By  ERIC RODEA:

Transitioning isn’t always easy especially from high school to college.

“I was moving out to dorms and I had to be accustomed to just living on my own and taking care of myself,” said Ben Vongtongdee, a 2012 Daniel Pearl Magnet High School alumnus studying kinesiology at Cal State University Fullerton. “It was pretty hard at first. No one is there to keep you accountable like your parents and you get homesick.”

No one has the same transition from high school to college. Some people change completely and some just stay the same.

Some students are used to transitioning due to various moves of schools in their academic years. I have only been in one high school so I know the transition from high school to college will be awkward and hard.

Some students go to a college where they don’t know anyone, making things difficult for a student to transition. The fact that they have no friends and have to walk, eat or sit alone in a big campus makes them look strange to others.

The transition varies on what kind of college you go to or the activities you participate in. It is easier to transition into a two-year college because you’re not there for long.

“My transition from high school to college was fairly simple due to the involvement and my high school background. I was very active in high school and already had a lot on my plate,” said Silva Ayrapetyan, who just finished her freshman year at CSUN where she’s majoring in marketing. “My involvement in sports kept me in a larger community, so the size and workload of college wasn’t much of a shock to me. It was almost like a step back.”

Going to college may seem intimidating, but it’s all the opposite and shouldn’t be something to worry about.

“Most important, have fun. College is a chance to branch out, learn more about the world and yourself, and prepare for your future. Take advantage of the myriad opportunities that college presents” said Marcy Marinelli, assistant director at the University of Maryland, on that college’s website.