C Sunday February 12, 2012
Gwinnett Daily Post
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PREPARING FOR COLLEGE
Staff Photo: John Bohn
Ryan Smith, right, a student at Georgia Gwinnett College, is a resident assistant at his dorm. Smith shares a spacious dorm suite with Parker Stone, 19, center, of Lawrenceville and Josh Randall, left, of College Park and several other students. Smith and Stone regularly play action games on the supplied flat screen television in the largest room of the dorm suite, the game room.
‘Real world crash course’ Students find independence through life in post-secondary education By Frank Reddy
Staff Writer frank.reddy@gwinnettdailypost.com
LAWRENCEVILLE — Parker Stone still visits his parents from time to time. The 19-year-old freshman at Georgia Gwinnett College knows home-cooked meals are only a five-minute drive away. And washing laundry there is free. Other than the occasional trip home, the young man has grown accustomed to life in his dorm room at Georgia Gwinnett College, a space he shares with other students at the college who are getting their first taste of independence. Students at GGC and beyond sometimes struggle — and sometimes thrive — in an environment they will come to call their new domain as they begin a post-secondary education. College students say they do a number of things to put their personal stamp on living quarters: plastering posters on their walls, piping familiar music through the rooms and hooking up video game systems can all help to make it feel a little like home. Stone, an information technology major, is liking life in the dorm. Whether it’s hitting the books in his room, heating dinner in the microwave or taking a PlayStation 3 study break with roommate Ryan Smith, living on his own is starting to feel pretty good.
t “Everything was planned out for you when you were in high school. In college, it’s all about how you manage your time personally, finding a good balance of your time and accomplishing all the things you’d like to accomplish within that time frame.” University of Georgia student Students walk to and from class at Georgia Gwinnett College.
Smith said a big part of being independent for the first time is learning the importance of dependence on peers. “Once you get into college, you should immediately go out and start meeting people, start talking, mixing, finding common ground with others,” said Smith, a 20-yearold student who shares living quarters with Stone. Smith said that from what he’s seen
File Photo
it generally takes fellow students about a month or less to get acclimated to the new lifestyle. The college’s acting vice president agreed. “Research shows that when a student comes to college, if they can get involved, get to know their faculty get to know others around them, they tend to do better,”
Mallory Davis
Lois Richardson said. “We have mentoring, clubs and organizations, and they’re each in place to help these young people who are out on their own for the first time.” Local college student Danielle Penton said getting involved is what helped her as she transitioned from high school. •See Independence, Page 5C