So, you’re off to college. It’s a brand new world and you’re calling the shots now. No more parents telling you what to do, and no more teachers or tutors who will hand-hold you through your assignments. And while college is definitely going to be fun, it will also be challenging. Parents shared their concerns with us, and we, in turn, asked some soon-to-be college freshmen how they would handle these challenges.
Q. How will you balance your social life and school work?
Jake Richmond: Finding a balance between my social life and schoolwork is something that I’ve been having to do for the last few years, so I’ve had a bit of practice. I’ve found that I work best when I’m not as stressed – so that balance is going to be incredibly important next year. I’m not necessarily going to give myself a strict curfew, because I find that takes away from the enjoyment of whatever activity it is I’m doing – but I won’t be out partying every night or anything like that.
Aidan Xavier Ker-Foz: I would try to limit myself to somewhere between one and two dedicated days to relax per week to avoid burning myself out while also giving myself room to focus on school.
Q. Do you intend to take some financial responsibility for your own living expenses? If so, how will you balance work with school?
Aidan Xavier Ker-Foz: Yes, I do plan to take care of my living expenses to some extent. But I hope to keep a good balance between school and work by sticking to part time jobs that have more reasonable working hours and shifts. Avoiding spur-of-the-moment purchases as well as budgeting would be other ways I hope to avoid being desperate and keep myself balanced.
Martin Wong: Of course, besides applying for scholarships, I will also look for some part-time job opportunities near my school. I will definitely start with the job that requires the least amount of work, and slowly build up from there.
Q. How will you stay safe in a strange new place – maybe even in a strange new country?
Hazel Lee: There are a few ways to keep ourselves safe, especially by implementing precautionary measures. For one, always double-lock your doors. A lot of universities now use electronic keys for dorm rooms, and anyone with a universal key card can enter. This is why double-locking from the inside, especially at night, is crucial. To really ensure that my room door is secure and free from unwanted guests, I will be buying portable security locks so I can bring them around with me when I’m traveling, or for daily use. Most importantly, we should always remember to stick with our trusted friends, and move in groups. Yes, this includes trips to the bathrooms. If I struggle with finding a friend, or if it’s my first day, I think mingling with a crowd will be the safest option, because if something bad happens there are witness-es. Unfortunately for us it’s a tough world!
Qinglan Du: I will try to befriend locals quickly so they can tell me which places not to go, what things not to do. In the past, every time I moved to a new country, my first step was to meet locals or at least foreigners who had been there for a long time. In my experience, this is much safer than staying with only other newcomers like me, because scammers or other sources of danger can tell if someone’s a newcomer.
Martin Wong: I will definitely try not to go out during late nights, especially when I don’t know much about this new place I will be living in. Even if I do, I will grab a friend (preferably a local) to stay by my side so that I am not alone.
Q. What are some no-no’s you’ll keep in mind when you attend a party?
Hazel Lee: As a general rule of thumb: No drinking anything that is given by someone other than the bartender, even if it’s by a friend. No drinking anything that I left unattended. No drinking more than a pre-decided drink limit. No partying with people who are irresponsible. No partying on an empty stomach. No moving around a party alone – always bring a friend.
Prudence Andrews: First things first – I would never go to a party alone. Then, if drinking is involved, I would appoint a trusted friend to be my sober companion. This means they don’t drink so I can drink and still know that I will be taken care of. Of course, I would do the same thing if asked to be a sober companion for my friend as well.
Jake Richmond: I think the most important rule I’ll set for myself at any party is to know my limits and not go past them. If I’m in control of myself then I know I’ll be the safest I can be and I’ll still be able to enjoy myself. College is meant to be fun, so as long as I keep within my limits I’ll be good.
Qinglan Du: No giving out personal information easily like my contact or address. But this depends on the party I attend. If it’s a small party only with people I know, then they most likely already have my contact or address. If it’s a large gathering, with people whose backgrounds I have no idea about, then that’s when I shouldn’t give out my personal information.
Aidan Xavier Ker-Foz: Always stick with someone I trust, or make sure we know where we are, as well as never accepting a drink from strangers unless I see it poured.
Dong Ziyi: First, I set myself strict boundaries when it comes to alcohol and other sub-stances. I have always been self-disciplined, even in high school when I watched peers around me succumb to the pressure of alcohol. In my opin-ion, I am attending university to study, not to fall prey to the party culture that plagues many undergraduate student populations around the world.
Second, I will be very careful when it comes to making friends and meeting new people. I trust that everyone in my future cohort will be amazing peo-ple, but oftentimes during party settings mistakes can happen, and I do not want to be involved in these mistakes. Attending parties is an exceptional way to befriend more peers, but at the same time I will make careful con-siderations before committing to friendships or relationships that spawned from parties.
Q. How do you intend to stay in touch with your family back home?
Prudence Andrews: I plan to use WeChat and Instagram to stay in touch with my friends and family. I want to arrange a day every week where I call my parents and other family, so that we can keep in touch regularly, especially in the first couple of months I’m in university when I’m feeling homesick.
Dong Ziyi: I’ll probably schedule a regular time with my parents because they are both very busy. On that note, I think is important to respond to every message your parents send you, even if you are busy with academics.
Aidan Xavier Ker-Foz: Mostly to maintain some kind of small talk with them overseas, as well as keeping them in the loop if important events happen.
Hazel Lee: I intend to call my parents every single day. We’re lucky to have access to WeChat, Skype, FaceTime, Instagram, Facebook, and every other social media used today. We can video call and update each other with our daily plans whenever we wish. I plan to use all of these to make sure my parents, siblings and their infinite amount of Facebook friends know where I am at all hours of the day. Truthfully, I see myself talking to my family more than I already do. If anything, they’ll start getting tired of me calling them as soon as I wake up every day. As much as I’d love to talk to them every day to make up for the distance, I’ll also have to spend most of my time busying myself so I feel less homesick.
Ellyza Mae Malibiran: My family has a family group chat on a few social media platforms. I know I can easily keep touch with them by updating them daily through texting, and also FaceTiming from time to time. I am most certain this is possible because my older sister has been doing the same thing for a few years now, and we still all manage to stay in touch as a family.
Images: Courtesy of students, Pexels
This article appeared in the jingkids 2022 Graduation issue
