Posted January 29, 2016 by
Tags:
Leadership Student Programs
The move to college is a major life transition and research shows that how students start college will in large part determine how college goes for them. The transition to college comes with a myriad of changes to student’s lives.
A transition is defined as “a process or period of changing from one state or condition to another.” The word ‘transition’ can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb. As a noun, it refers to the experience of change from beginning to end. As an adjective it describes the state change. As a verb it highlights the activity of change.
Regardless of its usage as a part of speech and despite being a relatively normal part of life, a transition is a significant experience with significant impact. Change is both normal and inevitable, but it is also difficult and challenging. When transitioning, one of the greatest dangers and threats to success is the temptation to ignore the transition in order to avoid the challenges of change. An unfortunate outcome of attempting to step immediately and directly from one state of life into another is the missed opportunity that a transition provides to reflect on the past and envision a new future.
Without an intentional, liminal experience that provides individuals and communities with tools to effectively navigate transitions, people will often inadvertently grab hold of destructive and/or ineffective tools to help them feel temporarily safe in the landscape of change. Given this reality, transitional experiences that provide those in transition with the tools to effectively transition are an important part of the change process.
As you consider your future as a college student, Wheaton College encourages you to be intentional about your time in transition by offering the following suggestions:
1. Reflect: Take time to reflect on the past and the lessons you have learned. Name 5 truths that you want to remember as a college student.
2. Envision: Consider what you want your college years to be about. What do you want to learn? Who do you want to become? Where do you want to be?
3. Commit: Make commitments to specific actions that will help you grow and develop
Should you choose to attend Wheaton College, you will be provided with an opportunity specifically designed to help you transition to the Wheaton community. Through HoneyRock, our Outdoor Center for Leadership Development, we offer Wheaton Passage as a transitional experience for incoming Freshmen and transfer students.
Wheaton Passage provides you with the time and space to reflect, envision and commit through small group adventures, upperclassman and faculty mentorship, exposure to liberal arts course work and the experiences in God’s beautiful creation.
For more information on Wheaton Passageor the importance of transitions, please feel free to contact Rachael Cyrus, Passage Program Coordinator at rcyus@honeyrockcamp.org or 715.479.7474 ext 203.