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Transition to College: Here’s What Students Have to Say About It 

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What did CollegeData students find most challenging about their freshman year of college, and what helped them adapt to college life? Here are the results of CollegeData’s Transition to College Survey 2024!

Making the shift from high school to college isn’t easy for everyone. Many students face not only academic challenges but also social, emotional, and financial challenges. If you’re going through this transition now or will be soon, we think it might be helpful to hear from students who have first-hand experience making this important life-stage adjustment.

In June 2024, we surveyed* registered users of CollegeData who had just completed their freshman year of college. Read on to find out what surprised them most about college life and what helped them adjust.

When asked "What aspect of college were you least prepared for,” the responses fell into four main areas: academics, financial issues, social issues, and life balance. Below is more detail on how students responded within each category.

Students Felt Least Prepared for College Academics

Many students have trouble acclimating to the pace and rigor of college-level work. In CollegeData’s survey, 33 percent of respondents said they felt least prepared for the academic side of college. This is down 17 percent from last year’s survey, in which almost half of the students surveyed felt least prepared for college academics. As one student expressed, “I felt like in high school, I had no problems studying and keeping up with my lessons and grades. But then when I got to college, I could barely keep up some days!”

Of the respondents who said they felt least prepared for the academic side of college, almost 11 percent were surprised by the amount of studying they needed to do. “Exams are definitely a lot longer and harder than they were in high school and require a lot more studying,” remarked one student.

Close to 5 percent said the level of academic rigor of their classes was a shock, while another 5 percent were unprepared for the workload. “I had no idea how to handle college workload and rigor and didn’t know how to study,” one student explained.

Six percent felt unprepared when it came to studying for college exams. “I had a lot of difficulty in changing my study habits and it took me a few tries to understand what study methods worked best.”

Yet, some students indicated that their college classes were easier and more collegial than they expected. “What surprised me most about college is how my classmates were so dedicated to helping each other,” one student said. “The workload was not much different than high school,” said another.

Some students found professors to be more helpful and lenient than they expected. “Professors are incredibly accommodating if you are willing to disclose what you’re struggling with,” one student explained.

STUDENTS WERE SURPRISED BY THEIR NEW SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Twenty-eight percent of students surveyed said they felt most unprepared for the new social scene at college. Of these respondents, 7 percent said they weren’t prepared for making friends or found the process difficult:

• “I'm an anxious introvert. Being forced to make new friends and become acquainted with those who live around me wasn't particularly pleasant.” 
• “I was surprised by how many people there were in my classes and how involved I had to be to make friends.”
• “It’s more difficult to make genuine connections in college than I had previously imagined.”

Other respondents, however, were pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to make friends and how close their social bonds became.

• “You have so many different friends and groups to be a part of which is very different from high school.”
• “I was surprised about how quickly my new friends became people I can't live without.”

Notwithstanding that some respondents were pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to make friends, almost twice as many (12 percent) said they struggled with living away from home for the first time:

• “In the beginning it was hard living far from home, but calling home every day helped me cope and allowed me to not worry as much.”
• “Living away from home requires a whole new level of independence and figuring out how to balance everything on your own.”

Some students also said that they found it hard to adjust to dorm-style housing. “I had to live in the dorms and this was not a great experience,” expressed one student. “My roommate was fine, but the tightly crammed room and communal amenities were brutal.”

Eight percent of survey respondents said that living with roommates was their most difficult adjustment. “There’s nothing really that can prepare you to cohabitate with someone you’ve never met before [and] in a tiny room,” said one student.

Yet while difficult, some students said living in close quarters with a stranger was a growth experience. “At first, I was a bit stubborn and didn't accommodate my roommate's needs,” admitted one student. “Setting boundaries and [having] a lot of communication between my roommate and [me] was very helpful.”

While a few students reported having “horrible” roommates, others said they learned to appreciate living with someone during freshman year. “Having roommates helped me adjust to life on campus,” said one student. “It’s nice to go through something new with someone,” said another.

Homesickness HAPPENS

In a separate question, we asked the entire survey group about homesickness and how often they experienced it during their first semester or quarter of freshman year. Thirty-five percent of all students surveyed said they felt homesick “occasionally” (feeling homesick from one to three times during the semester/quarter) or “often” (more than nine times during the semester/quarter).

