First Semester at Whitman College

The transition to college has definitely been hard because the expectations have suddenly risen to a new level than I was use to in high school. During the summer my first college assignment was to read The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. When I was reading the book I started trying to read the book more as a college student rather than a high school student. I feel that in high school when I was assigned to read I would read and take in what was in the pages, but not really immerse myself in the text. As I read this book in the summer I began paying closer attention to certain words I would have just glimpsed at before. Closed-reading now in college is majorly important when we are analyzing passages and going deeper into its ideas. Reading during the summer definitely helped me prepare for the challenging reading I would have to do in college and the ideas I would have to analyze.

Transitioning to college also comes with more obstacles that have less to do with academics. At least for me, it has been emotionally challenging transitioning to college because I am living in a different state away from home. It has definitely been hard for me talking to my parents and knowing that they are at family gatherings and I can’t be there with them. The most important thing that has gotten me through the tough process of leaving home is the frequent communication I have maintained with my high school friends. The fact that some of my friends are going through similar things as I am helps me feel that I am not alone and that I can do it on my own. Another thing that has helped during the transition is taking risks.

College in my opinion is all about taking risks; a risk like taking a course you know nothing about, but you might be surprised you love it or you might totally hate it and know that’s not something you will do again. I look forward to taking risks here in college and learning about new things that I would have not considered before coming here.

- Fabiola, Whitman College '15