“The transition from high school to college”

After being one of the many individuals who recently graduated from high school, college was a major change of life. Everything in life seems to be so different as I first enter college. Your unknown, unlabeled, you basically have to do everything by yourself. Nobody is there to hold your hand and tell you what to do. The thought of being on my own is exciting, but yet scary at the same time. While walking to the my first class(urban scene), I was intimidated by the fact that college will be tough. However, as I looked around the peers in my Urban Scene class, I’ve come to realize that all freshmen feel the same way I do. As the days pass on, college seem to be less scary and everything started to fall back into place. I was less homesick and started to build confidence. The transition from high school to college is definitely challenging at first, but that will not stop from achieving my goals in the future. I really do believe that college will be the best experience I will ever encounter in life. College is the way to succeed and each little step you take on will be furthering your future goals. COLLEGE RULES!!!!!! :D

XOXO

Cathy Ma <3

Upcoming Events/To-Do List (August - September)

- Shopping w friends for a new wardrobe ;)
- College supplies shopping...real soon
- First Time Freshmen Orientation
- Visit Grandpa & my other family in Lake Elsinore
- Move in into my new home (August 22nd)
- Meeting roomates & new ppl from CSUN
- Get an on-campus job (hopefully as an office assitant)

Til next time, I'll keep you posted. ;D

College Students Taking Remedial Courses

The article “College Students Journal” (University of Phoenix, March 2009) written by Leah P. Hollis is mainly about college students taking remedial courses at a four university. Many of the students taking remedial courses are ranging from ages eighteen to twenty-five. The reason college students are enrolled in these remedial courses because they are not meeting the requirements to manage college level English and Math courses. Therefore, developmental students lack confidence in themselves and tend to have a lower self-esteem than the peers around them. Furthermore, adults ages twenty-five and older generally face some type of trauma in their life and this, it affects their performance of how well they learn in these remedial courses. Many college students are require to take remedial courses for the reason that throughout their childhood years, many have not encounter any role models or the fact that their parents did not obtain a college education. In order to prevent developmental students from feeling insecure about themselves, academic advisors must guide students through the process of college requirements and give advice of how to be successful in college. Thus, to decrease the amount of developmental students is to find effective academic advisors and to provide students more advanced level work in high school in order for them to practice their skills in English and Mathematics. Academic advisors can help developmental students to feel less discouraged by self efficacy and sharing stories that many other college students still be able to succeed even if they taken remedial courses during their first year of college. This method will most definitely help developmental students since it will let them know that they are not the only one taking remedial classes. Another effective way academic advisors can help developmental students is by pointing out positive things while viewing the student’s academic record. Therefore, developmental students will most likely increase their confidence and self-esteem if academic advisors use this method. Academic advisors can also be prepared to face students that need counseling for academic or personal conflicts as well as building some kind of trust with them. In conclusion, academic advising would be an accommodating resource for developmental students and will make them feel less disheartened; while building their confidence and self-esteem as they continue their college education.

"College"

College is just around the corner!



It is the time to be independent, to discover yourself & the world around you.

Just like any other freshmen entering college for the first time, I feel nervous, but yet
excited :)

Surely, I will miss my family & friends, but it is time to let go & discover new things in life.

I am so excited to finally be able to learn something that I am passionate about & furthering my life goals.

CSU Northridge awaits me, in less than a month, college is finally here! Time has gone by so fast.