5S formula to help student transition

Soon the admissions for junior colleges, engineering, medicine, and management courses will be completed. In a matter of few weeks, all the students will be shifting gears to start the next phase of their life. Parents will be packing up things for their children who may be moving out of home for the first time. On one side, the parental anxiety and on the other side, the youthful excitement of the children makes it an interesting mix of emotions!

Beyond the emotions, it is important for the young and aspiring ones to realize that it is the most important transition in their life. Several careers and characters are shaped or shattered during this phase. Here is a 5-S formula to help manage the transition. It is not intended to be parochial or paternalistic advice. It is indeed a pragmatic formula to lay a strong foundation for the future besides avoiding the likely traps that could derail the student.

Settle in the new environment: Getting out of the comfortable confines of home, known city and known people could be unsettling for anyone. It is important to familiarize with the new place, new city and new culture (simple things like eating habits!) as soon as possible. Be ready to experience uneasy loneliness and aloofness in the initial days. It is during this time that one experiences home sickness. Take initiative, step out, explore around and avoid staying indoors! Allocate a good budget for phone calls to your family till you feel yourself comfortable in the new place. A bit of reading about the new place before you actually reach there will be even better to understand and mentally imagine yourself there.

Select right friends: Definition of a 'right friend' is always tricky. For the context, let us say that right friend is any friend who will help you stay focused on your goal and who lends emotional support and assists you in times of distress or despair. It does take some time to understand the new batch mates. However, once you are clear about what you look for in your friend, you can spot such mates and build relationships. It is particularly important to spot such friends who know how to use the newly-found freedom (first time away from home, right?) and use it meaningfully. They will be your emotional anchors during your entire study period and beyond.

It is also important to spot the likely people who you may like to maintain some distance with. It does not mean to say that you need to turn your face the other side; you simply need to know that some in your batch will be your acquaintances while a chosen few will be your right friends.

Selective In expenses: Spending habits will find new wings during this transition. It is important to be well balanced in spending money. Surely one should allocate decent money for fun and entertainment. However, it is extremely important to be aware of the traps while spending. Trying to spend like another classmate, trying to match the fashions of others and feeling inferior when you cannot match are some of the possible traps. Maintain your individuality and dignity and avoid any parties or expenses that you are not comfortable. It is okay for others to make some snide remarks, but soon they will realize how strong you are as a person.

Stay focused on goal: It is possible that friends and freedom is quire enticing in the new environment. Unless you know how to make the best use of both you may soon find yourself digressed from the core purpose of the transition. It is essential to engage in self-talk and keep thinking about the goals � educational goal as well as career goal. A good way of staying focused on the goal is to constantly engage in conversations with right friends.

Stepping Stone experiences: Gather every experience of the transition as a stepping stone and work towards your goal. While success tastes good, you need to take even hardships and setbacks as stepping stones. A A focused preparation in mind will go a long way in managing this phase and getting positive outcomes in the long run!