Freshmen Advice: How to Cope With Pre-College Stress

Graduating high school students have a lot to deal with. Not only do they have to keep attending school, finishing their club obligations and being active in their social life. They are also requires to attend career talks, apply for colleges and look for potential scholarship options. Then, just when they are cementing their plans, curve balls like financial difficulties come in. Planning ahead, after all, is not just based on interests and passion. The family’s capacity to pay for college also plays a big role in their decisions.

If you’re under so much pre-college stress right now, you’re not alone. When you start planning for college, you feel excited. But underneath the excitement is the stress that comes with big life changes. You’re leaving an old, familiar life, after all.

Stress can be overwhelming. It can mess with your decisions and completely ruin your plans. If you let anxiety about the future get to you, you’ll doubt your ability to adjust to new things. Here are some ways to handle the stress, and get used to college living.

Get Organized

Start by organizing your stuff according to their categories. For the sake of simplicity, group your things according to necessity. Toiletries, undershirts, slippers, shoes and everyday clothes go together. Leisure items like your tennis racket, your DVD collection or your music player can go in one corner until you figure out whether you have the space for them in your dorm room or not. Keep in mind that the space you have at home may not be available in your new room, which means the bulky items don’t have a place in your luggage.

Organize your whole room at home. You want the room to become usable to whoever will use it next when you’re away for college. This is one way of showing your family that you’ve really decided to go to college.

The more organized you are, the less worried you will be when you’re transferring your things from your home to your college dorm. You’re less stressed about leaving important items behind because you know you’ve checked and double checked everything. If you missed something, it could wait until you can come back for it, or until a family member can send it to you.

Stay In Touch

High school friends, no matter how many times you promise to write, will drift away. You yourself will be meeting new classmates, new teachers and new friends, and these people will hold your attention for a while. But staying in touch with your past friends can lessen stress, especially if you feel homesick. It helps to know that they’re still out there somewhere, tackling their own challenges and coping.

While you should call home often, don’t do it four times a day. Calling frequently will not only put pressure on your psychological capacity to cope in a new environment. It may also cause needless worry among your family members. Call every week, or when you feel particularly sad. Being tough emotionally comes with practice, and it’s better to start as early as you can.

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