Months

September

Excitement; freshmen test new found freedom; frequent calls and visits home; homesickness; anxiety about roommates, adjustment to professors and classes; how to get involved on campus/while some get over involved; need to balance social and academic schedules; pledging and recruitment period for fraternities and sororities (sophomores and up). May face troubles with budgeting and fall into habit of credit card abuse.

October

Roommate problems begin to arise; students question: "Do I fit in here?"; first tests/papers returned; study skills and time management can have a strong impact; Nobel Conference; midterm exams; Fall Break; love relationships from home remain strong; positive or negative results of early semester habits are experienced.

November

Mid-term grades available; roommate challenges become more clear; many exams and papers due before Thanksgiving; Restless excitement and/or anxiety about going home for Thanksgiving; financial stress; first series of campus-wide illness (cold, flu).

December

Christmas in Christ Chapel performances; anxiety over preparations for finals; excitement and/or anxiety regarding going home for holidays; sadness about leaving college friends. First-year college students may have to readjust to family and friends and may not even have the same bedroom as when they left.

January

Many students away from campus for student-teaching, studying abroad, or internship; satisfaction and/or disappointment with first-semester grades; loneliness for relationships at home; relief to be back at school; Touring Break; friends experience loss as some students leave to study abroad for J-term.

February

Start of second semester; feeling of optimism about new start; feeling down or depressed because of winter; students looking for summer/fall internships; seniors worry about life after Gustavus; Valentine's Day brings out loneliness; Job & Internship Fair; possible roommate tension can occur.

March

Housing selection; mid-term exams stress; start to think of summer employment; concern over winter weight gain; planning for spring break.

April

Excitement with the arrival of spring; end-of-the-semester pressures looming; seniors realize reality of graduation; disenchantment with normal services such as food service and residential life.

May

Final exams/papers anxiety; concerns for summer employment and returning home; sadness over leaving friends or relationships.

Learn more about your student's form of challenges and adjustments depending on their year in school . Rhythm of First-Year Students, Rhythm of Sophomore Students, Rhythm of Junior Students, and Rhythm of Senior Students.