As the next school year approaches, many high school students are about to make the transition to a university, whether they like it or not.
For some, college presents an opportunity to meet new friends and study interesting courses, but for others it’s a difficult move accompanied by anxiety and fear of the unknown.
“I come from a really small, conservative school,” said Tatiana Melendez, a 16-year-old student in between her junior and senior year of high school attending a summer program at American University. “So, going to college is going be like an ocean of new things.”
A majority of students interviewed on American’s Northwest Washington D.C. campus this week are excited to attend college but some like Jonah Gelfand, 16, a rising senior from Westchester, New York, had their doubts about how easy the jump would be.
“I think it’s a good mix of both, I don’t really think there’s one that’s outweighing the other,” Gelfand said.
Current college students including 20-year-old Matthew Wilson, a junior at American University studying economics and political science, understood Gelfand and other high school students’ fears.
“I was naturally apprehensive about going,” Wilson said.
“I wish I could tell myself to just relax a lot more and trust the process,” Wilson said later. “Every other student entering college is probably feeling the same way that you are.”
Wilson, a native of Wethersfield, Connecticut, said he never felt like he couldn’t handle the distance to Washington D.C., which is a 6.5-hour drive from home. Even before arriving on campus, the fear of eating alone in the dining hall troubled him more than any potential academic challenges.
“A lot of schools have orientation programs,” Wilson said. “When I came to orientation I met a lot of people. I met my best friend.”
Meenal Goyal, 19, a sophomore and psychology major at American University, had very few doubts about college when she was a prospective student. In addition to specifically seeking out a school far from home, Goyal also said she focused on getting a good scholarship from the beginning of high school.
“I was all gung-ho about it,” Goyal said.
In Washington D.C., Goyal is 10 hours from her home in Hudson, New Hampshire, but she said it was what she wanted. She offered advice to prospective college students: College is incredibly diverse and that everyone can and will find their niche.
Many students interviewed this week noted that in the end they felt like college has or will be a positive experience.
“Have fun,” Wilson said. “Everyone is in the same boat.”