Transitions into College
Honestly, I haven’t put that much thought into the changes that I would have to make as I transition into college at ODU. In my first week here, a few topics surfaced, topics that include my living quarters and how I will manage my finances, and time management. However, I know I am ready to face this challenge head-on.
The first major change I have come across is how I am living and whom I am living with for the next five months. The amount of privacy I have compared to when I was living back home, in Richmond, is surreal. Sharing a one-room living-quarter with two other teenagers has forced me to lock away my valuable belongings and keep one eye open at night. I will be going from being able to leave whatever valuables I have out at night, but within a few days to being forced to lock everything away in my heavy-duty trunk. I’m not saying that my roommates are criminals; I’m just saying I never know who would take my new watch, or shoes, or even “borrow” my favorite pen. It’s not just that I have to live with people I just met, but I will also have to almost be friends with them, so we can compromise on things like how the room is arranged, who showers when, and who’s buying groceries. I’m not saying that there are only bad changes when moving into a dorm. All I’m saying is there will definitely be some adjusting.
The next major transitional challenge I realized I should prepare to ‘tighten the leash’ on is control of my finances. If I’m a full-time college student, I will not have time for a job, which means I will have to rely solely on saved money and Flex points. Being a growing/maturing young man, eating is a necessity, so eating in moderation and responsibly is crucial, or else by Thanksgiving I won’t have enough money for partying. If students don’t go to parties while in college, they didn’t have the real “college experience”. The acronym B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own alcoholic Bottle) describes any party well especially at ODU. If I showed up to a party without any supplies, the current partiers won’t hesitate to tell me to leave. Another expense while away from home is just buying things in the store windows, which can burn a nice hole in my pocket. It takes discipline, but with a tight budget anything is possible.
Being able to juggle my classes, social life, and sleep schedule will also be a challenge. Time management is like a triangle; I can only have two of the three listed above. For example, if I stayed up too late studying or partying, I won’t have enough time for sleep or vice versa. Time management is one of the touchiest subjects because it determines the type of person I will be known as.
In Conclusion, as I move into Old Dominion, the most important changes will have to be made to my living-quarters, finances, and time-management. They will not be easy to combat, but I’m with practice I’m sure I will have them under control within the next couple of weeks.