Going to college is the pathway to unlocking a lucrative career after graduation. For the next three years or so, college will equip you with the industry skills necessary to work in your area of specialization in later years. Unfortunately, some students feel scared to go to college that they fail to take the first big step to further their education.
Being scared to go to college is downright a bad thing because it causes you to give up your dream of earning a degree. Moreover, the failure to go to college can deny you the opportunity to land a career of your choice. So in this guide, we give you some helpful tips that can help you deal with the fear of going to college from the admission date to the graduation day.
If you’re scared to go to college, start by setting clear goals and then build your confidence and skill set. Make friends on campus, hold discussion groups, consult teachers, and work with a schedule that keeps you busy in college. Also, identify and avoid your triggers, and stay positive all the time.
8 Things to Do If You’re Scared to Go to College
We understand that stressing about school and your future can make you feel scared to college in the first place. At least 44% of college students report that anxiety, loneliness, and stress are the major reasons why they fret being in school.
1. Start Building Confidence as Early as You Can
Confidence is faith in oneself. Stop asking yourself questions like:
- What happens if I earn poor grades?
- Will people in college mock me?
- What if I can‘t make any friends at school?
- Should I be scared that one of my roommates plays a cruel joke on me?
Instead, treat each passing day in college as an opportunity to discover and build confidence in yourself. Remember, college is going to be full of obstacles, and having self-confidence enables you to overcome each one with ease.
Some of the best ways to build self-confidence as you continue to study include:
- Pursuing new interests
- Engaging in things that bring you joy
- Making friends who share your interest
- Engaging in conversations with your teachers
Scared to Go to College
2. Hire an Expert to Help You Refine Your Admissions Essay
Some students are scared to go to college because they can’t bring themselves to write compelling application essays and personal statements. If this sounds like you, you can take advantage of our admission writing service and benefit from the convenience of professional writing.
Help for Assessment has been in the writing for well over half a decade. In that time, we’ve helped hundreds of students refine their college applications and get admission to the colleges of their choice.
Our focus on custom writing makes our service suitable for you, as it means you’ll get high quality essay delivered to you.
Free Features
Don’t wait for the last minute. Hire a writer today.
$4.99 Title page
$10.91 Formatting
$3.99 Outline
$21.99 Revisions
Get all these features for $65.77 FREE
3. Learn New Life Skills
You’re going to be away from home for a very long time. You’ll wake up every day in a dorm room and spend most of your time on campus. You’ll know very few people in the initial stages of college, so much so that you might even fear attending in-person classes.
The sad thing is that this is poor reasoning, and it’s not going to help you in any way.
The best thing you can do is to learn new skills, both in the classroom and outside the classroom. If you’re a committed student, you’ll find that it’s easy to pick up a variety of necessary life skills as you spend time in college.
To be clear, it’s the simplest skills, the ones that many children never acquire, that can help you attend college and survive.
4. Get Ready to Handle College Hurdles in Advance
It may be exceedingly difficult to endure college without preparing yourself for the numerous challenges that will stand in your way of earning your degree.
When it comes to attending the institution to which you have received an admission letter, there is no definitive moment to begin preparing. However, as a general guideline, you should plan as early as possible.
Some of the things you need to do before you start attending classes include:
- Familiarizing yourself with technology
- Taking a campus tour
- Purchasing dorm room basics such as pillows, bedroom lamps, alarm clocks, and toiletries
- Communicating with your teachers
5. Start Meeting New People & Making New Friends
Simply because your college life has not yet begun does not mean you cannot begin making friends. Visit the college’s Facebook group and engage in conversations with other students, as doing so will make you feel as though you’re already a part of a bigger team.
As you try to interact with other students, you may even find comfort in the fact that many new freshmen are just as nervous as you are.
Various Facebook groups may exist in certain circumstances, including those organized by program, college level, dormitory, club, organization, extracurricular activities, and fraternity or sorority.
By spending time online getting to know the college’s students and culture, you may even find that your elevated anxiety levels subside.
6. Take a Campus Tour
Visit the college and get the feel of the on-campus tour. Going this extra mile is a good idea if you’re still not sure whether the school is right for you.
While you’re there, it’s a good idea to attend orientation, even if the institution does not mandate it.
Attending orientation can help alleviate your dread and anxiety by familiarizing you with the campus, introducing you to the groups and organizations in the school, and allowing you to meet new people in person rather than online.
Additionally, visiting the campus allows you to meet with an adviser in person, which is an excellent opportunity to ask questions and get the right answers without having to wait for so long. You won’t just receive any answers; you’ll get answers tailored to the institution you’re going to attend, which will eliminate any anxiety concerns that you may have.
7. Avoid Alcohol and Cut Back on Coffee
Harnessing excess adrenaline can help you overcome your fear of attending college.
If you already have a high level of adrenaline in your veins because of the worry connected with college, a cup of coffee can exacerbate the situation. Avoid coffee to keep your adrenaline levels from skyrocketing, as it contains caffeine, which causes the release of adrenaline.
Similarly, it is prudent to abstain from alcohol. Many individuals drink alcohol to escape their difficulties, which is why you may find it tempting to overindulge in order to avoid attending college. Alcohol use might assist you in diverting your attention away from an imminent event in your academic life. However, after the effects of alcohol wear off, you will experience anxiety again.
So keep away from alcohol and completely cut back on coffee.
8. Take Good Care of Yourself
Did you know that excessive stress might affect your immune system, making you prone to a variety of infection? Stress can result in excessive blood pressure, a heart attack, or a stroke.
Preparing for college while dealing with a health catastrophe can amplify the stress and anguish associated with such a life-changing event. As a result, it is important that you take care of yourself in order to maintain optimal health.
Consuming nutritious meals, getting the recommended amount of exercise, having seven to nine hours of sleep every night, and abstaining from cigarette smoking can help you put stress under full control.
Also, participating in different stress-relieving hobbies such as practicing yoga, watching your favorite TV sitcom, and reading a good book is a good option to keep stress under control as you continue to learn.
9. Maintain Your Focus on the Goal
Fear is a result of uncertainty, and it is precisely for this reason that you may dread attending college if you are unclear of why you want to pursue further education.
On the other hand, if you are clear about why you are attending college, it will be far simpler to overcome your concerns. After all, once you know what you want to achieve, your aim becomes far more essential than being scared to go to college.