Transition to university

New faces, new rules, uncertainty, and confusion. Welcome to university. Starting anywhere new has its difficulties and can make you doubt whether you have made the right decision. Reassure yourself that you'll be OK by learning why transitions can be so difficult.

Why do you find it so hard?

Many people struggle with change, and your response can be different depending on the type of change. One day you can handle it really well, in fact love the whole idea; the next you may find that you don't like it at all and would rather have some stability in your life.

In looking at change and how you manage it, it's important to recognise that no matter what the change, there are two key components:

1. Situation: the new setting, new people to deal with, learning where the lecture theatres are, etc.
2. Process: this is the psychological process people go through in adapting to the new circumstances.

If you are finding starting at university hard to deal with, look first at whether it is the new situation, or how you feel about being here that is causing the problem. Start by asking yourself what it is that you are finding so hard. Is it that you don't know anyone, don't understand how things work, can't find your way around and worry about being late or don't understand the expectations on you? Finding out exactly what it is that is hard for you at university is the first step to effectively managing it.

Quick tips

1. Give it time. It can sometimes take several months to really get used to being at university.
2. Be positive about the experience. Growth only happens from change.
3. Try and keep some things in your life the same.
4. Make an extra effort to meet people early in the trimester as they are also going through change and are looking to meet people.
5. Allow yourself to talk and feel about the difficulties you are having. Don't bottle them up as this just adds pressure.
6. Get a map and familiarise yourself with the physical aspect of the campus when there are not a lot of other people around.

Taking it further

The CUSP model of managing change

William Bridges (1991), a recognised expert in change theory, developed a model called 'on the CUSP of change'. The model focuses on switching perceptions from pessimistic to optimistic and posing personal statements such as - 'There is an opportunity to learn here', 'I can gain something important', 'Whatever happens, I'll come out of this wiser than I went in'.

The CUSP model says that a person's success in transition is directly related to how they feel about the following four factors:

• control - do you feel you have control of the situation?
• understanding - do you understand what is happening and why? (This is different to 'Have you been told?' You need to be aware of the difference between being told and understanding.)
• support - do you have the support, emotional and practical, for what you must be going through? If not, how can you get it?
• purpose - do you have a sense of purpose to give meaning to your experiences and actions?

Setting an action plan

An action plan is where you take control. It involves looking at what the problem is and what you are going to do about it. Being honest with yourself about about the problem will help you to be creative about how you are going to manage the it. If you are struggling to identify the issues clearly, family and friends may be of help, or there are counsellors on each campus who can assist you. Some examples of action plans are listed below:

Getting help

Make an appointment with Deakin University Counselling Service