college! There are many mixed emotions that people may feel about this. For advice, I reached out to four ERHS alumni who are in college. I spoke with George Mason University freshman Tiola Adelekan, who is majoring in business, Fordham University freshman Caroline Lehman, who is majoring in political science and journalism, and University of Maryland Baltimore County freshman Kendall Howell.

Each student expressed how the biggest difference between high school and college is that students are given much more freedom in college. Lehman shares “it has definitely been an adjustment and had somewhat of a learning curve,” but she counters this challenge with the positive outcome when she states “I have met a lot of cool new people and experienced a lot of new things and seen so many new places!” Adelekan notes that at George Mason University “there are a lot of resources available. If you need help you just have to look for it.”

Many students worry about the workload in college or are afraid of not being able to make new friends and adjust to their new environment. Lehman explains that at her school, in addition to special events geared to help freshmen adjust, “there are many other resources such as career services, psychological services, tutoring, and other resources that all students at Fordham can take advantage of.” She does also believe there is still need for improvement when she expresses “there could definitely be more academic, student employment, general health, and other support.” Howell shares how during the fall, she “felt loved and seen through what we call “welcome week” where we were able to get accustomed to campus and our floor mates before school actually started.” Adelekan says that at George Mason they have “so many programs, events, and seminars to meet other people with the same interest as you and academic services to help you if you are feeling behind.”

So, what final words of advice do these college freshmen have for graduating seniors? Lehman says “take a deep breath and know that wherever you end up is where you are supposed to be. It is easy to get caught up in acceptance rates and rankings, but you should be looking at college holistically to see what college will serve you best.” Howell gives advice for the students worried about their grades in college, saying “college is freedom! Everything you learn in high school is the very minimum of what your brain is capable of. Your grades matter to get into college but they don’t have a crazy emphasis on that in college. They want you to have a work life balance and grow as an individual.” Adelekan explains that managing the time and responsibility that comes with freedom “is really hard, but do not place all of your worth there because it will all work out, even if it does not seem like it.” The least you can do is trust these ladies when they say that college is an experience like no other and should be something to look forward to!