Starting college is incredibly exciting. You get to move to a new place, meet hundreds or even thousands of new and diverse people and you have an unprecedented amount of freedom. However despite the fact that people herald college as the best years of your life, it's perfectly normal to be nervous or even scared about the transition into college or college as a whole. So if you thought you were alone in these fears, think again.
1. Not making friends
If you talk to any current college student they will tell you that making friends in college isn't hard. Everyone is just as willing and excited to make new friends as you are. But that doesn't stop most incoming freshman (myself included) from worrying that we might not be able to make new friends. We have just spent the last four years of our lives building solid relationships and getting comfortable in them, so starting all over can be scary. And although new friendships require effort and a willingness to venture out of your comfort zone hopefully we will all find a group of friends that become like our family.
2. Not doing well in school
We are constantly told in high school that college work is nothing like what we have previously experienced. Our high schools have spent four years preparing us for a college workload but that doesn't always ease our minds or keep us from worrying that we won't be able to do well in school. The few grades and heavily weighted test structure of many college classes can be daunting even for the most academically gifted students. But like any high school class, college classes are not meant to be impossibly difficult but are used to teach you important skills for your future. With the help of professors and plenty of hard work, no class should be unmanageable.
3. Feeling lost
College campuses can be massive and serve thousands of students and while that means access to tons of opportunities and unique experiences, it also means that you can sometimes feel lost. Whether that be literally when you are trying to find your way around campus or feeling lost in the crowd in 300 student lecture halls that are a far cry from the 25 student high school classes that we are used to. Often times incoming freshman even feel lost when it comes to their futures. It seems like college comes along with a lot of important decisions about what you are passionate about, what you want to study, and what you want from life. When you don't always know the exact answers to these questions like most freshman you can feel lost about your future. Thankfully college is supposed to be a time of exploration and self-discovery and if we step out of our comfort zones we are sure to find the right place for us.
