The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Alumni discuss life after high school
Dining hall food, roommates and being homesick are all part of college life — especially when you are a freshman living on campus. Add in deciding on a major, learning how to budget finances and knowing when to buckle down and study are three other components of college. On Dec. 16, a panel of Oberlin High School alumni spoke to current Oberlin High School seniors sharing stories about transitioning from high school to college life, according to a news release from the high school. Alumni included Tessa Newson, Bailey Wallace, Emerson Rosen-Jones, Trajen Chambers, Aaron Hopkins, Selena Hayes and Sam Thompson.
Oberlin High School Principal Brent Betts served as the moderator for the event, asking various questions to the former students, the release said.
The panel discussed the hardest part from transitioning from high school to college; most positive influence in life after high school; biggest difference between high school and college; how many hours are spent studying per day; what are two “most important’ things to take to college; how campus food really is; what it’s like having a roommate; the decision of changing majors midway through a year; finances; and holding down a job while in college.
Throughout the discussion, one aspect of college life became very clear to the student body sitting in the auditorium — you are independent and responsible for your own choices.
“You have to wake up on your own, every single day,” Chambers said. “It’s tough, but then you also get to meet new people every single day. Walking around the campus of Bowling Green State University, there are new faces.”
Wallace noted that it’s important to find a place to study that fits your habits.
If you don’t mind a bit of noise, studying in your dorm room may work, but for most college students, seeking a quiet place is the best option.
“I found a place on the campus of Bowling Green State University that no one seems to go in the Business Building,” she said.
And for Kenyon College student Thompson, he said that studying in his dorm room is never a good idea.
“I haven’t found a way to separate the two — dorm life and studying — so I study literally anywhere but my room. I will hunker down and find a quiet place,” he said.
Studying isn’t the only part of college that takes work on a student’s part. It’s building relationships with professors and academic advisors that tend to make life a little better.
Hopkins, who attends Glenville State University in Glenville, West Virginia, offered sound advice to current students: “Become friends with your professors; go see them during office hours; email them if you have questions. That is why they are there. They are there for you.”
The event was spearheaded by Betts with assistance from the high school counselors Jennifer Bracken and Suzanne Nock.
“We are glad the three of us worked together to bring this panel into the school today,” Betts said.