Seniors Prepare for the College Path
April 25, 2014
While seniors of Simpson College scramble to fill out job applications and find the appropriate interview outfit, seniors in high school are making what seems like a life-changing decision: where to go to college.
What can seem more daunting are the academic changes from high school to college. Some students come to college with a load of credits, while others fall short on being prepared.
Jori Coghlan is a counselor at Indianola High School. She said how prepared seniors are to enter into college depends on how challenging their high school class load was.
“Until they arrive and begin their first semester, they won’t know for sure how they will react to the independence and rigors of college,” she said.
Coghlan noted taking AP or dual credit classes are the best way to experience what a college class will be like.
Kara May, Assistant Director of the Hawley Center, said under-prepared freshmen are a continuous cycle and most noticeable around the first midterm, or “the midterm meltdown.”
“There’s a huge disconnect where high school students don’t spend enough time on homework, which is necessary to succeed in college,” May said.
She continued, “They’re not prepared for the expectations of a college campus or the professors, and that is not even talking about the actual workload. If you haven’t been pushing yourself, how do you know how much time it takes to do something?“
May noted another problem with incoming and current students is doing work and going to class simply to get a good grade.
“What happened to learning for learning? That’s the point of being here. It’s not just about getting a grade,” she said.
May said problems she sees with freshmen could sometimes be easy fixes. This includes actually buying and using books, going to class and turning assignments in on time.
May said one of the best things a student can do is talk to professors or get help from the Hawley Center if they are struggling.
Kayleigh Sellner is a first year student at Simpson. She said her high school put a large emphasis on college preparation.
“They made a huge deal about it in high school.”
One thing she wished she was better prepared for dealt with social skills. “Knowing how to live with a roommate, especially if you don’t get along with them,” she said.
Coghlan said the best way to combat preparing for the social settings of college is to have an overnight visit to the college.
However, Coghlan said the social scene of college can be hard to portray to high school students.
Indianola High School has current college students come and talk to seniors about college life and answer questions according to Coghlan. She said it is helpful to have student experience and advice.
“They need to understand that they need to branch out and meet new people and not be around only old high school friends. Understand that people will change, and that is part of becoming adults,” she said.
