Different State and School, similar Concerns.

Coming to college is an interesting experience. I am not sure about the rest of you, but my high school did not have 35,000 people in it, so there was definitely a shock in pure size alone. To better understand, I decided to ask my cousin, Natalie for some of her fears, excitements, or other comments about going to college this fall. A little background for this story, Natalie is from Georgia, went to Marist School, and is planning on attending University of Michigan this fall.

Natalie is on the left, in case of any confusion

Q: What is one of your concerns about going to college?
A: One thing that is really going to challenge me is the location. Michigan is pretty far away from Georgia, and after living at home for 18 years college is going to be a challenge. Figure that and the fact that Michigan is a huge campus with tens of thousands of people, it is much different than a high school environment.


One thing that was itneresting that we as NSO representatives should be aware of is the fact that while most of Rutgers Students are from New Jersey, some aren't. Going to a different state for college can add to the stress. Not only are you in a different environment, but you are also in a different state. You cant get home in an hour or so, it may require a plane ride or a 6 hour bus ride, so it is even more important to make out of state students feel comfortable at Rutgers.

Q: Give me a reason why you are excited to go to school?
A: Going to college is going to give me a lot of new opportunities to take advantage of. While going to a large college can pose problems, at the same time there are so many people to meet and so many opportunities that weren't available in high school.


Large colleges give great opportunities. There are tens of thousands of students here, as well as, lots of faculty, and we should stress the chances that come with going to such a large school.

Q: Any other fears that you have about going to Michigan? Besides the fact that your dad is going to disown you for not going to Georgia Tech?
A: Haha, well I don't think he is going to disown me but I guess there is a sense of feeling lost or not fitting in. Michigan is a huge school and not fitting in is something that does concern me. 


Not fitting in is something that concerns everyone, especially those who go to large universities. Positive reinforcement will go a long way  towards quelling some anxiety about going to a large school.

I couldn't help thinking about the similar situation that I found myself in going to college, with the exception of being out of state. I think that a lot of what Natalie said, first year students coming to Rutgers in the fall, will be feeling as well. There is obviously a fear of no longer being a fish in a small pond, but as OLs, OTLs, PCs, Pro Staff, etc, we can help new students with their fears and help them focus on their excitements about coming to school. One thing that is hard to put into text is the passion that was in my cousin's voice about going to Michigan. It seemed as if she was in love with the school that she had visited twice. Students may not be 100% sold on Rutgers, but if they see our passion over the summer as a collective group, the passion will thrive in them as well.