I had anticipated that the transition from high school to college would be difficult. I was correct. This is in no way a reflection on the specific college: the start of the fall semester necessarily entailed a huge shift in every aspect of my life, and it was natural that a period of adjustment would be needed. I loved everything about the Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum from the very beginning: the classes, the communal prayer, the dorms, the meal plan; but I still struggled in my first few weeks. This is a struggle faced by college freshmen across the country. Part of the measure of a college is how competent of a support system they have to guide students through this transition period.
I was homeschooled for my whole life before coming to the Collegium. Instead of using one overarching curriculum my parents picked and chose based on what would work best for a specific child in a specific subject at a specific time. They compiled a curriculum from different programs and edited as often as needed to find the perfect fit. For them complete mastery of the subject was more important than sticking to a specific syllabus, timeline, or grade system.
I had believed that moving from this kind of tailor-made program to a college curriculum would be more of a problem than it actually was. The teachers hereat the Collegium truly want their students to succeed, and are willing to put in the time and effort to make sure that each one has the tools they need to do so.The amount of individualized guidance you can receive here far exceeds that of every other college. The Collegium has the same goal that led my parents to homeschool: the search for real truth and actual learning instead of merely checking all the boxes.
The more difficult part of the transition was adapting socially to my new surroundings. A huge aspect of the Collegium’s vision is the communal and faith aspects of college formation. This is what drew me here; this is what drew my classmates here. However, being transplanted into a new environment can be disorienting, and making new friends challenging.The Collegium was prepared for this.Time spent together is intentionally built into every day, especially at meal and prayer times. Building camaraderie and trust has been prioritized from day one. The effects of this showed almost immediately: my classmates and I became very close extremely quickly. The emphasis on community as well as academics is part of what makes the Collegium special.
With the fall semester coming to a close the Collegium has successfully navigated its class through the first few months of a new chapter in their lives. The transition to college life can be difficult, yes, but certainly not insurmountable. Knowing you have the full support of both your teachers and your fellow students can make all the difference.
