Being an out-of-state student can be challenging. The adjustment to being a full-time student is challenging for all, but being so far away from home doesn’t make the process easier. Here are some of the commonly shared experiences from first-year out-of-state students at St. John’s University on the struggles we’ve experienced in our first semester of college.
Distance is a challenge in itself. We are just a miniscule portion of the student population here at SJU, ranging from 2 hours away going as far as Puerto Rico. But we still chose to come here mostly because of cost, opportunity and location. A student I interviewed from Arkansas said, “I knew that I wanted to move to a big city to grow both academically and personally, but wasn’t sure between the West or East Coast. When I visited NYC for the first time, I knew that St. John’s University would be a great fit!” Another student from Maryland stated that she chose St. John’s because it had “the major I wanted and being a great place for networking for biology and medicine.” One thing the interviewed group agreed on when it came down to the decision to come here was the cost and amount of scholarship offered to us all. Although we all loved the school enough to attend, the experience hasn’t been as smooth as a lot of us expected, homesickness being the biggest struggle of all. A lot of the respondents let me know that the first semester here has been a lot more lonely and isolating than expected – and that being so far from home and beginning college on top of that has made it difficult to adjust. However, this isn’t the only perspective that was told. Some say that they “…expected the transition to be a little bit more overwhelming. However, I have met so many amazing people that have made the transition so easy” or that they “knew I had to branch out and follow my dreams…” When talking with the interviewees, I asked what they thought was the most challenging part about being from out of state- where I received many different kinds of responses. According to a student from Puerto Rico, she really misses “my family, my best friend and my home…there’s ‘no place like home’ [because] everyone [in Puerto Rico] feels like family. They are so friendly and the culture is so rich and full of life.” Another student mentioned how there is “a lot of pressure on me because I have to make not only myself proud but my family. My mom sacrificed a lot to get me this far, so in the end, I’ll always work hard for her.” A lot of us felt that the pressure of succeeding while being a full-time student, while adjusting to being in a new environment, being so far away from the places we are used to and the people who helped get us here and support us, has been the most challenging part for us.
There’s still hope, however, especially with spring Semester starting soon. Many of us are looking to improve in different areas, including being able to “build stronger connections and better balance my work, schedule and sanity” or bettering “my confidence in class. I want to contribute more actively to feel more comfortable.” A lot of the responses include improving grades, building new friendships and feeling more comfortable on campus while utilizing and taking advantage of all the opportunities and resources here at SJU. Being a new college student is difficult, especially being away from home. This is a sacrifice that we students take in exchange for an investment in our future. If you feel like you are struggling to adjust, you’re not alone. I recommend trying new things and exploring things on or around your campus; join clubs or talk with classmates – step out of your comfort zone by exploring campus activities and see what opportunities and relationships you can make the best out of. You never know what you may go through, so make the best out of every situation and opportunity.