Freshman Year Freak Out!
11th Grade Advisory
Unit 3
Lesson #3 – What to expect your first year
10 Minutes
Free write and debrief
Post the following question (or something like it) on the board: What do you expect your
first semester of college to be like?
Give students five minutes to respond to this question in their college binders. After
everyone has completed their responses, take turns sharing responses aloud.
10 – 15 Minutes
Scenarios – what would you do?
Give each student a copy of the ‘Scenarios’ handout. Students may work in pairs, small
groups, or you can work together as a whole advisory. Read through each scenario and
have students answer the question following: What would you do? Students will either
be responding from the perspective of the “person” in the scenario, or as a friend/relative
who is trying to help. Debrief as a group afterward and have students file the scenarios
into their college binders.
5-7 Minutes
“What to expect your freshman year of college” – Handout A
Give each student a copy of Handout A. Read through the article together as a group,
leaving time between each scenario for questions. After reading through the entire
handout, have kids highlight, circle, or put a star next to three scenarios that they think
will be most challenging for them.
5-10 Minutes
Handout B
Give each student a copy of Handout B. On this handout, students will fill in what they
believe will be their biggest challenges (according to the options from handout A) and
will need to come up with a coping skill or solution for how to deal with it. After
students have completed this chart, they will file this handout in their college binders.
If you have time left at the end, have students share out their challenges and solutions.
Common College Scenarios
1. Tommy is your brother. He has not sounded quite like himself every time he’s
called home for the first few weeks. When you press, you discover that he’s
terribly homesick. He hasn’t made any friends and he’s feeling lonely and
depressed. What should you say and do?
2. You have completed your first semester at Rutgers University and brought
home a 2.0 GPA. You were a straight A student in high school. You have gotten
very involved in many activities at Rutgers and you’re having a great time socially
and extracurricularly. Your parents are not so pleased with your performance
and have requested a “sit-down” conversation with you. What should you say
and do?
3. You’ve been at school for over a month now and you believe your roommate
drinks too heavily and uses drugs … he does not always engage in these types
of activities in the dorm, but you definitely suspect this is going on. What should
you say and do?
4. Your daughter calls home after a few weeks at SUNY Binghamton reporting
that the food is awful, there’s no social life, the academic work is too demanding,
and that she’s planning to transfer for second semester. What should you say
and do? If this were you, how would you handle the situation?
5. (For the boys) you have decided to join a fraternity and seem to be spending
all of your time with pledging activities. The thought has not crossed your mind
that your grades might suffer and peer pressure might lead you to do things you
may not ordinarily do. Ask yourself, was this a sound decision?
6. You call home and say that “everyone” is going to Barbados for Spring Break.
“Can I go?” You also mention to your parents that you need an extra 200 bucks
for shopping before the trip, otherwise your beachwear won’t fit in with everyone
else’s. You know that your family is strapped for cash, but you don’t want to be
the “loser” that stays back. What would you do?
7. The people on your floor are too loud and keep you up all night. What should
you say and do?
8. Your new international roommate has already arrived, moved in, and
apparently started preparing his native food in your room when you get to
campus to move in. There’s an unfamiliar smell lingering in the air in your tiny
new space you are starting to feel uncomfortable. What should you say and do?
Handout A
What to Expect Your Freshman Year of College
The Real Stuff
While movies like Animal House and Van Wilder are undeniably entertaining, they
are simply not a reality of what college is really like. Some college students may
disagree with me, but college isn't all about being successful socially, rather, it is
about being successful academically. Your freshman year is your most crucial year of
college. For many, it makes them or breaks them as college students. Students who
walk onto campus their freshman year thinking that college is one big party are in
for a rude awakening, especially if they've been listening to upperclassmen share
stories about not going to class and waiting until the last minute to write that
paper. These so-called "mentors" are not helping future college students become
successful, but setting them up for failure on campus, and possibly, in their futures.
Following in their footsteps is taking the "easy" route, and college isn't meant to be
easy – it is meant to challenge you and to prepare you for life beyond textbooks and
the classroom.
The lessons that upperclassmen don't often share with incoming freshmen are the
ones that will actually help them prepare for success, not just the tricks for easing
through their academic career. As an admission counselor at Valparaiso University,
I speak with hundreds of incoming students each year who have no idea what to
expect their freshman year. They are excited, nervous, and anxious all at the same
time! Here are some of the tips that I pass along to them to help ensure a successful
college start. My tips may not be as exciting as the gossip about that popular
professor or what instructors to avoid, but my incoming freshmen seem to
appreciate and apply them to their experiences.
#1: If you're an only child, be prepared to live with someone else, usually someone you
don't already know, in a small room – probably smaller than your room at home.
