Know Your Community

Where are you now? 

Your environment, including the people you surround yourself with and the resources you access, shapes your story. Like a college assignment, much of what you need to know for college is NOT stated explicitly. You have to figure it out by looking at the world around you. The context of your life, including college, is filled with new people, experiences, and ideas. Taking advantage of this time to expand your understanding of yourself and the world around you is part of building a satisfying and successful life.

• Ask yourself:
• What is this college environment like?
• Who is part of this world?
• Who do I stay connected with from prior years?
• What experiences and resources can I take advantage of in college?
• Where can I find friendship and social experiences?
• Who is available to offer me support?
• How can I get involved in college?

Who do you surround yourself with?

Take a look at your life. Who do you spend your time with? What are they like? How do they talk, what do they do, what do they believe? Most people surround themselves with people who are very much like them, and a clue to who you are lies with the people you spend your time with.

In college, you will likely find yourself surrounded by new people and work with others who are very different from you. Some of these new people may become your friends. Others will be classmates that you see in various classes or on campus. Like your life before college, who you spend time with will influence your thoughts, feelings, and beliefs.

Who attends college- and why? 

We all come to college for better- to be better, do better, live better. This “better” can be different from one person to another, but all of us- faculty and students alike- want to be better as a result of being part of college and university life. After all, college is a big commitment of time, money, and energy. While 66% of graduating high school seniors immediately enrolled in college after graduation in 2019, many will not finish in 4-6 years because college is tough (and not just academically).  While we don’t know how many of these students from 2019 will graduate, we do know that 37.9% of adults 25 or older in the United States have a bachelor’s degree or higher. You can learn more about these numbers from sources like Fast Facts: Immediate transition to college (51) and Census Bureau Releases New Educational Attainment Data.

So, we come to college with the goal of being better. But what reasons do students give for why they chose college instead of a trade or joining the workforce? After all, in 2019, 34% of graduating high school seniors did NOT go to college. 

Some come to college because they have a clear plan for their future, and college is the key to unlocking that path. In my experience, this is not a common reason. Among the many reasons I’ve heard are:

• My parents wanted me to
• I’m not sure what I want to do with my life, so college seems like a good idea
• My high school said that college is my next step
• I want to make a good living
• Everyone I know is going to college or has gone to college
• It just seemed like a good next step

Let’s look at some statistics about college students from 2022:

Depending on the location and specialty of your college, there are likely to be more caucasian/white students in your college, followed by Hispanic students and Black or African American students. These numbers are changing, with increasing numbers of Hispanic students enrolling in college, especially female students.

Overall, female students are enrolling in college more and graduating more than in the past. You may see classes with a majority of female students, though in business schools, it is still more likely you’ll see classes with more students who identify as male.

Diversity, Disabilities, and Inclusion

In the beginning, college was available to a very small set of individuals (typically those who wanted to become clergy or were wealthy white landowners or politician’s sons). That was where college started in the US. Over time, though, a college education has become possible for many people with very different backgrounds.  There is still a lot of work to be done in these respects. College populations typically reflect the population of people who live near the college, and you will encounter many people with different experiences, beliefs, and views.

Among the differences you will encounter in college, you’ll find differences in

• Race, ethnicity, culture
• Gender, sexuality, sexual orientation
• Health status
• Disability status
• Family structure
• Religion
• Political beliefs
• Lifestyle
• Income
• Life experience.

As you embark on your college journey, you’ll encounter diverse individuals. The changes in college and its demographics over the past 50 years ensure that you’ll meet people who are different from you. They may hold different beliefs, have had different life experiences, and care about and value things you are unfamiliar with.

Your approach to differences will shape your mindset and the skills you develop during college.

You might come across the term’ cultural competence’ in college or the workplace. This crucial skill means being aware of your own culture, beliefs, and values and how they might differ from others. It’s about understanding that different does not mean better or worse; it’s just different. You can learn about and from others and treat their beliefs and values respectfully. Culturally competent individuals are aware of their biases and prejudices and work to overcome them, ensuring they meet people as equals who value the differences between people, not just the similarities.

You do not have to agree with people who are different from you and hold different beliefs.

Your goal is to be able to work with them as needed, share the same space with them as required, and expand your knowledge of the world by interacting respectfully and openly. Part of college is forming your new belief system- based on what you already believed and knew before college and what you learn as you move through your college experience.

Finding support at your college

We all hope to have friends and family we can rely on for support and fun. When it comes to college, though, we may need support specific to college and what we are doing and experiencing.

Counseling and health services

College is a time of change; part of this affects your physical and mental well-being. The transition to college can be complicated, busy environments filled with people can intensify physical illness, and students often struggle to learn new materials in a new environment. During adolescence, individuals may begin to develop mental illnesses or mental health issues and require specialized care. For this reason, many colleges and universities have counseling and health services departments that can connect students to health resources and even provide care on campus. Some campuses have full health clinics that offer preventative and acute care.

Basic needs

During your degree, you or someone you know may struggle to meet their basic needs (shelter, food, healthcare). More and more campuses are adding basic needs support to student services. This can include a food pantry, help with navigating public support, housing options, and guidance on healthcare. You may find this group on campus as part of student support or services through wellness programs or other areas.

Help with classes, your studies, and plans

There are places on campus that can help you with your studies and more. Knowing these areas early will ensure that you have support when needed.

Getting to know others in college

Colleges and universities are filled with people, yet you can feel totally alone surrounded by them. Loneliness is a common college issue; many students report significant loneliness and sadness during their first year. How do you manage this if you feel this way?

Group work: Necessary AND difficult

I know my students will be less than happy when I assign a group project. Well, many of them, anyway. Some people enjoy group work and the energy and ideas that come with it. For others, group work feels difficult, and students worry about one person taking over and possibly doing all the work without respecting the ability and knowledge of others in the group, while others feel frustrated that they cannot participate easily or even do no work at all. So why do professors assign group work?

Working with others is one of the most important skills you can learn. You learn when you work with others who are different from you and have different ways of working and seeing things or different communication and time needs and styles. Every relationship you have relies on the ability to collaborate. Still, collaboration does not come easy to many of us.

Collaborating on a project effectively can lead to:

• Better understanding of the material you are working with
• Improved ability to communicate the topic and ideas from the project
• Creative options for presenting the material to the class and professor
• More ideas to choose from and new perspectives on the content itself and how to communicate it
• Higher satisfaction with the final project

One of the main issues in group work is communication- and things become difficult when you assume that everyone has the same expectations, work habits, and beliefs as you do. Setting expectations from the very start- before you even begin the project- can help you work productively.

How to structure group work for success

In your first meeting with your group, set up a contract.

Putting this in writing as a group contract will help your group stay accountable, on task, and able to communicate effectively. Review your contract as the project progresses, especially if work or group member issues occur.

What if someone doesn’t do their part?

Every college student is an adult and is responsible for their own work. That said, not doing work in a group is a problem for everyone in the group.

If your group has determined steps for problematic group members, you should follow what you outlined. This could include alerting the professor that a person is no longer participating and how your group handles the rest of the project. You could also choose not to alert the professor, especially if the due date is close, and leave the person’s name off the project. Either way, be sure you keep a record of communication within your group and outreach to the members.

When in doubt, seek your professor’s advice—ask for ideas about approaching the group and working. Be prepared to make tough decisions and manage what happens afterward.