The Stress of College Administration - Get Help Where You Can
Thursday, September 25th, 2008
As convoluted, boring or ridiculous as it might seem at the time, it is imperative that you know all the ins and outs of the System, the sometimes nameless, faceless bureaucracy of the school administration. They almost have as much control over your destiny as you do, but they are nominally there to help. If you need money, for example, they can turn you on to student loans, scholarships, internships, and, on rare occasion, a halfway decent part-time job. Administration also provides for health care, should you break your arm in a pick-up croquet match, or come down with a severe case of depression. (more…)
The degree and nature of change during your freshman year of college varies depending on the size of the college, its distance from parental units, and whether or not the student lives on-campus, off-campus, or at home. If you come from a large high school, then trot off to a private college that has 900 students or so, then you’ll have to adjust to a situation where everyone knows both you and your business. In that case, it’s best to learn the art of discretion. If you come from a small or moderate-size high school and go to Megastate University, with a student population of 50,000 or more, you’ll have to adjust to anonymity. 
Congratulations! Three months ago you suffered through the cap and gown ceremony, complete with 10,005 photographs with each and every family member. Now you have just completed freshman orientation. If you’re like many students, however, orientation can leave you with more questions and doubts than you started with. To your (*gasp*) horror, you realize that you have committed your life to academic pursuits, and wonder how you will survive it the first year, let alone the next four (five, six, or seven). 
