Ep. 18 - Starting Strong at the Jacobs School: Supporting Students in the Transition from High School to College

The transition from high school to college is one of the most exciting—and challenging—periods in a young person’s life. For students pursuing careers in medicine, health care, and science, the first year often brings new academic expectations, greater independence, and important questions about identity, belonging, and purpose.

In this episode of the UB Medicine Podcast, host Dr. Allison Brashear, dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, explores what it takes to help students successfully navigate this critical transition. She is joined by Dr. John C. Panepinto, senior associate dean for biomedical education, and Carissa Uschold-Klepfer, LCSW, assistant director for outreach programs, for a conversation about academic readiness, student wellbeing, resilience, and the evolving role of families.

Together, they discuss the challenges many students face during their first year, how confidence is built through support and early success, and why seeking help is a sign of strength—not weakness. The episode also offers practical advice for incoming students and their families on developing healthy habits, managing stress, building connections, and making the most of the college experience.

Whether you're a student preparing for your first semester, a parent supporting a child through this transition, or an educator committed to student success, this conversation offers valuable insights into helping young people thrive during a pivotal stage of their educational journey.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to the UB Medicine Podcast. I'm Dr. Allison Brashier, the Dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Vice President for Health Sciences at the University at Buffalo. Today we're focusing on a moment that is both exciting and for many deeply challenging: the transition from high school to college. It is filled with a time of possibility. Students arrive with ambition and curiosity and a strong desire to pursue careers in health and science. But it's also a time of rapid change, both academically, socially, and emotionally. I would say for students and for parents, probably. For many students, it's the first time that they're managing independence and navigating rigorous coursework and beginning to define who they are, not just as students like they did in high school, but also seeing themselves as future professionals. And for families, it's a time for both pride and recalibration, you know, letting people learn how to make mistakes, learning how to support in new and sometimes unfamiliar ways. At the Jacobs School, we believe that this transition is one of the most important windows of opportunity that we have. We've been building systems that are not only academically strong, but also deeply human. Today we're going to talk about what it really takes to help our undergrads. And I want to underscore that, undergrads. We're talking about students coming from high school and their first steps in college, and we want them to get a strong start. That's how we as educators, advisors, and families can guide that process. Joining me today are two individuals who think about this transition every day, and they do it very well. They bring an expertise and a compassion to their work with students. Dr. John Peninpinto is a professor of microbiology and immunology, and he is the senior associate dean for biomedical education here at the Jacobs School of Medicine. He also provides leadership for undergraduate and early biomedical education, helping shape curriculum, advising, and overall the student experience at a critical time in their academic journey. We're also joined by Carissa Upshold Kleffer, a licensed clinical social worker and assistant director of outreach programs. Chrissa works closely with students as they navigate the emotional and developmental aspects of college life, everything from stress and transition to identity and well-being. So thank you both for being here. And it's such an important topic and really timely as we look into the fall. So we're going to start here from the beginning. So when students arrive at UB, and specifically at our school, they're coming from high school where most likely they've been very high achievers, highly structured, and supported in a variety of different ways. So, John, what are some of the common challenges that you and your team see students face as they make that transition? And why is it such a pivotal moment?

SPEAKER_00 3:30

Well, one of the most exciting things about this transition, right? It's the first time for many of these students they're living outside of their family home, right? They're flexing, they have newfound freedom. But along with that freedom, right, it's a double-edged sword, right? So there's this lack of structure and the lack of accountability from external sources that they've experienced through high school, right? So you have a student, right, who has an 8 a.m. class on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and nobody's going to be poking them to get out of bed, right? Uh, and so they have to make the choice every time, every morning to get up out of bed and go to class, right? To study instead of doing something else. You know, TikTok is a wonderful thing to spend your time scrolling, but uh but uh you know, our students have choices and how they spend their time. And so um that newfound freedom can lead students to get underwater in the curriculum very quickly. You know, the coursework coming out of high school is it's rapid. The pace with which students are asked to acclimate information is very quick. Um, you know, we talk about it in medical school about drinking from a fire hose, right? I don't know if it's a fire hose, but there's a lot of information coming very quickly. And it's on the student to actually make sure that they're learning that information and keeping up with that knowledge. But you know, a lot of our students really don't know how they learn yet. So even learning how to learn in the context of undergraduate education is uh, you know, a challenge.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

So what you're describing is, you know, the transition from academics, you know, grades studying in high school to grades and studying and stuff in school, but also a personal transition. Um, asking students, you know, do I belong here? That that um uh are they capable of this path? So, from your perspective, either one of you, how does that shift in identity begin to take shape during the first year?

SPEAKER_02 5:32

Yeah, I think that the identity piece is huge because students are really, as you said, flexing and learning, but they are learning who they are and they might not know that yet. They may have come in with some idea of you know structure and what they want and how they want things to be, and maybe it's a little bit different than they expected. So I think that it's time for them to get to know themselves, it's time for them to learn and grow together, to grow with others and grow independent with support from family if they have that, and maybe some have not had that as much. Um, so I think that it can be a huge learning curve, but with support, they can find that identity.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

So let's unpack that a little bit more. So, what what are some emotional or developmental challenges that stand out that that some students you know experience as they go to college?

SPEAKER_02 6:21

I think some of it can be if there has been support going into school, not having that as much and really not understanding what do you do, how do you structure your time, um, how do you find friends and find things to do. So I think connection is something that's important, and that's something that can be a struggle for students, especially if they're coming from a rigorous um study program and they're wanting to only study, right? Self-care is something that we see students move away from very, very quickly, and that's something that's really necessary and needed. So I think sometimes academics are prioritized, which from an academic standing we want, right? But I really try to think of humans first as we find that identity and then move into studying in academics.

SPEAKER_01 7:11

So, either one of you, um, how do those challenges show up? And how might students and family members and teachers recognize when some of those things are going on?

SPEAKER_02 7:24

I think from a behavioral standpoint, there might be people are feeling a little bit more tired or exhausted. They might be declining in academics, so there might be some instances where they're not doing as well as they had hoped or expected. Um, so changes in sleep pattern, sleeping habits, eating habits, withdrawing. Sometimes if there's concerns with how they're doing, they might not be around others as much or want to be. They might be overfunctioning, so right, doing a little bit more or a lot more than they intended. And again, that's impacting self-care as well. And then there can be certainly things like anxiety and depression and other co-occurring mental health concerns. So, really thinking from a holistic standpoint, it can impact overall.

SPEAKER_01 8:12

What about the role of families? I would imagine, and and how does a family member support a student, particularly if, you know, most of our students live here in Buffalo in a dorm or an apartment, and you know, they're certainly not at home. How do families support students?

SPEAKER_02 8:31

I think that families can try to set some things up in advance with students. So you may have gone from talking or texting to family members often to not being as available, right? And so we have to help parents, families understand and learn that. Um, what are the expectations? But then students also sometimes feel a little bit of FOMO. So we ask families to weather report for them, right? We want them to tell them the important things that are maybe happening at home and the ways that they can support them. So sometimes they feel like they might be missing out. But I think setting up clear expectations can be helpful and then shifting that as needed as you move through.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

So FOMO, fear of missing out. And I would imagine, like particularly if you had a tight family and you're the first kid to go to college or and first gen, and then you've got family and everybody back at home, right? And and we want to really set up a path for those first gen students to be successful. It's it's so critically important and a priority here for us at UB. So let's talk a little bit about um environment and how we can set students up to succeed, uh, not just academically, but as a whole person. John, let's just talk a little bit about um Jacob specific advising, our curriculum design, and the support systems that we at the Jacobs School have built in. And again, I think we're one of the fastest growing undergrad programs at UB, which is an unusual thing for a medical school. I think there's only six medical schools that give out undergrad degrees. So, how have we here at our medical school designed systems for undergrad students to be successful?

SPEAKER_00 10:19

Yeah, and what a privilege it is to have the opportunity to train this continuum of biomedical scientists from you know beginning their undergraduate career with us, uh, you know, all the way through their education. And so we have an amazing advising team in the Jacob School of Medicine here on South Campus. We have a newly renovated space where students can come, they can meet with their advisor. Their advisors will sort of dispel some of the myths about our curriculum, really help them plan a path to success. Speaking of success, we also have a success coach. Uh I liken a success coach to uh a case manager or a social worker for an academic social worker, right? So it's it's not helping students figure out what courses to take, but identifying what are the barriers to success and trying to connect students with resources that are abundantly available on UB's campus to help them achieve. Right? I we work closely with uh Carissa, who is part of UB Counseling Services, right, to do outreaches, to connect their team with our students, to connect health services with our students, right? There's the students of concern group that can be even more support for students who need it. Um and so there's a there are a ton of resources that can can make uh the transition much smoother. The thing that needs to happen is students need to engage, right? And so, parents, if you can encourage your students to engage with their advisor, I know it sounds ridiculous, but read the emails that come from their advisor and respond to them. I'm sure you have a lot of students that that don't read the emails that come from from your office as well. So um, you know, engagement uh with the campus resources is is so important. Um, and you know, talking about you know the coming away from your family, there's a huge opportunity here at UB to find your chosen family in in the spaces that you're you're occupying, whether that's you know, people to study with in your classes, whether that's you know, some of our groups, um uh student clubs that we have that provide opportunities to connect, both about science, about careers, or about whatever other things that might interest you in your life. Um, you know, UB gets this reputation of being this big behemoth on the hill. But I think you know, people come here and they find their people and they find that they can be part of community, but that just requires that first step of engaging.

SPEAKER_01 12:48

We talk a little bit about early success and or early wins, and how do we set students up for early success so they can find their footing and begin to build on that?

SPEAKER_00 12:59

Well, that starts for us on Academics Day. So Academics Day is this big uh event as part of the orientation process before classes start. And we bring all of our majors down here into the medical school, into the Jacob School building. Um, they meet with uh representatives from campus services, they meet with the advising team, they meet with the program directors from the individual programs, and then you know we offer them some suggestions. And one of the things I do is I tell them my story of how I thought it was a good idea not to go to general chemistry and just skip classes and study the whole day before the exam. Oh and that did not turn out super well. So uh I use my own self as an example, right, for students to encourage them to take ownership of their learning. And there is no shame in seeking help whatsoever, right? The worst thing to do is to wait until the final to figure out that that you know you need help. So um encourage them to actively engage with their professors, actively engage with their peers, their advising staff, their success coach, and other resources on campus to make sure that they're set up for success.

SPEAKER_01 14:11

I think we've also talked um about students not just uh you know piling on in the beginning. So if you took uh you know four AP courses in high school and and then also, you know, had all these extra curriculums, that doesn't necessarily translate to taking, you know, higher level classes in your first year. Yes, I see you nodding. Can you can you add a little bit to that?

SPEAKER_02 14:40

Yeah, I think there's this expectation that people set for themselves to do as much as you can as possible immediately. And I've had people share, you know, I didn't know I shouldn't be taking this many classes, or I didn't know the rigor of each of these classes. So we really do encourage them to link and meet with advisement because I think that that's such a great tool to really sort of look at what's the trajectory, what is needed, what is necessary. Um, and then we really try to help them balance academics with us as humans first, right? And self-esteem and building all of these things, um, which I think can be difficult. So again, it's this holistic lens of really trying to see everything as a whole.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

Chris, let's just talk a little bit about the most common stressors that you see in students. Um, I can imagine that it's a little bit different when we all have technology available at our fingertips. What are some of the things you see?

SPEAKER_02 15:36

So, I mean, in this setting, one of the biggest things people struggle with is academics, right? So motivation, focus, procrastination, getting things done, setting a schedule. Um, and then with that, I think that that can really impact self-esteem. So for many people, if academics is their identity and they're not doing well, it can be a huge struggle and a huge hit to self and ego. Um, so really trying to provide support surrounding that. Um, we see a lot of concerns with overconsumption. Uh, what we talked about TikTok, right? Can be a great tool, right? But there can be overconsumption that leads to distraction. So, how do you sort of reduce that? Use it for reporting purposes as needed, setting limits, setting timers. Um, but with that, it can lead to already existing mental health concerns that can heighten or lead to new mental health concerns.

