Do you know anyone who faced college anxiety and handled it successfully? Here is the inspiring story of Aman where you can find his journey from insane anxiety to a comfortable and confident life. You will know – what problems he faced, how he became anxious, and how he gained his confidence back.
Aman Virani faced an insane amount of anxiety during his initial period of college. The reason behind this was social anxiety and overthinking. He was not able to perform simple daily tasks without overthinking. Social interactions were a nightmare for him. He continuously wondered whether what he said or did was right when he interacted with a new person. He used to worry about the smallest of things and suffered from the fear of being left alone.
Can you imagine how Aman beat his anxiety? There was one thing that he never doubted and that was his spirit that he could learn and do programming. He knew a bit of programming. He did a software development internship in the second and third year where he got positive feedback about his skills. He tested himself with hard and impossible-looking problems which he tackled successfully, making him confident and comfortable with himself.
Meanwhile, he started pretending to be confident, leading him to make new friends. He learned that he should look confident irrespective of his thoughts, which brought him more positive feedback. This in turn made him more confident and his college anxiety reduced significantly.
College creates excitement and fills you with joy. It is considered the best time of your life as it is filled with new social experiences, endless opportunities, and exposure to the world. But for many, the reality is different, excitement turns into pressure when they don’t know how to deal with the changed social environment. College anxiety is common nowadays and it is a concern nationwide which is affecting millions of students. Immediate attention is required from different stakeholders like students, parents, educators, and institutions to deal with college anxiety.
“A calm and modest life brings more happiness than the pursuit of success combined with constant restlessness.”
– Albert Einstein.
When do you feel anxiety in college? You feel anxious when you cannot handle the situation in the new world. Later, it turns into many emotional conflicts like fear, worry, depression, etc. You also experience anxiety due to academic experience, social relationships, financial burdens, or the pressure to succeed. This anxiety can be overwhelming if you are not able to handle it on time properly, as it can impact your daily life, mental health, achievements, and overall well-being.
Factors of College Anxiety
Anxiety is common nowadays and it is spreading its wings worldwide. Even the loss of a single student due to anxiety is not acceptable! That’s why you must understand its causes to deal with it. Let’s take a look at the factors that constitute anxiety in college.
1. Academic pressure
It includes high expectations from parents, institutions, society, and sometimes within you leading to excessive burden and stress on the mind. To achieve the highest marks, you keep yourself under pressure to spend most of your time studying ignoring other important aspects of your life such as outings, sports, spending time with family and friends, etc.
2. Transition challenge
When you enter college from school, you find an entirely different environment. It includes a new academic system, a different approach to education, freedom, and responsibilities. Not everyone can easily handle freedom with responsibilities and adapt to a new environment. Inadaptability in the long run may lead to dropout from college.
3. Financial stress
It includes high college fees, living expenses, and additional expenses like outings with friends or trips/parties. Financial crisis can cause suffering by compromising on your day-to-day expenses, which further affects mental stability and may not be able to focus on studies.
4. Career conflict
The stress of building a successful career in life starts when you enter college life. Parents and relatives have high ambitions regarding your career and set up high aims that keep you engaged in constant conflict. This arising conflict from time to time harms your confidence leading to anxiety.
Prevalence of College Anxiety
College anxiety is increasing day by day in the developing world. Its prevalence can be seen everywhere, even in your surroundings. You can find its victims around you, whether in your class, college, park, tea stall, etc. You can also see the overwhelming results of anxiety in daily newspapers, news channels, social media, etc. You can look at authentic data below on college anxiety, provided by researchers to understand its roots and expansion.
1. At the National level
- In an article published by the Journal of Mental Health and Human Behavior, research studies were conducted on 400 college students aged 18 to 25 years studying in different institutions. These students were chosen from various colleges of D. Y. Patil Deemed to be University, Nerul, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. It includes D. Y. Patil School of Medicine (medicine students), D. Y. Patil School of Physiotherapy (physiotherapy students), D. Y. Patil School of Dentistry (dentistry students), and RAIT Institute (engineering students).
- The results show that about 26.5% of the college students were suffering from depression at clinically significant levels and about 6.14% of them had potentially concerning levels of anxiety. According to the grading of BDI, 9% of the students had borderline clinical depression which requires clinical attention.
2. At International level
- The American College Health Association’s (ACHA) Spring 2023 national survey of over 55,000 undergraduate students revealed that approximately 76% were experiencing moderate to serious psychological distress.