A majority of the students surveyed (64 percent) said that they rarely experienced homesickness or didn’t experience it at all.

It’s Tough to FIND LIFE Balance

While college can present many exciting social and academic opportunities, all of this can be hard to juggle, especially for incoming freshmen. Add a part-time job, family responsibilities, participation in clubs and/or sports, and you have a lot of balls in the air. It’s therefore not surprising that 19 percent of respondents said that they found it difficult to find life balance during their freshman year.

• “You have a lot of free time and it’s tempting to want to skip homework and just hang out all the time, but you need a balance.”
• “[My] challenge was finding a balance between engaging in social activities, making new friends, and keeping up with the increased academic demands.”

COLLEGE COSTS AND MANAGING MONEY WERE ANOTHER CHALLENGE

Eighteen percent of the students we surveyed said they were unprepared for the financial aspects of college. This is up 4 percent from last year’s survey. Of this group, 7 percent said they were least prepared for managing their own money and 11 percent said they were unprepared for college expenses.

MORE FRESHMAN SAID THEY USED A BUDGET

Having a budget can help students keep track of their spending, and if this survey is any indication, budget use among college freshmen may be on the rise. This year, 61 percent of respondents said they used a budget at some point during freshman year compared to just 42 percent last year – almost a 20 percent increase.

However, even when students use a budget, they are sometimes thrown by the indirect costs of college, which include transportation, school supplies, entertainment and other non-tuition costs. Since students do not typically pay for these costs directly to their college and because they can fluctuate, they aren’t always easy to track. One study involving interviews with 150 college students found that 80 percent had encountered an unexpected indirect expense at least once during college.

Colleges usually include some indirect expenses in their Cost of Attendance estimates, but indirect or hidden costs can vary depending on your school, major, and lifestyle. Some of the unexpected, un-budgeted or under-budgeted expenses students reported in this year’s survey include textbooks, school supplies, food (dining out, take out, and snacks not included in a meal plan), grocery delivery, medical and pharmacy bills, dorm décor and supplies, clothing, personal grooming, travel to and from home, dating, concerts, ride-sharing services, personal toiletries, parking, sorority/fraternity dues, laundry, car maintenance, computers, gas, and coffee.

20 PERCENT RAN OUT OF MONEY AT LEAST ONCE

We asked students whether, at any point during their freshman year, they ran out of money or did not have enough money to pay for a necessary expense. Almost 20 percent of respondents said they faced this situation:

• “I ran out of money for gas and had to visit the support services to ask for gas cards.”
• “I ran out of money due to [an] unexpected medical emergency and additional costs for textbooks and supplies that exceeded my initial budget. This situation led to financial strain, making it challenging to cover necessary expenses like food and transportation. I had to seek help through on-campus resources and adjust my budget to manage my finances better.”

Some students who ran out of money or did not have enough money to pay for a necessary expense during their freshman year said that they used a credit card. Many college students, once they turn 18 or 19, have the opportunity to get a credit card in their own name. Credit cards offered to students typically have very low credit limits and are meant to help students develop responsible spending habits and start building credit.

More than half (52 percent) of the students surveyed said they used a credit card freshman year. Most said they used it primarily to pay for groceries, dining out, and gas. “I wish I knew how easy using a credit card actually is,” said one student, “and how beneficial it is to your credit. Spend it like a debit card, but only spend what you have. Pay it off. It's that simple and can help you later down the line.”

What helped students prepare for the transition from high school to college?

We also asked our survey-takers to look back at the summer between high school and college and tell us the one thing they did during that time that helped prepare them for college life. Two answers stood out: attending freshman orientation and working over the summer.

Almost 33 percent of the students surveyed found freshman orientation to be helpful in preparing them for college because it provided them the opportunity to get familiar with their campus, understand academic expectations, and meet other students. “Attending orientation helped me a lot to get a feel for the campus and also the student life and extracurricular programs. If I didn’t attend, I think I would’ve felt more anxious about classes and the first day,” one student said.