College is the time when students develop a sense of identity and self. This first year
roommate experience will help you develop patience and discover what kind of
person you are. For many, this can be a difficult period of adjustment, especially if he
or she has not spent a lot of time away from home or does not have siblings. If you
find that you are having difficulty adjusting, or you and your roommate don't get
along right away, give it some time – don't give up after five hours of being on
campus, or five hours of knowing your roommate! Your resident assistant (RA) is a
great person to serve as a third party to listen and help mediate.
#2: Stay on campus as much as possible. While you may be homesick the first week
or two, going home every weekend isn't going to make the transition any easier. The
more you get involved on campus, the less you'll miss home.
#3: New people, new friends. While your high school friends are important, don't be
afraid to make new friends at college. Most likely, your high school friends will be
doing the same thing. College is the time for you to branch out and meet new people.
#4: While you are living in the residence halls/dorms, you will most likely experience
community bathrooms. Remember to bring two things: shower shoes (i.e. flips flops)
and a shower caddy for your shampoo, soap, etc.
#5: Don't procrastinate! It is easy to fall behind if you don't manage your time
properly. Time is very important and it may often seem as if you never have enough
of it. Remember to prioritize your life. Ask yourself what is going to be more
important, that fraternity party right before finals or studying for your finals?
Remember, you and/or your parents are paying for your college education.
#6: Be sure to save and actually read your syllabus for each class. This is your guide
for class projects, papers, assignments, and due dates. Without your class syllabus,
it is very easy to get lost and fall behind in class.
#7: Go to all of your classes! While it may seem easy to simply skip a class here and
there, many professors include attendance and participation as part of your grade.
#8: Your academic advisor will not only help you register for classes, but will also
help you plan for your future. He/she will play a key role in your college career –
writing you a letter of recommendation or helping you find internships, etc. It's a
good idea to let your academic advisor know if you want to study abroad, what areas
of study you're interested in if you haven't settled on a major yet, and work with
them to create a four year plan.
#9: Your professors are important people. While in high school it may not have been
"cool" to get to know your teachers, college is the time when your professors will
often times become mentors and friends. Just like your academic advisor, professors
may serve as connections for possible internships, jobs, and employment/graduate
school references.
#10: College is challenging. Be prepared to study (really study), read (often times
several books at once), write several papers (longer than five pages and usually more
than one at a time), and participate in class discussions – speaking up in class may
even be part of your grade.
To all college freshman: good luck your first year. Remember – study, go to class, be
open to new things and new people, and have fun. College is a once in a lifetime
opportunity – make the most of it.
Editorial provided by Nicole M. Graham, Admission Counselor at Valparaiso
University.
Handout B
New issues and solutions
Directions: In the left column below, fill in the three items from Handout A that you
consider to be most challenging. In the right column, come up with a coping mechanism
or solution that will help you deal with this issue. File this in your college binder.
Issue
Coping Mechanism/Solution
Handout B
New issues and solutions
Directions: In the left column below, fill in the three items from Handout A that you
consider to be most challenging. In the right column, come up with a coping mechanism
or solution that will help you deal with this issue. File this in your college binder.
Issue
Coping Mechanism/Solution
Freshman Year Freak Out!
11th Grade Advisory
Unit 3
Lesson #4 – Your College List
This lesson plan will utilize handouts from the College Summit Navigator. These
handouts are from the same book as lessons 1 and 2.
10 Minutes
Warm-Up
Students will take the quiz on the double-sided handout titled “warm-up: which postsecondary lifestyle is for you?” After taking the quiz, they will figure out their results on
the back. Before debriefing, read through each result aloud as a group. Have students
share out what the quiz revealed about them. If you’re really motivated, turn the results
into a pie chart or bar graph. Good times.
5 Minutes
Choices, choices
Give each student a copy of the “choices, choices” handout. Read through the directions
together. Have each student go through the list individually and highlight, circle, or star
their top 5 criteria for choosing a college. Share out results.
5-7 Minutes
College Rubric
Read through the handout titled “evaluating colleges, schools, and programs: creating a
college rubric.” Discuss each sample rubric.
Discussion topics: Difference between each column (best vs. average vs. worst)
Why does the criteria match the goal?
What other criteria might be considered for the chosen goals?
What does each student seem to value?
How did the students come up with the information in each box?
10 Minutes
My College Rubric
Each student will create a personal college rubric on the “my college rubric” handout.
They will use the various criteria from “choices, choices.” Explain to students that they
need to complete the entire chart before filing it in their college binders.
Students can compare charts with each other when they are done.
5 Minutes
Exit Slip
Students will complete the following exit slip, which will segway into the next lesson.
Describe the difference between a safety school, target school, and reach school.
Exit Slip
Describe the difference between a safety school, target school, and reach school.
Exit Slip
Describe the difference between a safety school, target school, and reach school.
Exit Slip
Describe the difference between a safety school, target school, and reach school.
Exit Slip
Describe the difference between a safety school, target school, and reach school.