Making the leap from high school to college
While many high school students have painstakingly spent their high school career preparing for the academic rigor of college, many students still report that they feel far less prepared for the major emotional and social transition ahead despite feeling academically capable. But being emotionally prepared is just as important for a smooth transition to college. This blog discusses what emotional preparedness looks like and how we can better emotionally prepare teens for college.
Table of Contents
The emotional gap: what the research tells us
What is emotional preparedness?
The emotional gap: what the research tells us
A study completed in 2015 by Harris Poll found that a majority of U.S. first-year college students felt emotionally underprepared for college, with students of color reporting feeling overwhelmed to an even greater degree and less comfortable seeking help. And these same first-year students reported that the challenges they struggled with the most, were often unrelated to their academics responsibilities.
Based on this research, new resources have been created across the past decade to help us understand how to best emotionally prepare students for the transition from high school to college.
Let’s break it down.
What is emotional preparedness?
This research defines Emotional Preparedness as “the ability to take care of oneself, adapt to new environments, control negative emotions, and/or behavior, and build positive relationships.”
Studies show that students who are emotionally prepared for their first year of college are often able to earn higher GPAs and more successfully handle the independent living, time management, and prioritization responsibilities that college brings.
How can we better prepare teens emotionally for college?
Academic readiness is just one part of the equation. Helping students build social and emotional skills is just as important. Here are key areas, recommended by Set to Go (a program from The Jed Foundation), to focus on before making the leap to college:
Prepare for New Freedom & Independence
Meeting new people: From roommates to professors to teammates, building new relationships takes time. Getting involved in clubs and campus events can help you feel more connected and improve your overall experience. Connection is often the key to having an emotional shock absorber for the stressors of college life.
Prioritize Sleep:
While college presents new freedom, it is just as important to ensure you are getting sufficient sleep (often 8 hours a night continues to be the best benchmark).
Limit caffeine and screen time before bed, and ensure you are leaving time to “wind down” to help yourself begin to feel “sleepy” by bedtime.
Establish a consistent sleep routine and stick to it, even on the weekends when possible.
Navigate Changing Relationships
Family: You will likely go from seeing parents and siblings daily or frequently to much more infrequently. It is helpful to think about how you will stay connected with your support system. What mode of communication and how often? How much should parents be involved in decisions you make while at school? We encourage students and families to talk about this together on an ongoing basis about how to find balance with their new independence while maintaining connection to their family system.
Friendships: It can take weeks and months to make new friends. Get involved in activities that interest you and be patient with yourself. Remember that friends from home are adjusting to college life too and can provide a good support network. Maintaining high school friendship will take effort, but it is possible. And as time goes on, you will find balance with your new friends, interests, and activities too.
Embrace New Independence, Be Humble in Learning Self Management
As you enter college, your time will shift from being highly structured and set by teachers, parents, and coaches to highly unstructured and determined almost solely by you. Most college students spend approximately 15-20 hours in class per week, leaving a large amount of “free time” to fill with social connection, activities, homework, and more. It might be tempting to sign up for every club, attend every event (and trying out these new experiences is important!), while also finding balance with your course load and responsibilities like managing mealtime and doing laundry. Remember the primary goal of attending college is to learn – both academically and new life skills. Think about how you want to schedule your time in order to meet your goals.
Transition your Health and Mental Health Care to College
As you enter this new stage of life, often times away from home, remember to set up the care team you need while you are on campus too.
Remember that just if college life becomes overwhelming, or struggling with depression, anxiety, homesickness, or social difficulties – its okay to reach out for support. Even when social media is showing your friends enjoying college life, it's okay to sometimes not feel okay. Reach out to your college counseling center or private therapist for support in navigating this big transition in your life.
You can learn about mental health and support services by visiting your school’s website. You can search terms like counseling center, mental health services, academic accommodations, psychiatric services, etc. If you had treatment in the past and are interested in continuing or are interested in beginning treatment, reach out to your school’s counseling center to obtain more information on fees and scheduling as soon as possible.
It is important to note that college counseling centers get busier at certain times of the year (i.e. usually before mid-terms in the fall and spring). It is best to reach out at the beginning of the semester (or as soon as you begin to feel you might need support) to ensure you get the time and care you deserve.
Oftentimes, mental health practices in your hometown will also offer telehealth support, enabling you to have a therapist you can see both when you are home on breaks, and virtually while you are at school for ongoing support.
Special Considerations
Transitioning to college is difficult for anyone but can be made more challenging if you are a:
First generation college student
Student athlete
Veteran
International student
Student with physical or learning disabilities
It is important that you are aware of the resources available to you, as most schools will have specific offices that can help ensure you get access to specific services that meet your needs. We always recommend familiarizing yourself with specific resources on campus to ensure you have access to support systems if the need ever arises.
More Resources
If you need want more support for your child or yourself as you prepare for the transition from high school to college, please reach out to us at Expand Psychology for a free 15-minute phone consultation with an experienced therapist to get support for you and your family.
Online Resources: Looking for more resources? Check out: https://jedfoundation.org/set2go-jed-program/
Jessica Pavlick is a Licensed Psychologist and Assistant Clinical Professor of Clinical Psychology at The George Washington University. She specializes in individual psychotherapy for adults with depression and anxiety and providing testing evaluations for individuals across the lifespan, especially for those wondering if they have ADHD, learning difficulties, or need diagnostic clarification for emotional troubles.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute mental health treatment. If you are in crisis call 911 or contact your local crisis hotline immediately.