Surviving post secondary

Times Reporter   

 

School starts on Sept. 2 at most schools, including many post-secondary institutions, and if you’re anything like most new students you’re probably already panicking. 

College or university can be an exhilarating, yet terrifying experience. You start at the bottom of the totem pole, not knowing anyone, and despite what some more studious people might tell you, it can be really hard to adjust. 

This is something that, fortunately, all post-secondary institutions know, and is why each has programs and workshops in place to get you through it.

“Regardless of if you’re just out high school, or you’re returning to school after one or more years of work, post-secondary is very different and each institution is different too,” said Michael Sondermann, SAIT’s Associate Registrar. 

“We really encourage students to make available to themselves the programs that are available at SAIT to get you academically ready for the studies that you’ve got.”

The first six weeks are considered the most critical for a new student, and is the time when students are most encouraged to take advantage of the different services offered.

“One thing I am always telling students is that they reach out for help before it’s kind of reached a crisis,” said Erin Kaipainen with the University of Calgary.

“Those support services are not just there for students who are in trouble, I often mentor students through a first year leadership program, and that’s another tip for first year students, if there’s opportunities for mentorships available to take advantage of them.”

Kaipainen also encourages students to speak to an academic advisor at least once per academic year. It’s suggested that new students access some form of academic advising within that critical first six weeks. 

Kaipainen said it’s not the same as high school where someone is taking you by the hand and recognizing you need help; it can happen sometimes, but you have to advocate for yourself. Some students find it is a difficult transition and for others it is a seamless one. 

“It’s not difficult for everyone, but we just make sure there’s a lot of support systems in place for those students that need it,” said Kaipainen.

Orientation is an essential part to starting school successfully, said both Kaipainen and Sondermann. If the opportunity hasn’t passed yet, they both encourage making the time to attend. 

At UofC, “Orientation week is not all about academic transition. We have a number of workshops, they (students) speak with their orientation leaders about differences between high school and university, or we have a special session for mature and transfer students because they have their own different needs and want to connect with people who are in similar experience as them,” said Kaipainen. 

Sondermann agrees, stating that he thinks a student will have a higher success rate if they participate in the orientation because it does open up that social aspect and introduces you to the people you will be spending the next few years with. Once on campus there are also a number of different support avenues available to students, including free counselling.

“If a student finds that they’re having difficulty coping there were things available to them that they could have taken to help, but if you’ve not availed yourself to any of those things and you’re finding two or three weeks into class that you’re starting to have problems, the best thing is as soon you’re having problems to come forward to somebody and ask for help, that’s a really important,” said Sondermann. 

‘We have a ton of things to help you out while you’re a student and a ton of people that are there to help you get through, because once you start, its very important for us that you finish and we want to do everything we can to help you finish.”

If a student doesn’t know where to go, call the registrars office, said Sondermann, because they will know where you can go and who can help you.

One of the biggest things both agreed on is don’t try and pretend there are no problems, be proactive and don’t be afraid to ask for help.