Almost 32 percent of students surveyed said working over the summer — either at a full- or part-time job or at an internship related to their major — helped them prepare for the demands of being a college student, improved their time management and organizational skills, and gave them insight into a prospective career.

• “By holding a part-time job, I learned fiscal and personal responsibility I wouldn't have had otherwise.”
• “My research internship in a biology lab working on drug discovery enabled me to explore and solidify my interest in science. Through my internship I gained real-world experience and learned a lot about the field, which has been critical in deciding what major and career I want to pursue in college.”
• “Having a part time job let me have a little bit of extra cash to go and spend while I was out with friends. More money = more purchasing power = more dates with new friends!”

Survey respondents also indicated that getting a head start with class assignments over the summer, traveling, meeting with other incoming students and taking community college or dual enrollment classes during high school helped them prepare.

Others said that simply taking it easy over their summer break was the best way to get ready for college. “I think just by letting myself relax that summer, I could go into college less afraid and realize that I wasn’t the only person who was confused by my future.”

WHAT ON-CAMPUS RESOURCES DID FRESHMEN USE AND FIND MOST HELPFUL?

Most colleges offer a variety of resources to support students and ease the transition for college freshmen. These include mental health services, career centers and writing support, just to name a few.

Which services did students take advantage of most freshman year? Almost half (49 percent) of our respondents said they used professors’ office hours the most. The financial aid office followed close behind with 47 percent. In third place was tutoring and academic support services with 39 percent. Respondents were able to select more than one service.

When it came to which campus resource freshmen found most helpful, 20 percent said professors’ office hours, followed by 18 percent who said tutoring and academic support services, and 15 percent who said study groups. Interestingly, the financial aid office, used by 47 percent of students, was reported as most helpful by only 12 percent of students.

WHAT LIFE SKILLS DO YOU NEED TO SUCCEED FRESHMAN YEAR?

College is often a student’s first step into adulthood and first experience living away from their parents or guardians. Even for those students living at home, college requires a higher level of organization, communication, and accountability than high school. When we asked students what life skill they used most or wish they had mastered prior to freshman year, the winners were time management (30 percent), money management (20 percent), and stress management and self-care (19 percent).

It’s normal to have some doubts about your college choice

Some students enter college with outsized expectations and soon realize that their “dream” college isn’t so dreamy after all. If you end up feeling this way, you’re not alone. Twenty-five percent of students in our survey said they felt disappointed or dissatisfied with their college “occasionally” or “often.” It’s not uncommon to discover things about your college that are disappointing or different from what you expected. On the flipside, 74 percent of the students we surveyed reported “never” or “seldom” feeling disappointed or dissatisfied.

Be Patient: It Can Take Time to Adjust to College

It can take students an entire year (or more) to feel comfortable living away from home, acclimate to college classes, make friends, and adjust to the new independence that college brings. Here are some things CollegeData students said helped them survive the transition from high school to college:

• “What helped me adjust to living on campus is staying busy with school so that I never felt lonely.”
• “Have fun with your high school friends and think about certain passions you’d like to pursue in college so you can hit the ground running with clubs and research opportunities and such.”
• “Make sure you only register for courses at times you know you can handle.”
• “College often involves juggling multiple responsibilities, so getting accustomed to managing time effectively, setting priorities, and staying organized can ease the transition and set a solid foundation for academic success.”
• “Develop healthy habits and know how to take care of yourself before having to deal with the stress of school.”
• “Fix your sleep schedule and be prepared to live independently by learning vital life skills such as cooking and cleaning.”
• “Network with current college students, ask for course resources that they used.”
• “Look into clubs and potential activities to join.”
• “Work on professional email-writing.”
• “Be open-minded to new possibilities.”

Whether you’re feeling anxious about starting college soon or you’re in the process of acclimating to college life now, we hope you’ll keep these survey results and student experiences in mind, so you know that, whatever you might be going through, you’re probably not alone.

*Methodology: Survey results presented in this article were generated from an email survey of CollegeData registered users sent to college freshmen and students attending college in 2023-2024. A total of 201 CollegeData registrants completed the survey. Responses were provided anonymously. Data presented in all figures has been rounded to the nearest whole number. Percentages may not always sum to 100 percent.