It’s perfectly normal to be worried or nervous about heading to college! However, not everyone’s anxieties are the same. Here are three common worries and stress management tips on how you can help deal with the stress.
Nervous About Homesickness
Are you worried about leaving your parents, your siblings, and your pets at home? Worried you may miss them? Homesickness is an extremely common concern for many freshmen attending college, especially if you come from a very close-knit family. It can even be tough to leave behind the room you’re comfortable in, the food, or your own bed.
The first part of dealing with this fear is becoming comfortable at college. Take time to thoroughly explore the new campus and become comfortable in your new surroundings. Also, make plans to talk to your family. You may not want to call them every night to chat, but a few times a week can help all of you get used to the adjustment. (After all, they’re probably nervous too!) However, it’s also important that you learn to become comfortable living alone during this phase of your life.
Nervous About Self-Doubt
Another common fear when it comes to college is self-doubt. You may be worried that you’re really not ready for college, high school was a fluke, or you’re not prepared for the challenges.
You ARE ready, you ARE prepared, and high school WASN’T a fluke! Your college admission office chose you to attend their school. They see applications day in and day out. They know what they’re looking for in a strong student and they chose you!
There is an adjustment period when it comes to college though and it won’t be the same as high school. It will help, early on, for you to create a personal schedule and learn time management. Study time is extra important during this period of your life.
Nervous About Roommates
Roommates are usually strangers. You never know who you might get. And this is a legit worry – What if they’re odd? What if you don’t get along? That comes with meeting or living with anyone new.
You may not be the best of friends (or you may become over time!), but learning respect on both sides is essential to making a roommate situation work. And if it doesn’t work out, most schools give you the option to change roommates between semesters.
Almost all students are nervous about something before they head off to college for the first time. This is completely normal and you won’t be alone! There will be plenty of other students in the same boat as you, dealing with their own anxieties. But it will get better, no matter what is causing your stress!
Use College Raptor to discover personalized college matches, cost estimates, acceptance odds, and potential financial aid for schools around the US—for FREE!
FAQs
“5 A's” to help manage stress
- Avoid. Some types of stress are unavoidable, such as stress-induced by death, disease, or an accident. ...
- Alter. Stress may be caused by situations that you usually address as your daily routine. ...
- Adapt. Recognize that things happen, plans alter, and emergencies occur. ...
- Accept. ...
- Active.
When your stress level exceeds your ability to cope, you need to restore the balance by reducing the stressors or increasing your ability to cope or both. Try using one of the four A's: avoid, alter, accept or adapt.
What are the five stress management techniques pdf? ›
To maximize your ability to cope with stress, try the following:
- Exercise Regularly. Engage in 3-5 sessions of moderate intensity exercise each week to enhance your. ...
- Eat a Healthy Diet. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fatty fish to maximize your. ...
- Sleep. ...
- Practice Relaxation. ...
- Express Yourself. ...
- Reframe.
Below are five top ways for college students to manage stress.
- Eat healthy foods. This sounds almost like a bummer, but it isn't. ...
- Exercise. You may be surprised at how little you actually need to do to get some exercise in. ...
- Get plenty of sleep. ...
- Manage your time and learn to say “no” ...
- Practice Mindfulness.
Kobasa introduced the concept of psychological hardiness and suggested that hardiness moderates the relationship between stressful life events and illness. Kobasa characterized hardiness as comprising of three components or the 3C's: Commitment, Control, and Challenge.
What are the 5 C's of stress? ›
The 5Cs are competence, confidence, character, caring, and connection. The anxiety dimensions are Social anxiety, Physical symptoms, Separation anxiety, and Harm avoidance.
What are the 5 R's of stress management? ›
The Five R's are: Rethink, Relax, Release, Reduce, and Reorganize. Each R represents a different level of coping skills that can be used independently to cope with stressors, or combined into a comprehensive stress management plan.
What are the 5 pillars of stress? ›
Resilience is made up of five pillars: self-awareness, purpose, mindfulness, positive relationships and self-care. By working to strengthen these five pillars, we are becoming more resilient, and as a result, we are much more equipped to manage the stress in our lives.
What are the 4 D's of stress? ›
The 4Ds of Dealing With Distress - Distract, Dilute, Develop, and Discover: An Ultra-Brief Intervention for Occupational and Academic Stress.
What are the 7 tips for stress management? ›
Here are some tips:
- Take care of yourself. Avoid drugs and alcohol as they can add to stress. ...
- Engage in self-relaxation. ...
- Take breaks when needed. ...
- Seek out social support. ...
- Connect with others socially. ...
- Maintain a normal routine. ...
- Give back to others.
Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals. Exercise regularly. Get plenty of sleep.
What are six stress busting strategies? ›
Healthy nutrition, regular exercise, restful sleep, practicing mindfulness, building social supports, and getting mental health care can help to decrease stress hormones and prevent health problems. 2. Exercise Daily: a.
What are the 15 stressors for college students? ›
What Causes Stress Among College Students?
- Living away from home/living among strangers. ...
- Academic demands and test anxiety. ...
- Finances. ...
- Post graduation plans. ...
- Roommate negotiations and mediation. ...
- Relationships (family and romantic)
Academic pressure may begin to mount because of procrastination, difficulty of coursework, and lack of time. Stress exhaustion or depression may occur. Mid-term exams and term papers are all due at once. Roommate and social tensions may increase as all students are stressed.
How to prevent mental breakdown in college? ›
The importance of a healthy diet, adequate sleep, and regular exercise cannot be overstated, particularly as they relate to overall mental health. It's easy to let good eating, sleep, and exercise habits fall by the wayside while living away from home for the first time or when coping with a very stressful situation.
What are the 5 components of stress management? ›
Five Components to Workplace Stress
- Stressors.
- Stress response.
- Individual differences.
- Allostatic load.
- Allostatic balance.
Take care of your body.
- Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.
- Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals.
- Exercise regularly.
- Get plenty of sleep.
- Avoid excessive alcohol, tobacco, and substance use.
