Following my senior year of highschiool, I knew that the transition into college would be a difficult one. Growing up I had never switched schools. I belonged to a school in which I knew all of my classmates, their families, and most likely their grandparents. Going into my freshman year, I anticipated that my college transition wouldn’t be very easy. Within the first few weeks it quickly became clear that I wasn’t prepared to manage the anxiety I had developed over the past few years.
During my high school years, I realized that I was experiencing an overabundance of anxiety that worsened and developed more severely as I faced problems or experienced changes. When it came time to go away to college I knew that my anxiety was going to be present and something I had to manage, but I was not at all prepared for how debilitating it would be and how it would go on to define my college experience. Having anxiety made it hard for me to come out of my shell and find a good group of friends, and that obstacle made me feel even more anxious that I was doing something wrong and would never have a satisfying college experience.
Today, as I right this I have discovered that there truly is no right way to deal with anxiety, but there are several things you can do to help ease the transition into college as a first-year student.
- Don’t fall victim to caffiene
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If anyone knows me, they know I LOVE coffee. However for me I found out that caffiene only enhanced my anxiety and caused more stress than anything. I would be wired all night and unable to sleep. This caused unsettling thoughts to appear in my head. With more and more nights of little to no sleep I began to doubt and question my self worth as well as my own self esteem. Although you may want to drink a coffee and stay up until 2 am, do not fall into the trap!
- Eliminate Social Media
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Eliminating social media from your personal life will allow you to focus on you and not everyone around you. Unplugging from social media for a few days or even weeks can become so reguvinating and refreshing. Remember that people only post the highlights to their social media, so it’s easy to feel like you’re the only person in the world who is having trouble with this transition. Every college age student faces hardships and troubles so do not be fooled by one persons social media post.
- Find your support systems
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Understanding that being away from home can be tough is a huge step. Reach out to friends and open up to them. find a few close friends who you can talk to when times get tough and figure out the best way to talk. Is it in person, on the phone, or via text. Reach out to former friends and call your family often. My biggest support is my sister, she always is there when I need it and always willing to answer the phone. Find a few teachers or staff whom you can go to in tough times. this will help eliminate the need to feel like you have to go home all the time.
- Find out who you are and what you need
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Each person is different, so finding out who I truly was and what I really needed in life was so helpful! I was able to realize that I need friends who listen and care for me as much as I listen and care for them. It makes going through transitions so much smoother when you have a good foundation on who you are, how you learn, and what you need to succeed.
- Find support on campus
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When you are able, it is best to talk to a proffesional when it becomes to overwhelming to proceed on your own. If you can, do some research about the services that your university provides — I found almost all of the campuses I looked at when decided on a school had some kind of counseling center where they offer support, and there were even some student-run resources. One of the best places to begin looking is through your school health center; they’ll point you in the right direction and may even have someone on staff who manages mental health. You can also talk to an academic advisor for some advice and resources related to your courses. If you feel like you may need regularly scheduled coumnseling most schools can help get you in touch with a counselor near the area. Take advantage of the resources around you and do not be afraid top stand up and advocate for yourself.