<p>Hello everyone,</p>
<p>I think that this forum is highly informative and it's members are very intelligent. With that said I want your honest opinion on this issue.</p>
<p>I currently have been accepted to a couple of small private colleges in the US, however I am hesitant if I should attend this fall or it leave for another time. The reason being that I think I have many personal problems to deal with such as social ostracism in my high school and being overprotected throughout my whole life making me lack social skills, independence, and confidence. </p>
<p>Now I don't want to portray myself as a victim I am just stating the facts and I wanted to know if I would find the support I need in college or would there be some other place I should consider going to solve these and other issues.</p>
<p>Thank you very much and I await for your thoughtful answers</p>
<p>Those are exactly the reasons to go to college. You need to exist away from your parents and evolve beyond the picked on high school kid. If you’re willing to put in the work then college should be your metamorphosis into something great. GL</p>
<p>You cannot learn to live with people in a bubble. Real life experiences help you to handle situations and people. I hope you chose schools that are unlike high school in terms of intellect and size, so you can explore, meet new people and reinvent yourself, free from any past history. It might be wise to check in with a counselor and make sure there are some social groups on campus that you would like to join, so you do not end up on your own or avoiding people, due to lack of confidence. Staying home is not going to solve this. Good luck.</p>
<p>You should look into the student services at each of your schools and see if they offer counseling. It wouldn’t hurt to contact them beforehand, either, though meeting face-to-face with these people is a better option. </p>
<p>Going to college may help you to think about your personal issues at a distance, to give you a better understanding of the situations you had gone through, and then to resolve them once you return home. I went into college with confidence and ease only to discover that I hadn’t resolved some personal issues from earlier years. </p>
<p>As for your “[overprotection]” and lack of independence, college will also teach you that skill, too. If you attend a small residential private college, I venture to say that most first-year students–your classmates–will also be away from home on an extended period for the first time. Some colleges offer an orientation week that helps new students to adjust to life on campus in various ways, be it food, residence, academics, community. If the one you ultimately attend offers that, Futurekid223, then be glad because your school is serious about helping its students out.</p>
<p>I’m not in college yet so take my advice with a grain of salt. </p>
<p>I think if you’re able to recognize these aspects of yourself and know what you want to work on then you’re ready for college because you’ll be open to growth in these areas. It’s a different situation for those who don’t realize their lack of independence or social skills. The reason they have a hard time adjusting is because they don’t understand what they’re doing wrong or what they could improve upon.</p>
<p>Hi! I was in a similar situation and the advice I would give is, if you do choose to go to college make sure you find a good therapist beforehand. You can find one in your local area and then call/Skype with him or her while you’re at college. Or I guess you could find one in your college area. Although I was working through many personal problems I didn’t get a therapist until I had depression (around the time of my second year of college). I could’ve made my first year alot better and started the personal growth I’m doing now earlier if I’d had the advice, strategies, and support of a therapist. So I would definitely recommend that.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your thoughtful replies. I feel more confident about going to college. In addition, I will be visiting certain colleges to determine which environment I will be immersing myself and I’ll try to ask many questions about my different doubts. I’ll definetely see a therapist as well.</p>