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Mackenzie Bottolfson

Seniors Lauren Jorgensen and Sophia Portelli will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Portelli said, "I will miss the people [at SAHS when I graduate]...NHS and Coffee House, and all of the events that stillwater puts on." Portelli will be majoring in Biology.

As May rolls around, seniors all over begin the tough adjustment to life away from home. Some will go on to schools out of state, while other will attend local colleges like the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University. Regardless of where students move off to, there are very diverse challenges each will face. Everything from home-sickness to culture shock may test students’ ability to adapt to the real world, all while they further their education and pursue the career of their dreams.

Change is tough to deal with, and many people have a really hard time with adjusting. However, learning to adapt and mature are a subliminal teachings college offers.

“Immaturity is a big thing. [Students] aren’t used to being responsible for themselves. They skip class and party too much, that kind of stuff,” said biology teacher Sandra Pederson.

Even with all the preparation and advice, students still are not prepared to simply leave everything at home, including family.

“I’ll miss having dinner with my family the most, but I’m looking forward to meeting new people and learning to live on my own,” said senior Paige Green.

It’s not just family however. Students have to move away from friends they have known their whole lives, and college has been known to sever grade school relationships.

“I personally don’t think anything will change. I will keep in touch with who I want to be in contact with and keep relationships going even when we are not the same schools anymore,” said senior John Koprek.

In addition to all the pressures and adjustments, students need to figure out the best route for them to take. A popular approach is attending a community college for generals, then transferring to a more field specific college.

“I plan on attending Century Community College for my first year to get my generals done and then transferring to either St. Cloud State University or the University of St. Thomas to pursue broadcasting,” said Koprek.

Big changes seem to be the focus of the college transition, and the little things students will miss are often overlooked.

“It may seem weird, but the thing I missed most was a fridge. If you wanted to eat, you would go to the dining hall and meet up with your friends,” said Pederson. “But if you wanted a snack later, you had to have a stash so that’s what we all started doing.”

With all the challenges in life, college seems to be the first one that young men and women face independently. The ranges of the changes in lifestyles are very broad and there is not any one piece of advice that can be given to students. College is a place of change and the place where many people find themselves and futures, as long they do not flunk out.