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This is my second essay for this semester. A little background for this essay: the goal was to explore and analyze a unique and significant problem face by new college students (NOT to solve it). If you'd like some more information on the topic/purpose of this essay, view the comments here!
Grade: 92.5% (*happy dance*)
Student Life
The transition from one place to another is never as easy as it seems. Living away from home for the first time is a unique and significant problem faced by new college students because it can become a factor in a student's failure to handle money, poor academic performance, and a decline in physical or mental health. Moving out of the house to live on your own, relinquishing your precious free time for a job, and finding motivation for your long-term career are all situations riddled with underlying problems that can overshadow the excitement of these momentous occasions—ones that often mark a person's departure from adolescence. All the above can also be associated with a student's transition from high school to higher education. With inadequate preparation, many incoming college students can face a multitude of problems that stem from their new living situations.
Living away from home for the first time is a unique and significant problem faced by new college students because students don't have the knowledge or ability to cover unforeseen costs, such as textbooks; they can also encounter expenses that they have never been responsible for, such as food or laundry. Many new college students that live away from home must now be financially independent. Without the immediate guiding hand of parents, new college students must navigate their way through a sea of payments, the prices for which shock all students. On top of this, students that decide to live off-campus must also pay for their living expenses which include rent, electricity, water, etc. And all students must find the money to feed themselves. Although some might be able to get by with scholarships, grants, and other forms of financial aid, most cannot since the majority of the money will go towards the cost of college tuition. Additionally, some forms of financial aid have long wait times before the money will be available for the student to use. A student's lack of ready funds can result in them being unable to purchase needed materials for specific courses or to fulfill the basic needs (food, water, and shelter) for them to survive.
Living away from home for the first time is a unique and significant problem faced by new college students because students don't know to create schedules that will allow them to stay sane. An inability to pay for unforeseen expenses often leads students to apply for jobs. This can be a problem for those that are unaccustomed to working, especially during the semester. New students that take on a part-time, or even full-time, job must balance their new work schedule with their class and study schedule. This can result in timing conflicts if their shifts prevent them from attending classes at certain times. If the student is unable to keep up with their work hours and academic schedules, they might need to lessen their academic load and remain at the college for more semesters than they originally planned for. If they don't, however, a student's grades will fall, or they will fail classes altogether.
Living away from home for the first time is a unique and significant problem faced by new college students because grades and the academic standing of students can drop when in a new, stressful environment. This can be exaggerated depending on the college, but college in itself holds a higher degree of prestige compared to high school—many people have said that you become one small fish in a giant pond. With the competitiveness of college and the internal stress of wanting to do well to lay a solid platform for a future career, new students can become easily overwhelmed. A student's mental health can decline, resulting in doctor's visits, due to this academic stress. The loneliness one might feel from leaving home can also stack onto their already full load. Students can also experience stress from their workplace. This can come from strict bosses/managers, unpleasant coworkers, or unruly customers they deal with throughout their workday.
Along with mental health, a student's physical health can also be affected. With a lack of money, students will resort to quick and accessible junk food rather than investing in proper, healthy food. A student that is not self-motivated will forget to eat or take care of themself as they now lack an authority figure, often their parent, that would've reminded them. In extreme cases, external societal pressures from other students or their own want to keep up with their work can push students to experiment with illicit substances. All health-related disturbances can result in more doctor's visits, more expenses, missed class time, and lower academic standing.
Living away from home for the first time is a unique and significant problem faced by new college students because they become aware and must be prepared to take responsibility for themselves and their property. No place is free of crime. New college students must be wary of criminal activities that occur around/to them and be careful to not be roped in. There is a wide range of crimes that have occurred on college campuses, from stealing answers to cheat on exams (which could result in expulsion) to violent crimes such as murder. Regardless of a student's involvement in the crime, perpetrator, victim, or witness, they hold a level of responsibility. They are responsible for the materials that are stolen or the cost to replace a broken window. They now hold most, if not all, of the responsibility for their safety in their new environment.
In 2007, in response to the attack on Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech Massacre), the U.S. government initiated an effort to understand attacks on colleges and universities. The following quote is from the background of the final report published in 2010 as Campus Attacks: Targeted Violence Affecting Institutions of Higher Education:
For the student who has just moved away from home, there are numerous environmental changes that can introduce a new dimension of stress. Some challenges include establishing self-sufficiency and responsibility, academic pressures, social pressures, and personal health and safety decisions. The student's coping skills can range from positive, such as seeking counseling or talking with friends, to negative, such as social withdrawal and isolation or alcohol and drug abuse.
This supports the before mentioned ideas of stress on the individual as they transition into a new, stress leaden academic environment. This can result in poor choices, including resorting to crime, and consequences, such as expulsion, fines, or prison time, that the student might not be aware of or prepared to accept.
As you can see, living away from home for the first time is a unique and significant problem experienced by new college students. From the classroom to their dorm, these students endure numerous stressors that can affect their personal and academic lives. The problems presented can lead to futures of continued stress or dropouts due to the complexity to living on one's own. These students no longer have a safety net that had been handed to them from their parents and other authority figures throughout their previous years receiving an education. The student must now put effort into their lifestyle.
Works Cited
Drysdale, D., Modzeleski, W., and Simons, A. (2010). Campus Attacks: Targeted Violence Affecting Institutions of Higher Education. U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, U.S. Department of Education, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Department of Justice. Washington, D.C., 2010.
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Essays
RandomThese are high school and college essays and stories (that were graded as essays) that I have written in the past. This is to be a writing source for students to get inspiration when writing their essays! Although these essays received A's or B's, y...
