Video Transcript – “Adjusting to College Life”
                
ANA
I’m on my first college visit, which is totally exciting! 
I’m meeting a junior named Megan who’s going to show me 
around and give me the inside scoop on what college life 
is like.
                   
MEGAN
So, this is the library…
I spend way more time in the library here than I ever did 
in high school. There’s tons more reading required in college… 
                
MEGAN
…which took some getting used to. Looking back, I wish I’d 
spent more time practicing my study skills in high school 
so that it would’ve been easier to adjust when I got here.
                       
ANA
I’ll definitely keep that in mind. Did you figure out any 
other study hints when you got here?
            
MEGAN
Groups! This is actually my study group. (And now they’ll 
actually believe I’m not just slacking today!) Working in 
teams is something that’s huge in college, so the earlier 
you can get used to the whole idea of efficient teamwork, 
the better off you’ll be.
                       
ANA
Yep, one of my teachers is always assigning us team 
projects—and he keeps saying that it’s the best practice 
for college (and work). Guess he’s right!
                  
MEGAN
Here in the student center is where a lot of the campus 
activities take place, clubs meet and people just generally 
hang out. When I first started freshman year, I wanted to 
do EVERYTHING—not to mention going out with all my new friends. 
                           
ANA
I can imagine! How did you fit it all in?
                      
MEGAN
I quickly realized that if I didn’t find a balance between 
school work and social stuff, I was going to be in trouble. 
                 
MEGAN
So I had to do some serious work on my time-management skills 
to make sure I was allowing enough study time—and, of course, 
fitting in fun where I could. 
                  
MEGAN
That’s another thing I wish I’d figured out when I was still 
in high school—how to manage my time more effectively and 
make better decisions.
                         
ANA
Funny—that’s what my dad is always telling me. Maybe I should 
start paying more attention to him! 
                       
ANA
What was it like adjusting to living away from home?
                     
MEGAN
There was a point in the first semester when I was sitting in 
the dorm that I realized how I was completely responsible for 
myself for the first time ever. Studying, food, money, sleep, 
friends… Crazy!
                   
MEGAN
That independence was great—but it definitely came with a 
learning curve. I had to learn how to do my own laundry, learn 
to not just live on sugary cereals and pizza for all meals at 
the dining hall, learn how to manage my money AND learn to 
live with a roommate… 
                        
ANA
That is a lot to deal with!
                     
MEGAN
Seriously! And it all could’ve been easier if I’d started 
figuring out a lot of that stuff while I was still in high 
school. Could’ve practiced doing laundry (I mean, I like 
pink—but not for everything I own), I could’ve started using 
a checking account—there’s a lot that you can do right now 
that’ll help you get ready for college.
                        
ANA
You’re making me want to go home and start getting completely 
prepared right now! But in the meantime, I have one more big 
question… Can we swing by the campus bookstore so I can get 
some t-shirts??
                     
MEGAN
Here, you can have one of mine!