Dear Seniors,
One of the biggest changes for college freshman year is a new peer group. You may have friends you’ve been with since the beginning of high school or even longer. Starting college should be exciting, but it can also be anxiety-filled as you think about moving on without your same friends to support you. As you and your friends head off in different directions, think about ways to stay connected:
- Celebrate your accomplishments!
Graduation is a time to celebrate! Congratulate your friends, maybe exchange gifts, and celebrate each other. It feels good to have accomplished this goal together. Honor your friends and tell them how much they’ve helped you become the person you are today.
- Spend your summer together with meaningful experiences.
Create opportunities to make memories with your friends this summer. As states start to reopen, spending time with friends you haven’t seen in months may take on new significance. Plan some shared time – maybe a trip together, or a regularly-scheduled meet up, or try something new. Summer will fly by with work, vacation, internships, or other activities. Prioritize time with your friends.
- Reflect on what you love about your friends and think about new relationships.
There will be many opportunities for you to make new friends in freshman year – from freshman orientation on, opportunities for meeting new people around. This might be thrilling or terrifying depending on whether you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert. Stay true to yourself. Think about the qualities you love and admire in your high school friends and consider ways to find people with similar qualities. Shared interests (clubs, sports, activities) or common experiences (classes, dorms, pre-college orientations) are great opportunities to bond with new friends.
- Plan a visit.
No doubt, you will enjoy meeting new people freshman year. It can also be fun to share your new place with your old friends. If your high school friends are attending colleges nearby, make plans to visit each other. Depending on what colleges allow for the fall, plan to spend the night together in the dorms, or spend a day together on campus. It can be comforting to see old friends during your freshman year.
Take Action
Whether you are heading off to college near or far, with lots of old friends from high school or on your own, plan to keep in touch with your high school friends. You’ll likely have a chance to get together during college breaks. Make an effort to maintain your friendships from home as you get to know a new group of peers. Most importantly, build on old memories and make new ones. Enjoy this brand new chapter of your life! You’ve earned it!
At EdMission Possible, we help our students transition to college life with ease. If you have any questions during this important time of your life, call or e-mail us today.
Happy transitioning!
Warmly,
Burcak Deniz Cakir
Founder and President | EdMission Possible
Phone: +1(732)640-5550
E-mail: bdcakir@EdMissionPossible.com
Burcak Deniz Cakir has a B.A. in Foreign Language Education, an M.A. in English Language Teaching, and an M.B.A., all of which have laid the solid foundation for her professional experiences as an educator. She has completed the College Counseling Program at UCLA, which is known to be the most prestigious certificate program in the profession. She has previously taught English as a Foreign/Second Language (EFL/ESL) in Turkey and in the U.S. at Virginia Tech, Harcum College, Rutgers University (Newark and New Brunswick Campuses), and Pace University. Having taught EFL/ESL at the college level for over 20 years, Burcak can communicate effectively with college-age students from different countries. She is bilingual in Turkish and English. Her extensive experience with international students from many countries including but not limited to Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Korea, and China has given her the opportunity to understand their unique problems that domestic students may not be facing throughout the college admissions process, such as but not limited to extra testing requirements (TOEFL, IELTS), the translation of high school transcripts and recommendation letters, different financial forms and statements required, visa issues, being homesick, culture shock, etc.
Burcak is an Associate Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and a Voting Member of the International Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC). She currently lives in Edison, New Jersey with her husband, two daughters, and her four-legged son. In her free time, she can be found spending time with her family, reading (lots!) about college admissions and college essays, watching her favorite movies, getting lost in design magazines, and decorating her house.
This blog post is a part of EdMission Possible’s #AskTheGuru Series. Its content was provided and brought to you by:
