This may be the first time I actually want summer to end. I feel I have prepared for so long and now it is finally my time to go to my first year of college. As the weeks approach to move in at my new home in Chicago, I can’t help but be both overjoyed and overwhelmed.
I have always been a frantic person so as I am getting ready to go off to school my college worries have only intensified. I have narrowed my concerns and those of others going off to college as well. Identifying what makes me nervous has helped me think of some approaches to deal with them.
8 Worries about College and How to Overcome Them:
1. This campus seems huge!
I am totally going to get lost making it to all of my classes! I was able to master the maze of hallways at my high school with no problem but now I am adding in different buildings, streets, and halls into the equation. To ease my concern, I printed a map of my college and put stickers on all of the buildings I will be going to on a weekly basis.
2. What if I forget something major for my dorm?
I have already made a list of the items I will need to take with me, but I can only worry that I am forgetting something important. Honestly, there is really no need to fret. As a student in a big city, everything I need is right at my fingertips, and it’s a good way to explore the city as well. And let’s not forget ordering from Amazon Prime. If the item can even wait, my parents will be back up for colleges’ family weekend in only a few weeks, and bring it then. I think I can manage for a few weeks without my blankey.
3. What if I never make any friends?
Truthfully this is a very real concern for many students, but it’s just silly. I am bound to find people that I connect with. I’ll be going to the activity fair the first week of school to find people with common interests as me. College is also the time to discover who you really are as well. So I plan to meet some people that are unlike than me.
4. What if I fail out my first semester?
The classes do get harder so I know that I will have to study even more. Professors don’t give worksheets so I can replace homework time with studying time. You spend less time a week in class than you do in high school which gives you more time to study too.
5. I am going to miss my mom and dad too much!
Homesickness is really normal and something that happens to most freshmen their first year of college. I will call them often, but I will try to refrain from texting, face timing, snap chatting, and calling every hour.
6. What if my roommate is a psycho and steals all of my things?
The chance of having a creepy roommate is pretty low. My roommate and I don’t have to be best friends but we have to be cordial. My school requires us to make and sign a roommate agreement as well to help respect boundaries.
7. I will be forced to drink at parties.
As a girl who didn’t party or drink in high school, this is a serious concern for me. If I do feel pressured to drink, I know I can always keep a cup of water in my hand so no one feels like I am sticking out in the crowd. If I feel the pressure to be too much, there are ALWAYS other people on campus doing different things. Being in a big city, I should never feel that drinking is my only source of fun.
8. What if I start to feel stressed by everything changing in my life?
I know that I get stressed easily so I have found the number to the university’s counseling center. It’s a free and anonymous service that any student can use on campus. And it may be great to have a person to talk to. They know we’re nervous about starting college, and that it’s okay to be.
As I pack my bags and get ready to leave, I know it’s okay to be a little nervous about college. I am confident I will be able to put some of my worries about college aside and be excited for the adventure yet to come.
