It's a bittersweet moment when you're one week from move-in day and the first day of classes. Of course, I'm super excited to go back, but I'm also very intimidated by the fact that I'll be entering one of my toughest school years ever.
There are so many things I look forward to. I get to be away. I get to be independent. I get to see my friends. On the flip side, I will also see endless nights. There will be countless hours of studying. Lots of crying will be involved. It's hard to stay excited when there's so much to anticipate. So much stress, no time to deal with it. Here are some thoughts on what stresses me out about going back to school.
1. Buying school supplies
Back to school shopping is fun. You get to pick out all the things you'll need throughout the school year, but what they don't tell you is what you'll actually use. Not only do I stress about the price I have to pay to get all these essentials, but now I'm worrying if I'll actually use them. Especially books that are in required course materials. I have books that cost an upwards of 200 dollars, the decision to get the book now or after I start the course stresses me out.
2. Getting back into the flow of things
On average, I go to sleep at about 3 a.m. each night and wake up around noon. This is the luxury of summer and I'm scared of my school schedule. How am I going to fix my sleeping schedule in a week? I can't afford to miss any classes this year, especially not the first week. Setting my alarm for 6am, now that's a stress.
3. Thinking about my course load
I'm entering my classes dealing with my major. At this point, every grade matters because I am one step away from graduation. I cannot fathom how many sleepless nights I'll be getting. How about all of the quizzes and exams? There's no way to prepare before school. So there we go, another stressor to add to the list.
4. Saving money
I worked all summer, so that I can support myself whilst I'm away at school. However, my bank account looks nothing like I had expected it to be. I've paid bills, dues. I had to buy school supplies. I'm literally poor. Now, I'm stressing out about how I'm going to be paying for daily ventures. Now, I'm going to have to juggle a job in the midst of my already stressful school schedule.
5. Juggling a social life
I don't really have friends at home, but it's different when I'm away. I like to go on adventures and experience college life to the fullest. How am I going to fit my friends in if I have school, work, other extracurricular activities to be loyal to? Is it a sacrifice I'll have to make?
6. Crying because I won't have my parents to come home to
Again, summer is a luxury. I realized I relied on my parents a lot. I spent a lot of my time being lazy, and now I have to kick it into high gear and start adulting again. It's so much easier when you have a fallback, but now I'm on my own.
One week before school and I've never felt more ready. Yes, I'm stressed to the max, but I'll be calmer once I'm in the school environment. It's just a hideous cycle. A month before school, you can't wait to go back. A month into school, you can't wait for winter break. After winter break, you can't wait for summer. A month into summer, you don't want it to end, but then you ultimately want to go back to school. We went full circle. There's always something we want and there will always be obstacles along the way. Much stress, but it'll be better after the return.
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