Adulting with new sense of freedom doesn’t come cheap

Douglass Gavilan/Contributing writer

 

In addition to the stress of deciding where to pursue higher education, students face new challenges when they transition from high school to the university level.

“High school does a great job teaching students academically,” said Oren Shibi, University psychologist for the Counseling and Psychological Services center. “There are problems that high schools don’t teach students, including how to be financially responsible and being able to control the feeling of independence.”

According to Dr. Ben Griffith from the University of Kentucky, there are 10 changes that happen to students when transitioning from high school to college.

One of the biggest changes is the new awareness of personal responsibility; college offers a sense of freedom most students aren’t used to and that can be both a blessing and a curse.

In high school, students were given homework that was usually due the very next day, now students are given assignments weeks in advance. Some are even scheduled months in advance, yet some students keep the same mentality, which results in completing assignments the day before they’re due.

“It’s definitely not as fun as I thought college would be,” said Marina Trujillo, a senior psychology major. “It’s a lot of work trying to maintain a balance between work and friends.”

According to the College Atlas website, 30 percent of college and university students drop out after their first year of college. Some students also experience isolation, stress and some apprehension with their chosen major.

To help with this, students attending the University are encouraged to join clubs and find people with similar interests. Clubs and associations ranging from student government to pool club are available to interested students.

“The great thing about the University is that I have so many clubs to choose from,” said Rinat Latypov, a freshman business management major. “I really enjoy the opportunities I get to have.”

Another issue deal with is the cost of college. For many students who graduated from public high schools, they never had to pay for school and now, they are faced with the harsh price of a college education.

According to Brian Pivik, content manager for “Peterson’s Blog,” lack of money is one of the biggest reasons students leave school. It ends up costing too much or students find themselves having to get a full-time job to save up for college.

Luckily for FIU students, the cost of enrollment for in-state students is $6,616. The average cost of tuition in the U.S. is $9,410, according to the College Board. For those who cannot afford to pay out of pocket, government aid, namely the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, exists to provide financial support to students.

Whether it’s caused by financial troubles, difficulties integrating or overwhelming responsibilities, the University offers support for students at the Counseling and Psychological Services Department, through one-on-one talks, 24-hour hotlines and online services.

 

Image by 401kcalculator.org retrieved from flickr: