College anxiety is by far the absolute worst form of anxiety. Anxiety takes many different forms, and is not only visible, but can also be silent. Anxiety can have symptoms of shaking, heavy breathing, and making outbursts towards loved ones. Anxiety can also be being indecisive, ignoring friends, and overthinking most situations.
Everyone in college typically has at least some type of anxiety, even if they hate to admit it. However, anxiety during college is the unhealthiest form on anxiety.
First, there is an abnormal amount of pressure to project a happy and positive attitude about everything to our peers. We often see other people and believe that everything is working for them because of how they present themselves.
The truth of the matter is that most people put on a good face to make it seem like everything is okay. Even though it seems like everything always has to be perfect, it is okay to tell friends that you have anxiety or that you are stressed. Most people will understand and it may even help your peers understand as well.
Other huge pressures are simply the priorities of college. The pressure of handing in assignments on time, giving great presentations, and doing well on exams is overwhelming. The best thing to do when facing tons of work is to start assignments early and plan your schedule. Try to get all homework done a few days before an exam so that you have time to study. Assignments are typically stressful, but completing them and moving on is a great way to help lower anxiety.
As if this wasn’t already an issue that people deal with for most of their life, relationships in college are always crazy and cause anxiety. Even if you are in one of the most stable relationships, (and you’re one of the lucky few if you are), college always adds fuel to a fire. Try to separate your relationship from school and figure out what issues you need to deal with. Organizing your feelings is one of the best ways to organize your life!
In addition to this, there is an enormous amount of anxiety dealing with jobs and the future. College is a time to figure out what direction your life is going, but figuring this out can be more than overwhelming. In order to help ease your mind a little, visiting the career center is a helpful option and shadowing different professionals is another healthy option. This period of time is short, and at some point you will be confident about the decisions you make regarding the future.
Throughout all of this, it is important to remember that this is just a phase of life that will dwindle. College should be a time for learning and fun and a time to enjoy life and make amazing memories. Negative things are a part of life, and you should never let any of them dictate how you live your life. Enjoy every minute of this experience!