The beginning of first year at university or college can be anxiety-inducing for both parents and their kids.
But Marnie Findlater has a message for both: it’s OK to feel overwhelmed.
Findlater is an academic adviser and admissions officer at Capilano University and routinely talks to incoming students and their parents, especially at this time of year.
Her advice is to try to relax and enjoy the start of the new adventure.
For parents specifically she says: “Expect them (your kids) to feel challenged and overwhelmed, and realize that you have to let them experience that a little bit, that you won’t have the same amount of control that you did over high school.”
Expect your kids to struggle a bit in the first few weeks, but it’s important for students entering post-secondary education to learn some independence that can aid their long-term success.
For students the message is the same: “It’s fine to be overwhelmed, it’s OK to not know what it is that you want to do.”
The most common question she is asked by parents and students is how university will be different from high school.
She tells them that the main difference is the student will be responsible for his or her own learning. Post-secondary instructors don’t police students in the same way when it comes to attendance and assignments.
“Because you’re in charge of your own learning you’re only going to get out as much as you put into it,” says Findlater.
The style of learning is also different from high school, she notes.
A lot of students are used to memorization as opposed to a lecture and tutorial, and lots of students are used to being given a set of facts and knowing that set of facts without necessarily understanding them. University lectures are more about providing the framework and the student is required to absorb it, understand it, and build upon it themselves.
Findlater has some advice for students entering first year or starting a new program.
First, start with the basics: Eat well, sleep well, and drink lots of water. Take care of yourself. This can have a huge affect on your ability to focus.
Second, remember that all post-secondary institutions should have a variety of student support services available to help. Most are free and confidential. Couselling and career development offices can help with resumes, cover letters, and even preparing for a first interview.
Every campus will have a student service area dedicated to financial aid and awards, and that office will hold workshops throughout the year on how to prepare and follow a budget, as well as how to apply for loans, scholarships, and bursaries. The financial aid and awards office is not just for students who have loans. And there are plenty of student clubs and student societies to check out, or start a new one if you have an interest that isn’t being covered.
Also don’t to be afraid to ask your instructor if you have questions.
“They expect it,” says Findlater, adding instructors won’t know that you don’t understand a concept they’re teaching in class if you don’t tell them. All instructors have office hours, don’t be afraid to use them.
Post-secondary libraries can also be intimidating, but they should always have a staff librarian on hand when the library is open to help students navigate and find the resources they’re looking for. Most schools even have a computer resource centre if you’re having trouble managing a photocopier or library computers.
When asked what students should be thinking about now in the final weeks before schools starts, Findlater has one word: budget. Student loans should be in place by now for those students using financial aid. And if you have been working full time over the summer you may not be able to work full time hours while attending school, but if you are now is the time to consider how you will manage school work at the same time.
Time management is the most important skill to master before and during first year, notes Findlater.
Her advice is to be realistic when building your schedule, she says. You might have deliberately put all your classes on two days of the week, but don’t be under the misconception that that’s free time. You’ll have to be using that time for something.
“If you know that you’re going to watch Netflix for two hours every night, build that into your schedule,” she adds.
If you are an athlete, build practices into your schedule. If you need eight hours of sleep a night, budget accordingly. Be realistic about how long it will take to do assignments, including research, writing, editing and revising.
Findlater also has some advice about choosing first-year courses.
“It’s OK to be curious,” she says, adding your first year can be one of exploration.
“You don’t have to rely on subjects that you were good at in (high) school, you can take a course that you think would be challenging or that you think would be interesting because that’s the only way you’re going to know moving forward whether or not that’s something you want to pursue long-term.”
This story originally appeared in a special section of the North Shore News focused on back to school content.
