Welcome to MU: students work to adjust to new life away from home
by Eran Shelby, posted Sept. 4, 2009
For college freshmen, the fall is a transitional time in life—coming to college, moving away from parents, discovering new-found freedom, and adjusting to life without rules.
Lance Day, freshman animal science major from Pilot Grove, Mo., said the hardest adjustment for him was forcing himself to work hard, stay focused and get up on time.
According to Bryan Garton, associate dean and director of academic programs in the College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources, the challenges Day faces are common ones.
“The biggest struggle I see in students is adjusting to not having structure with their parents and managing free time,” Garton said.
Garton also said the relationship between how students handle this change is important to their academic performance. To be successful, Garton recommends investing a minimum of two hours of study time per credit hour each week.
Day finds the biggest challenge he faces in class is paying attention. He said each teacher teaches differently so it is important to learn how to study.
“This can be done by finding the right study location, having the appropriate study materials—such as notes, books and internet Web sites—and by finding the right people to study with,” Garton said.
To help make the transition easier, some students get involved in Freshman Interest Groups, also known as FIGs. The groups are made up of about 15 to 20 first-year students who share the same academic or career interests, and live in the same resident hall.
Day belongs to the Pre-Vet FIG. “Being in a FIG has helped me meet a lot of people that I can hang out with and we share the same interests, are in the same classes and we can study together,” Day said.
Garton also suggests visiting the Student Success Center for tutoring and study early in the semester rather than later. More information about the Student Success Center can be found on their Web site: http://success.missouri.edu.
CAFNR also has more than 30 student organizations to help students get involved in their major and college. Day is involved in the Missouri State 4-H Council, Mizzou 4-H, Alpha Gamma Sigma and the Pre-Vet Club.
“Being involved throughout campus has made campus smaller, it also helps knowing students with the same academic interests because we can study together,” he said.
