According to Tinto the first stage of becoming a full fledge college student is seperation, seperating yourself from your daily life, going outside the norm. I experianced seperation the first night after moving to WVU. My family drove me to West Virginia, helped me unpack and set up my dorm. As they left I hugged each one of them with a big smile on my face. It wasn't until they left later that night it hit me, I was alone. Sure I had roomates. but I didn't know them too well yet, it was scary and uncomfortable. I was afraid of not meeting anyone. Fortunately, that first night of college a bunch of girls and I went out to soroity roe, I had the time of my life and I was certin I'd call these girls sisters some day. But when i got home that night no one was there to let me in when i forgot my keys. No one was there to make me breakfast in the morning. I again felt scared and alone.
After the first weekend my home-sickness went away. I made new friends and we were constantly doing something after class. This is called the trasition stage. Everything about school here was different than at home. I walked to class from my front door, there was all kinds of delicious fast food restaurantes at my disposure, my few best friends turned into a whole floor of friends and I wasn't just going out on the weekends. Everything was new and different, but I loved it. Back home I went to school and work during the week, always waiting for friday to come. In WVU every night had a theme, something was always going on and my classes ended early enough I could do all my work afterwords cause I wasn't working. After the first week my new life had already felt like my normal life, I was getting use to everything making it my new daily routine.
Finally, Tinto says incorporation is the last stage to becoming a college student. I never quite experianced that stage, due to family problems I had to come home and help my family. WVU was an amazing experiance as short as it was I can't wait to go back after community college. In some ways I feel like I am a full fledge college student cause I got the university/living on campus experiance there and I am still doing all my school work here, but I have lots more to experiance in the near future.
www.wvu.com
This is the link to WVU where I could go to access my MiX account which is like blackboard.
Great post, Taylor. Having already been away to school, your return will be much easier since you've already experienced two of Tinto's three stages. When do you plan to go back?
ReplyDeleteI plan on returning after getting my associates degree in criminal justice.
DeleteThat is awesome that you got to already experince and go away to college, I always wanted to know what it was like to get to go away and live in a dorm. It seems like you had fun.Sorry to hear that you had to come back, but it is probably easy and more affordable to stay home and get your associates first. The time will pass quickly and before you know it you will be back at WVU.
ReplyDeleteWVU has always been a place I have been interested in going to. After reading this I don't see why that opinion would change any. It seems like wonderful school and a freat place to be. I'm sorry you had to end your experience early, but I'm sure you'll get back soon enough. Best of luck!
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