College looms over the heads of most NASH students. Whether it is seniors making final revisions to their applications or juniors just starting to look for their perfect college, it is always there. 

Many worry about the transition from high school to college. From moving to a new area to trying to find new friends, the transition can be scary. However, four college freshmen who walked the halls of NASH just last year recently shared their positive experiences as first-semester college freshmen.

Jaycee Mae Faber found her spot at the University of Arizona, where she plans on majoring in nursing.

“My transition to college was kind of crazy, considering I moved across the country the same summer,” she said. “It’s been rocky at times, but still such a fun adventure.”

Hailey Thiel, a freshman at Lehigh University studying chemical engineering, agreed with Faber in the sense that her transition took a lot of adjusting as well. 

“I had to get used to living in a new place as well as a different type of learning environment, a lot more homework, and less class time,” she said. 

But Thiel realized that she could have done things differently to make the transition easier in the first few weeks of the semester. 

“I wish I had socialized just a bit more,” she remarked. 

Will Love, a freshman at Slippery Rock University majoring in mathematics, thought totally differently. 

“My transition has been pretty easy so far,” he said. “I’ve noticed I have a lot more time to do other stuff.”

One thing that many high schoolers worry about is whether high school has prepared them for life in college. Love offered his reassurance.

“NA prepared me so well, but I wish I could have focused more on study habits,” he acknowledged. “It’s been a little more but not too much so far, workload-wise.”

Thiel agreed, thinking her workload has been a little more extensive thus far. 

“It feels a bit more intensive, especially around midterms,” she said. 

Faber experienced a different situation. 

“My workload is significantly lighter than in high school,” she said.

Faber also acknowledged how prepared she felt by the North Allegheny curriculum.

Colleen Pattison, a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh with an undecided major in engineering, wished she would have done things differently in high school. 

“I wish I had taken high school a little less seriously,” she stated.” I put a lot of pressure on myself.” 

Thiel emphasized that students should learn better habits in high school. 

“Most people should put a lot of effort into developing good study habits if they don’t have them already,” she said.

Thiel said she developed good study habits due to her teachers and her own academic focus in high school. However, she warned that if high schoolers don’t take that seriously, they will regret it in college. 

Love agreed with Thiel’s statement, saying that he wished he could have found better study habits in high school. 

Faber wished she could’ve done more with CHS classes in high school. 

“I lost an opportunity to completely skip language classes because I switched my college decision last minute to a school that would have accepted my CHS.”

In addition to academic anxiety, college-bound seniors often worry about what is going to happen with friendships.

Thiel stated how she and her friends stay in contact with each other.

“We call and text pretty frequently,” she said.

Pattison agreed with Thiel. 

“I have kept friendships from high school,” she said.

Love said that finding his friend group at college hasn’t been hard.

“You get to meet so many new people, and a lot of them have become my friends,” he said.

Faber is on the same boat as Love.

“I’ve definitely found friends at school, and it has not come at a loss of high school friends,” she said. “I keep in touch with people from high school really well and am even planning a spring break trip with them.” 

Thiel acknowledged that finding new friends won’t happen overnight.  

“It definitely takes time and shouldn’t be rushed, but I think everyone has their people,” she said. “They just need to be patient when looking for them.”

Faber, Pattison, and Thiel all stay in dorms. However, Love commutes to college every day. He drives around 40 minutes every morning to get to class and then another 40 minutes to get back home.

“I save a lot of money commuting. I’m only paying 20k total for four years,” he stated. 

The college freshmen all have lasting advice for those figuring out where they want to go and what they want to do.

“My biggest piece of advice I would give to seniors who are applying to college and juniors who are starting to look at colleges is to figure out what you want to major in before you start college,” Pattison stated. 

Faber warned about not being present. 

“Out of loneliness and fear, I was on my phone and in my dorm a lot those first few weeks. While this is totally normal, I wish I would’ve been braver and more present in going out and meeting people,” she said. 

Love suggested finding a college that makes you happy.

“Pick a college that feels right for you and enjoy every moment,” he said. 

Finally, Thiel said to make sure your application shows that you’ve thought carefully about your decision to apply.. 

“Make sure your responses to supplementals are very catered to the school you’re applying to,” she said. “You want to let them know you have done your research and really want to attend that specific university.”

For the majority of NASH juniors and seniors, college weighs heavily on their minds. With these thoughts come nerves, but hopefully these college freshmen helped ease a few of them.