Transitioning to College

    
     For a male student with visual impairments like Drake, transitioning to college will likely involve some challenges.   In an earlier entry I talked about one challenge that a student shared regarding learning to navigate a new campus.   In addition, if Drake is shy he may have difficulty making new friends.  He may find it hard to find friends who understood his disability.  In addition, it may be challenging to find friends who do not treat him differently because of his visual impairment. 

In order to assess a student like Drake, regarding how he is handling these challenges, I have learned that I could interview him and apply Nancy Schlossberg’s transition theory.  In Schlossberg’s theory, transitions are events or non-events resulting in changed relationships, routines, assumptions, and/or roles (Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton & Renn, 2010).  To help Drake take stock of their assets and liabilities, I could walk them through the four S’s, which are the situation, self, support, and strategies.  Regarding the situation, we could talk about things like control, role change, previous experience with this type of transition, and other stress that may be happening at the same time that he is dealing with the transition of navigating a new campus and making new friends.  In terms of self, we could discuss Drake's outlook and his commitment to managing these two challenges.  I could ask Drake what types of support he has in place to help with these transitions.  I could also make Drake aware that he is currently moving though the transition to college and we could talk about his perception of the transition.  I could also discuss strategies to help Drake manage the transition.  In this particular situation, I would make several recommendations for Drake to consider in coping with navigating campus and making new friends.  I would encourage him to meet with a staff member from the office of disability services in order to learn more about the resources they could provide in helping the student to navigate the campus.  I would suggest that he remain open-minded when learning about the resources.  Perhaps the office employs a mobility instructor  who works one on one with students who need this type of assistance.  Or maybe there are students who volunteer to assist students with visual impairments as they learn their way around campus.  I would also ask Drake if he had a parent or close friend who would be willing to offer assistance with learning how to get from place to place on campus.  I would also suggest that he begin planning ahead for the next semester as soon as he receives his new class schedule.  In terms of the Drake's desire to make new friends, I would encourage him to consider campus activities that he may want to join and I would have him set a goal of attending one or two meetings that sound interesting.  I would suggest that he introduce himself to other students in his class and think about inviting a student to lunch or asking a student if they would be interested in studying together.  The Office of Disability Services may also be a great resource in offering assistance to Drake in how to go about making friends with other students who may be able to understand his disability.  If Drake lived in a residence hall, I would suggest that he  attend planned group activities.  I would talk to him about the need for patience and how both the challenge of navigating a new campus and making new friends can be a process that takes time.  Drake may lack confidence in developing friendships and needs to gain competence in navigating a new environment.  Working with the Drake to address the 5 S’s will give the student a better perspective of what assets and liabilities are in place.  In discussing strategies, the Drake needs to experience a necessary amount of challenge and support.  Setting goals and following up with him to help hold him accountable could prove to be very helpful as well. 

Reference

Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010).  Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2^nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.