SPEAKER_01 16:35

So we've been talking about creating a culture where asking for help is seen as a strength and not a weakness. How do we continue to build that? What would you suggest?

SPEAKER_00 16:45

Yeah, I think, you know, taking the shame piece out and just reiterating that, you know, we all struggle. And, you know, even as myself, I've I've been in science for you know 25 years now, right? And and there are still things that I should be able to do as a scientist that I struggle to do, right? And my my friends who are computational laugh at me because it takes me so long to log into the supercomputer because right, I just can't ever remember how to do it, and I don't have R on my computer, which I should have R on my so like there's a learning curve that continues for us as lifelong learners, right? And I I think coming into college and really embracing the fact that yes, you don't know everything, it's gonna be hard to learn, um, but it's worth it to to invest in your future in that way. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:32

And it's okay to not be okay. Yeah. Right. So I think this is something that we really try to focus on, that we try to move through, that we can do everything, we know everything, we can be everything. And sometimes we might not feel okay, and that's okay. There's hope available.

SPEAKER_01 17:48

One of the things that I think we focus on at the Jacobs School is not thinking of students about being in a silo, right? So, what are one or two concrete habits that each of you would recommend to a student if there was an incoming first-year undergrad student standing in front of you? What would some what would you suggest?

SPEAKER_02 18:09

I would suggest connection, right? So being as connected as you can. Um, I think it's important for people to sort of look at their own personality style and type and the connections that they want to make. I think there's something for everyone here. So if someone says this isn't going so well, I haven't found my friend group, I try to remind them there's 30,000 other students that you haven't met yet, right? So I think that there's a lot of power in connection. And the other thing is building resilience. So those strengths, skills. Um, and it takes muscles to build that in time.

SPEAKER_01 18:42

For sure, John?

SPEAKER_00 18:43

Yeah, and I'd say connection is the main thing that I would suggest, right? And that means studying up, find the people in your classes, find people who are doing better than you and join a study group with them, right? Find people with shared interests, shared goals so that you can collaborate in learning. Um, and you know, we offer opportunities here. I mentioned the student clubs earlier, but we also have this wonderful community that surrounds us here in Buffalo. And there are so many opportunities through the Jacobs School to get involved in our community. Um, and so, you know, we go into schools and we do STEM activities, um, we you know work uh a bunch of events here in the both in the school building and in our community. So many opportunities to engage, right? To see the bigger picture, because it's easy to get bogged down uh in your room all alone with the tremendous list of things you need to do. Uh and that's the time to reach out and engage.

SPEAKER_01 19:40

Well, we always close with one final thought, and I just would like each of you to think about one message that you would want each incoming Jacob School undergrad and their families to carry with them as they begin this next chapter.

SPEAKER_00 19:54

So I can start. I, you know, at Academics Day, I always tell the students, right, you're not here by accident, right? You're meant to be here. We're excited to have you with us here in our space. Um, we have so much to offer, and you have so much to offer us, right? So let's collaborate on this exciting journey, right? Connect, reach out, embrace the unknown, um, and have fun.

SPEAKER_02 20:23

That's great advice. And your thoughts? I love that. I love that connection and embracing peace, right? And I think um just knowing that you are here again, as you said, for a reason, support and help is available to help you through. And we are here to do that.

SPEAKER_01 20:37

Well, this has been a wonderful, important, meaningful conversation. And what stands out is the success in this transition isn't about doing everything perfectly, it's about building confidence over time, knowing when to ask for help, recognizing that growth often comes from moments of challenges. And we want to send a message that we at the Jacobs School are deeply committed to supporting students through that process, not just as learners, but also as individuals who we are confident that will be prepared to make a difference in the world. Um, so that's a wrap for talking on student success. I'm so glad you both joined us. I'm Alison Brashir, and I am the dean of the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and this has been the UB Medicine Podcast.