College comes with a lot of change. From potentially moving on campus to having a more independent environment, college demands young adults to be able to deal with sudden and sometimes rather quick changes. Not everyone is going to want to do things your way in a work or school setting, so it’s also important to be able to realize and accept others’ points of view, even if you do not agree. If you become stuck on a certain aspect or way of life, it can cause young adults to become stuck in their thinking, making accepting and tolerating change in life difficult, especially since “Cognitive shifting and mental flexibility are two of the basic superior cognitive functions in metacognition, and makeup part of our Executive Functions.” (Cognifit, 2017) For those with life challenges such as Autism, ADHD, “Asperger’s,” anxiety, etc., shifting with change can be especially difficult, but can become easier by learning how to do so with the right help.
Sudden change whether it be in routine or just daily life can be stressful. It can throw young adults off their groove, but it is important, especially when becoming independent, that they act accordingly to ensure it doesn’t throw off their entire day. When it comes to things shifting, “studies have indicated that up to 25% of a school day may be spent engaged in transition activities” (Hume, 2008). This can be anything from changing from class to class to going to lunch, but there are many things that may disrupt the way we want the situation to go. It can be as simple as if a friend doesn’t want to eat where you want to eat, but either way, it can cause stress for those who struggle with shifting. However, instead of becoming angry and frustrated, being able to accept this change and maybe even being able to compromise to go somewhere you both want to eat is important for young adults to do.
When speaking to a client, they would tell me how during school projects, it was difficult to be able to accept when someone didn’t agree with the way they wanted to do things or something in the presentation didn’t work out the exact way they had planned. This would then cause them to become overwhelmed and stressed, but when learning how to properly shift, they would be able to quickly adapt to the situation they were in and fix it before it became too out of hand. From there, they could easily transition into something that worked, helping with the issue and their stress, since they knew it was under control, showing the importance of a good shifting ability.
Being able to feel confident in yourself when dealing with situations that do not go the way you expect is crucial to leading a happy independent life. Becoming angry or stressed when something doesn’t go your way would occur much too often since every day is a possibility for something new. College is a place where most expect the unexpected. Sometimes it’s that you find a new subject that you love, new people who expose you to new things, or maybe even food you like but just had never tried. Being able to problem solve quickly and efficiently is what allows these life-changing experiences to take place, and the College Life Skills Program can help young adults become well equipped in this skill.
At CollegeLSP, we professionally coach those who are college bound, in college, and after college develop the skills needed to successfully function in independent life. Our team of Doctoral and Master level professionals uses our individualized, proprietary, evidence-based approaches developed with the real-life experience of thousands of students over three decades to aid young adults in their journey to independence. So, if your young adult is having trouble achieving adult-level self-monitoring skills, CollegeLSP is more than qualified to help.
Dr. Eric J. Nach, Ph.D., M.Ed., A.S.D.C., is a Developmental and Behavioral Specialist who specializes in Autism, ADHD and related disorders. Dr. Nach is the founder of the College Life Skills Program where he and his team of professional’s help develop the Emotional Maturity, Executive Functioning, Life Skill and Social Abilities of college students and those high school students preparing for college. The CollegeLSP is a subsidiary program of the Support For Students Growth Center, located in Boca Raton, FL and providing services nationwide.
Hume, K. (n.d.). Transition time: Helping individuals on the autism spectrum move successfully from one activity to another. Indiana Resource Center for Autism. Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/articles/transition-time-helping-individuals-on-the-autism-spectrum-move-successfully-from-one-activity-to-another.html
Cognifit. Shifting- Cognitive Ability. (2017, January 17). Retrieved October 16, 2022, from https://www.cognifit.com/science/cognitive-skills/shifting