- In 2023, 76% of students experienced moderate to severe psychological distress. 36% of students were diagnosed with anxiety; 28% had depression.
What are the Strategies to Manage College Anxiety?
As you can see anxiety is spreading rapidly and affecting the students not only in our country but worldwide. Hence, it is a crucial need of the hour to detect and terminate college anxiety as soon as possible. You can manage your anxiety by identifying and following various strategies.
1. Face the problem and avoid conflicts
Anxiety becomes worse over time. So, Instead of avoiding the problems, lying on the bed the whole day, just scrolling through the reels, you need to face and try to solve the problem. Take more interest in your work instead of useless arguments so that new issues will not arise. You can utilize your time for more valuable things.
2. Time management and organization techniques
You should make a work-life balance so that you can spend time in every domain of your life. You can make a timetable or divide your time and work in a manner so that it can make a balance of personal and professional life. It will reduce your stress and allow you to do your work systematically.
3. Positive environment
Surround yourself with positive people who praise you and help you grow in life. Spending time with negative people who always demean you, can degrade your personality. So, you need to spend your time with people who motivate and inspire you to grow in life. These people can be your friends, professional people, relatives, or someone important to you.
4. Stress reduction methods
You should do daily exercise, yoga, deep breathing, and meditation to relieve stress. All of these are great methods of stress relieving accepted worldwide. You can keep yourself busy with creative tasks so that extra thoughts do not get heavy on your mind and your focus should be on keeping upgrading yourself.
5. Seeking support from family, friends, and health professionals
Sharing your problems with your friends and family is said to be good medicine for stress reduction. Even after their support if you are still unable to handle the stress then you should consult a health professional as soon as possible. You can also plan outings or trips with your friends/family which works as therapy for you.
6. Self-care and wellness
You need to take care of yourself so that you can stand strong. You can do it by maintaining healthy habits, getting enough sleep, and engaging yourself in physical activity and exercise. You should take healthy eating and nutrition, relaxation techniques, stress management, and engage in activities outside of academics (hobbies, clubs, etc).
Conclusion
As you can see, college anxiety is rapidly expanding its roots not only nationwide but at the international level also, which requires immediate attention. As you are the future of our country, you need to take immediate action to manage it. By understanding its causes, effects, and management techniques, you can create a healthier environment. It is high time that parents, students, educators, institutions, and society, understand the importance of mental health and foster an environment of openness, supportive culture, and self-care so that they support and create a bright future for you.
FAQs
1. How to cope with anxiety in college?
Coping with anxiety in college can be challenging, but you’re not alone! Here are some tips to help you navigate this phase:
- Find support from new friends.
- Reach out to family and friends back home.
- Make your surroundings feel like home by creating a comfortable and familiar space in your dorm or apartment.
- Practice self-care by getting enough rest, eating balanced meals, and engaging in activities you enjoy.
- Keep yourself engaged with classes, hobbies, and social activities. Idle time can sometimes amplify anxiety.
- Don’t overload yourself with too many classes. Be mindful of your limits and seek academic support when needed.
- Seek help from mental health professionals if anxiety becomes too difficult to manage on your own.
2. How do I stop being anxious about college?
To stop feeling anxious about college, try these strategies:
- Preparation: Familiarize yourself with the campus, schedule, and academic expectations ahead of time.
- Routine: Establish a consistent daily routine to create a sense of stability and control.
- Break Tasks Down: Divide large tasks into smaller, manageable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
- Stay Organized: Use planners or digital tools to keep track of assignments, deadlines, and commitments.
- Mindfulness and Relaxation: Practice mindfulness, meditation, or deep-breathing exercises to reduce anxiety.
- Stay Active: Engage in regular physical activity, as exercise can help reduce stress and improve mood.
- Social Connections: Build a support network by making friends, joining clubs, and connecting with peers.
3. What triggers anxiety in college students?
Anxiety in college students can be triggered due to academic pressure, social challenges, and the transition to independence. The rigorous demands of coursework, the fear of failure, and the pressure to achieve high grades can create significant stress. Social factors such as making new friends, fitting in, and navigating relationships can also contribute to anxiety. The responsibility of managing finances, time, and personal well-being for the first time can be overwhelming.
4. Why am I so nervous in college?
The transition to a new environment, away from familiar support systems, can create nervousness and anxiety. Academic pressures, such as maintaining grades and meeting deadlines, can be overwhelming. Social challenges, including making new friends and fitting in, can add to the stress. It’s important to recognize that these feelings are normal when you enter college.
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