You've spent the past four years preparing for this day, but when you walk out into the driveway and see your parents' minivan filled with all the dorm room necessities, you begin to feel overwhelmed. Thoughts of getting lost, meeting new people, and way-big lecture halls fill your head. You ask yourself, What was I thinking? This school is larger than my hometown!

Don't worry, you're not alone. Millions of college freshmen head off to school each year. College is a big change for any student, particularly those who decide to make the transition from a small town to a large university. Along with this move come many questions. Before you start biting off the last remnants of your nails, here are a few simple tips and keep-on-the-brain advice to make your first semester at college a little easier.

The Decision
First, make sure you really want to attend a large university. For Jen Healy, a junior at University of Massachusetts, the population of 34,000 students was perfect for her. "I was sick of the small town life and wanted to just get out." Alicia Van de Water, also a junior at the Amherst, MA-based university, felt a large campus would broaden her social horizons. "I wanted a big school... I was sick of knowing everyone in town."

Both Alicia and Jen come from a town of 9,000 people. Yet, each of them had a different reaction to being a new fish in a very big pond. If you're not sure you could adjust like Alicia, there are alternatives. Eric Bierker M. Ed., a guidance counselor at Northeastern Senior High School, Manchester, PA, and the founder of College Transition Group (www.collegetransitiongroup.com), which conducts seminars to help prepare future college freshmen, says, "Community colleges or commuting to a local four-year college are better options for someone who is still drawn to the securities of home and the local community."

Getting Involved
Once you arrive at your new university, large or small, it's important to get settled in - and that means more than just unpacking. According to Nancy B. Buckles, director of counseling and psychological services at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, your first concern should be academics. Once you've decided on your course load, she advises, canvas the university and get a feel for your surroundings. The university Web page provides many options for getting involved. Most schools even have a day of scheduled activities when all the different organizations on campus gather together and set up information booths.

Bierker believes that involvement provides wonderful experiences and great opportunities to become part of your college, but points out that college activities can be a lot more time-consuming than those at high school. "The newspaper may be weekly or daily rather than six times a year as in high school," Bierker explains.

This is not at all meant to be discouraging; just think about what you want to do before jumping in. Remember, it will take time and commitment, but the rewards can be plentiful! Just take Kirstie Hackman, for instance. She came to college from a town of 3,000 people in southern Indiana. When she went to church every Sunday with her family it was like a scene out of the television show "Little House on the Prairie." Her church stood alone in the middle of a field with nothing but grass surrounding it, with the townspeople all dressed in their Sunday best, gathered outside. She now attends a large university 12 times the size of her hometown, with classes bigger than her high school. But she doesn't let this intimidate her. In fact, she saw the difference as a dynamic opportunity to learn new things.

Despite the culture shock, Kirstie got involved right away. She heard what sounded like a sorority asking people to join at an upcoming meeting. To her surprise it was not a sorority, but a service fraternity. Although it wasn't exactly what she expected, Kirstie happily became a member and loves to see fellow members on campus going to and from class. For Lawrence Monroe, a junior at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA, joining a fraternity was definitely helpful in making his campus seem smaller. "My frat is small yet I have a solid group of friends."

Being a member has also helped Monroe get to know some of the administration and faculty better. "It's great for networking."Buckles applauds the efforts of Kirstie, Lawrence, and others like them. Using campus involvement to help adjust to social changes is smart, she says. It enables you to be surrounded by people of similar interests and allows you to form new friendships. She even advises parents of college freshmen to go with the 'be friendly' ideal.

"I tell them to 'tell your teen what you told them when you sent them off for their first day of kindergarten. Raise your hand and answer questions [in class]. Sit next to a new person every day and ask them about themselves; people love to talk about themselves.'"

Meeting People 101
Many freshmen face social anxiety, too. When you've grown up in a small town, you've most likely grown accustomed to being surrounded by the same people year after year. "The stress of making friends and finding 'a group' to hang with can sometimes be harder, yet more worthwhile than the toughest class you'll ever take," points out Bierker. "It's easy to feel really alone in college, yet this aloneness provides a great common ground to bond with others." Luckily for Alicia, University of Massachusetts offers programs to help with the adjustment.

Alicia, like many college freshmen, didn't know what she wanted to major in and she didn't know many people at UMASS either. When she arrived on campus. Her first order of business was not to sulk, but to consult. The Residential Academic Programs (RAP) at UM offered her the opportunity to live in a dorm with those that have similar majors. Since Alicia didn't know hers, she was placed in a dorm with other students who didn't know either. There she was able to take classes and live with students who felt the same way. She met all the girls she lives with now through this program.

Check out the Web page of the university you are planning to attend and see if they offer similar programs. University of Texas at Austin offers Freshman Interest Groups, Arizona State University offers Campus Match, and Indiana University has a Freshman Interest Group program, too. All such programs are designed to help with your social and academic adjustment.

Practical Advice, The Hard Way
It was the second day of classes at Indiana University, there were students everywhere. An eager freshman, Kirstie had a full book bag and a university map in hand. As she walked, passing gigantic limestone buildings on either side of her, she buried her head in her map. The buildings that surrounded her were not matching up on the map. She began to feel a little panicky. The first thoughts through her head were, "I'm gonna' be late... it's the second day of classes... I'm gonna' flunk!"

After staring at the map for a while, convinced the map was wrong, she gave up. She asked a fellow student where Ballantine Hall was, and to her dismay, he informed her that she was all the way across campus. She arrived to class 20 minutes late. With her cheeks bright red and the thought, "I am gonna' die," racing through her head, Hackman crawled over a few students to her seat where she tried to melt away. What she did wrong was neglect an exploratory walk through campus with her schedule before the first day. And while you're at it, she says, it's also a good idea to get acquainted with the university bus routes and schedules.

Transitioning from a small town to a large university may add anxiety to the process, but it can easily be overcome. Try to remember the tips provided and you could be on your way to a great first semester. And, like Buckles says, "Be brave!"

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