Signs of Successful Adjustment to College

Getting involved
Involvement with others and campus activities are healthy pursuits.
Involvement can breed positive thoughts, feelings, and academic success.

Staying positive
It is productive to maintain an optimistic attitude with others.
Be accepting and tolerant of yourself and others.

Attending class
Attendance supports academic success and successful stress management.

Staying on campus when you can
Helps develop independence and autonomy.
You become your own person and develop new relationships in your community.

Eating and sleeping well
We function at our best when our bodies are nurtured in healthy ways.

Practicing good stress management
While some stress is inevitable, there are things we can do to prevent or reduce stress.
Seek out and learn new ways to manage your stress.

Communicating productively
Be assertive with others so that your own needs are met.
Communicate in ways respectful to others.

Maintaining healthy relationships
Work to avoid “toxic” relationships.
Do a lot of give and take with your friends.
Stay in touch with those who support you.

Staying focused
Academic life requires students to focus and concentrate.
Work to avoid things that interfere with your concentration.

Warning Signs of Poor Adjustment

Isolation
It is not healthy to be uninvolved with others and campus activities.
Isolation can breed negative thoughts and feelings.
Isolation may indicate anxiety and depression.

Irritability
Feeling angry towards others may indicate different problems.
When ignored, irritability can escalate into other problems.

Poor class attendance
Attendance in class needs to be a top priority.

Too much partying
Excessive alcohol and drug use can pervade a student’s life and interfere with personal and academic goals.

Going home every weekend
College is a time to develop independence and autonomy, which cannot be accomplished when a student never really emotionally leaves home.

Poor sleeping and eating habits
When physiological processes such as sleep and appetite are disrupted, there may be underlying medical/emotional problems.
A student cannot function well when the body is not nurtured.

Stress
While some stress is inevitable, prolonged periods of high stress is a serious warning sign.
Sooner or later, the body and emotions will break down.

Poor communication skills
Lack of assertiveness and/or conflict resolutions skills with others will produce other problems and interfere with college life.