Wost College Experience Ever

ghostbuster
Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:48:14 +0000

Many schools require a minimum of 3.0 to accept transfer students. While your misery seems to be related to your school, it may well dwell within you. Freshmen are confronted with all sorts of issues when the arrive in college, whether living on or off campus. Its a huge transition from high school. Some simply are not ready for that change.

Here is what I would do if I were you. Demand your health center provide you some counseling. If they wont, then report them to the Dean for Students immediately. Latch onto a professor who will take the time to have coffee with you and become a mentor…and help you work through this.

Finals are coming, so buckle down, do your reading and get your papers in. You can maybe survive the semester with excellent finals and good papers.

Depression is a serious illness and needs to be addressed. Lack of sleep and poor eating habits are signs of depression, but also make it much worse. Get some sleep and eat properly.

Dump the boyfriend. He is doing you no favors.

If you have a substance abuse problem, or alcohol abuse problem, seek treatment immediately.

If you cannot salvage the semester, then instead of transfering, think about withdrawing for a semester and taking a leave of absence. DONT sit at home in your parents basement, as that will only make the problem worse. Instead, sign up for a volunteer group with your church and do something positive: working in Latin America with poor people, working in the inner city, helping disadvantaged kids, working in a Humane Society, helping rebuild sections of New Orleans (that work is still going on), etc. Helping others will help YOU. Sort out your thoughts. But pick something you enjoy doing.

There is no shame in saying you werent ready for the college experience. Now just fix it but working on what is going on inside of you. Jumping from school to school is not the answer (yes, it helps some kids…but often if they dont address their own problems they just continue to struggle.)

And see your family physician if you have a depression problem that is more than just the ordinary blues and school adjustment stuff.

Finally, many kids go through this. But you can fix it if you TRY. Many get their act together by the Spring and recover.

I NEVER recommend living with friends and boyfriends in college, particularly in freshmen year. I don’t recommend living off campus freshmen and even sophomore year. A whole different set of problems happen…

Now pull up your socks, put a smile on your face, get the help you need and the advice you need from a professor/mentor and get on with it.

All is not lost. You can do this.