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Featuring Dr. Arleen Cedeño Schreiner, professor in counseling at York college of the City University of New York (Jamaica, NY)

Q. How can I get past the culture shock of college?

A. Students frequently ask questions about coping with the "culture shock" of college... you're not alone! College is quite different from high school - it offers you much more freedom. There's freedom to choose your own courses, plan your schedule, suit your interests and time constraints, choose your friends, and just be yourself.

With this newfound freedom, however, comes responsibility, something many freshmen often have trouble dealing with. Most colleges have counseling centers on their campuses that are staffed with trained professionals who provide services designed to facilitate the transition from high school to college. They offer workshops on study skills, test-taking techniques, and time-management. In addition, there are offices that assist students with career questions, services for students with disabilities, academic advisement, and personal issues.

Colleges today are very concerned with the success of their freshmen.?That's why many colleges offer The Freshmen Year Experience Program, which helps students deal with their new environment, culture shock and all. Students enroll in freshmen seminar courses, which are specifically designed to teach them how to negotiate a system that may seem complex and confusing.

Freshmen are often assigned both faculty and student mentors, who guide them through the difficult process of adjusting to post-secondary learning. Studies have shown that students who form close relationships with faculty and peers are more likely to succeed in college. There are also special arrangements for tutoring and additional counseling and advisement services, if they are needed.

Q. Can you suggest some tips on making the most of my time at college, especially since I'll be commuting?

A. Your question is a common one. Especially as a commuter student, you'll want to make the best use of your time while on campus.

When you schedule your classes, you should plan to have time in between each class, and utilize it to your advantage! It is in this time that you can review for a test, re-read and recopy notes from a previous class, catch up on textbook readings, conduct research in the library, and do your homework. These breaks allow you to spread your work out over the week.?It's all part of effective time-management.

Of course, all work and no play isn't any fun. While you're on campus, find out where the Office of student activities is located and pay a visit. The staff there can help you find student organizations that match your interests. There are clubs which reflect majors, career occupations, and different ethnic groups, as well as groups that focus on social issues and concerns. All schools have a communications center, too. Here, you can become involved in the written media, television, and/or radio.

Involvement in student activities is a wonderful complement to your academic education. It allows you to develop interpersonal and organizational skills and relationships that will last far beyond your college years. However, remember that academics are paramount, too -- you'll need to learn how to balance extra curricular activities with your studies. Too much involvement outside of the classroom could lead to less time for study and eventual failure. Remember, with the freedom to choose comes the responsibility for your actions.

Q.What if I have a bad semester at college?

A. This is again where counseling centers on campus can help.?Trained professionals can assist you in identifying your problems and help you to find solutions so you can avoid further poor academic performance.

Sometimes failure is the result of illness, death in the family, or a host of other reasons beyond your control. On most campuses, there are committees that deal with academic standards. If you have a bad semester, you may petition these committees, with documentation to support your request. Often, these committees can help remove failing grades due to unexpected withdrawal from classes.

The one thing to remember is that on every campus, there are people who can and want to help you.It's up to you to search them out and ask for the help you need and are entitled to. Good luck.

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