Before starting college, you need to go through the college admission process. During this time, you may feel a lot of stress. Should you learn how to reduce your level of anxiety? Discover what to do when your pre-entry into college gives way to stress.
What causes college admission stress?
The stress felt when you are working on your admission is the same as the one you feel on the first day of college. For example, when you have not finished admission to college, the application essay can bring up a big question: Will I write my admission essay on time?
Apart from the admission process, a multitude of concerns can contribute to stress. It may be:
- Due to the fact that the student is aware that he or she is in a transitional stage. In fact, this first day of school symbolizes the passage from the learning stage to the autonomy stage.
- The uncertainty of his or her future, obligations, and academic performance are factors that can generate anxiety too.
- In some cases, students may be stressed because they need to look for a job to finance their studies.
- Sometimes, living in a new environment far from family is not easy.
- Lastly, imagining how new relationships will unfold brings up the fear of the unknown.
Some solutions to start college without stress
To avoid stress before D-Day, starting to think about solutions a few weeks earlier can be beneficial. So, after making your admission, the options to start college without stress include:
Preparing yourself well before the big day
To avoid stress before the big day, preparing yourself well in advance will help you feel more at ease. During your studies, this solution will also be useful when you are writing a research paper. You should dare to sort through your belongings and throw away what you no longer need. In other words, make a list of all the materials you will need, and do your shopping early so you don’t forget anything.
Making the first move
Finding yourself alone in a college full of strangers is not necessarily easy. Never hesitate to make the first move and take advantage of group work to expand your network of acquaintances. In most universities, student associations also organize outings to welcome new students. This allows you to meet former students and make friends with people from your class.
Don’t be afraid to sign up for sports or cultural activities, as it is a great way to meet new people.
Reviewing all your habits
Good organizational skills are the key to a successful year. Think about establishing a work schedule that will help you find your way around. Be careful not to put too much pressure on yourself. Breaks are also important to work more efficiently and stay focused. Do not hesitate to take them regularly during the day. In the evening, take a few minutes for yourself to relax with a good book or series.
Being conscious of your fears
If you are one of those anxious people, start by asking yourself what you are afraid of. It is said that expressing your fears helps you overcome them. Ideally, you should talk to someone about it. You can communicate with an older brother or sister, perhaps a parent, or friends on social networks.
By doing this, you will first see that you are not alone. You will also discover that the answers of others will prevent you from focusing on negative things. On the contrary, the more you will keep your fears to yourself, the more you will feel bad.
Taming your fears
If you are stressed, do not tell yourself that it is bad to be afraid, do not judge yourself. In addition to the fear of the unknown and the new, there is often the fear of being alone (autophobia). You can also be afraid of having no friends or being looked at by others, which is terrible after adolescence. Tame your fears. Try to interact with others naturally, by listening, by looking at them, and by being really with them.
Relaxing and enjoying the moment
What if you stop projecting yourself into a future in which you see yourself alone and helpless? The past is behind you, and the future is not yet here. On the other hand, you can act in the present. Are you dreaming of friendship? Take advantage of your last days of vacation to see your real friends. Practice the hobbies you like, relax, and see people.
Sport is an excellent remedy against stress, so plan a swimming pool outing, a jog, or a tennis game the week of the return to school just to avoid locking yourself in your anxieties.
Using stress positively
Another cause of anxiety at the beginning of the school year is the fear of failure or disappointing others. It can also be the fear of having too much work. The difficulties of the past may sometimes come back to the surface, even for good students.
So rather than trying to chase that stress away, use its stimulus to slowly get back to work. Doing some revisions, taking a preschool course, and opening a school book will allow you to get back on track intellectually. It will give you back your self-confidence.
Do not hesitate to get help
If anxiety usually disappears on its own in the first few days of school, it can happen that you cannot get rid of stress. If this is the case, you should not hesitate to get help if your unease persists. In fact, there are different types of therapies that focus pragmatically on finding solutions to limit suffering related to stress.
Do not allow yourself to become ensnared by depressing or suicidal thoughts. Talk to your parents or a sibling about it if you feel like you are losing control. You can even talk to a friend or neighbor who you believe will listen carefully. Share your pain with someone who will not interject or make unfounded ideas about your anxiety.
A Few Important Reminders
Life is more than just stressing about getting into college. Sometimes, it may be challenging for an anxious person to manage his or her stress. However, one should be aware that there are numerous paths to follow to realize his or her goals. To sum up, giving up is not the answer when you wish to reduce college admission stress.
We have all been through our fair share of dreadful things all through our life. And we know that issues will always arise during our studies, no matter what. As such, you must always try to find strategies to persevere and resist giving up. So, learn how to reduce college admission stress instead of trying to live with it.