Making the Transition

Marisa Costain
December 15, 2012
Professor Newby
College Writing II
Paper 3
Making the Transition
It is graduation day, family and friends are so proud and happy. Diploma in one hand and acceptance letter in the other filled with joy and fear all at the same time. What’s next? Does one feel ready to make a very big leap in to the world of college?   Many who went to college remember how hard freshman year was. So, how can colleges now make the transition easier for students today? Colleges know how hard and important the transition is into college. Students can take advantage of certain aspects that colleges offer to make the transition easier such as, first year experience programs, summer programs that prep students for the first year of college and resources colleges will offer.
A summer program that preps students for the first semester of their freshman year can be beneficial for some. At Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts they offer a program called The Individual Enrichment Program (I.E. Program). The I.E program is a federally funded TRiO Program that incorporates a four-week residential summer component for selected students who will be entering Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the fall. The program offers three credit courses in math, English, and computing communications.   The students in this program are not only exposed to college through the classrooms, they also experience cultural events throughout the surrounding area. This is a specialized, intensive session specifically designed to help students make the transition from high school to college and to increase their likelihood of persisting and graduating from MCLA. Students in the program react well and gain many valuable lessons about college and themselves. A student, D’mani Vass said in regards to IEP Before this summer's program he was a "normal high school student" who didn't manage his time well. "I didn't really care about much. I just wanted to relax and enjoy...