Emotional Intelligence For Dummies®

Chapter 13. Getting Through College with Emotional Intelligence

In This Chapter

• Why getting through your first year of college is so tough

• Recognizing when you're falling off track

• Creating a plan to get back on track

• Establishing long-term objectives

College is an exciting time for most people. It marks a transition between the adolescence of high school and the adult world of work. It's also an adventurous time during which you test responsibility and independence with newfound freedom, campus parties, and other diversions of college life.

Many college freshmen eagerly anticipate this new chapter in life and have many hopes and dreams. Others feel trepidation and concern about what this new stage might offer. Very little prepares high school students for what awaits them in college. Colleges have long assumed that if a student has the grades and the SAT score needed for admission, she must be ready.

When Martha arrives at her college, the first week is full of excitement. She's been anticipating all the changes that are to come — the chance to meet new people, many welcoming events, living on her own for the first time in her life, and no more curfews. It's the perfect start to what she believes will be a great experience.

Martha's the perfect candidate for college. She is an honor student, has high recommendations from her teachers, and is well-liked by her peers. No one ever had any doubt that she would attend a top-tier university. The only shock came when she failed to complete her ...