Remember when you went to college? You probably had no clue where to go when you wanted a new roommate or when you were failing a class. You figured it out with some pluck and humility (enough to ask for help!). The resources were there; you just had to find them and then exhaust them. Did you?

Having graduated from college over 12 years ago and later worked at one, I can see the abundance of resources universities and colleges offer. Still, it is much harder to be aware of them or to know how to navigate when and how to interact with them effectively. The increasing budget cuts, leadership changes, and layoffs make it all the more difficult for students to establish and maintain relationships with an ever-changing staff and process.

While new student orientation programs are robust and supportive of students, there’s simply too much information shared at a time when students are in a brand-new setting, navigating life with a roommate, setting up their room, and signing up for classes. It’s a lot of information, and not all of it is necessarily applicable when learning it for the first time.

The shifts in staffing, budgets, and policy have placed a greater burden on staff members, leaving students not only with a lack of awareness of the support offered on campus but, at times, with a lack of consistent support available to them. The data shows the gap in students’ understanding and use of resources. Tyton Partners’ recent 2025 report found that “Over 60% of institutions report persistent challenges, such as unfilled vacancies and hiring freezes, across student support departments.” Despite attempts to inform students about support, students reported that fewer than half are aware of on-campus support, and only 29% engage with it. This isn’t because it’s not there or not needed; it’s due to an overall engagement gap.

There is also an undeniable developmental shift college-aged students go through, requiring a level of self-awareness and monitoring that wasn’t as necessary in their K-12 years. If students are fortunate enough to have involved parents and guardians, they likely passively took part in a school system that prioritized success. With those responsibilities shifted entirely to the student, at times with no legal participation permitted by parents (hello, FERPA), students don’t know what they don’t know.

This data is consistent in community colleges as well. In 2023, New America found that students who ended their enrollment in community colleges were substantially less aware of a range of on-campus support services, including housing, financial aid, food support, and advising, before ending their enrollment compared to students who continued their studies.

I regularly encountered students who came down with mono, leaving them no choice but to miss some classes and fall behind on their work. Or a student who happened to get a concussion and needed support registering for temporary accommodations and reaching out to their professors, then make a plan for how to catch up on their work. A majority of students just needed a bit of support managing their new schedule and the amount of reading for assignments, all while still submitting their homework on time and having anything that resembled a social life, such as joining on-campus clubs. They didn’t need their hand held, and some of them didn’t even appear anxious; they just needed some direction to know who to talk to, when, and how to stay on track.

Luckily, the support and ecosystem of a higher education institution are meant to be proactive, with many offices, individuals, and policies in place for the inevitable rough patch. Our college concierge program helps students gain a strong understanding of the college ecosystem, while identifying the who’s who of campus if and when they need support, from housing to financial aid to disability services (which can be temporary should there be a broken bone or an emerging diagnosis, common in college years).

The ever-changing landscape was a driving force behind the creation of our Freshman Guidance Program, which serves as a college concierge for students transitioning to their first year. Drawing on my experience supporting students from their first year of college through graduation and job acceptance, I created a 12-month support system centered on the common struggles and friction points that arise throughout the academic year.

Students who participate in this program will have their very own guide on the side, meeting monthly to discuss where they are in the academic year, navigate their class schedule, and address any issues they may be running into. Students will end their first year of college feeling confident in establishing and maintaining relationships with professors and campus partners, as well as with the many processes they must engage with, such as housing, finals, and course registration. They’ll receive an interactive resource and newsletter each month that they can return to throughout the rest of their college experience, building a toolkit of their own.

Throughline Guidance has always focused on meeting people where they are. We are excited to extend our support to students through their first year of college.

Transitions to College: A Panel Discussion for Families

June 18th, 5pm PST/ 8PM EST

Join us for a lively conversation about transitioning from high school to college with style and grace. Learn tips and pitfalls to avoid from a panel of students who have just wrapped up their first year of college.

REGISTER FOR FREE!

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yjqpOLjxRc2snyp1uhYpNg