Starting college for the first time?

[Silentknight]

Is anybody else starting college for the first time this year or has ever gone to college? I'm curious to hear about your experience with SA and being in college since I will be in this position come Aug 30th. I'm only going to a community college to study to become an EMT not an actual university yet hopefully one day I will but I would like to hear the experiences of those who went to college (community or university) and to those starting college or going to college this year if you want you can post any experiences your going through.

 

[PunkRotten]

It doesn't mean their experience will be like yours or help you in any way. Rather than worrying about it just go and see and suck in the experience as its happening.

 

[dottie]

hey silent my advice is stick with it! the first semester is the hardest just because you are adapting, learning a new environment, learning what is expected of you, learning to learn more independently. you said you are "only going to a community college" but don't underestimate community college! it is still college, the same is expected from you!

if you have anxiety attacks a little thing that actually helped me a LOT was to sit on an aisle seat, near the door. this sounds silly but when you know you have anxiety attacks you may start to worry that it will happen in front of everyone and worrying actually provokes it. when i sit with an easy "escape route" i am not so worried that i will have a panic attack in front of everyone. i know i can slip out the door unnoticed. this kind of put me at ease, allowing me to focus. i admit i have fled classrooms several times due to panic attacks. if you experience this too just keep going back no matter what. keep your eye on the goal whether you are going for a degree or just to finish the class.

you will have a great time, all in all! best of luck!

 

[aeroplanejelly]

Hello, I started university last year for my Bachelor of Education degree. Some parts of it were tough, such as making new friends, group projects and especially presentations. I did feel a bit paranoid and anxious at times, hoping that the tutor wouldn't call on me for answers was something that I dreaded quite a bit. I also found doing my teaching practical quite awkward, as I had to socialise with children and the teaching staff of the school. Slowly overtime I started to become a bit more comfortable with the situation, and even made a few friends.

That being said I started my new course yesterday for Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) at a new university so I have to do the whole process again . It is a bit scary, but it's worthwhile. Everyday feels like a challenge, but at the same time you feel like you're accomplishing something by facing your fears.

 

[ありがとう]

Hello, my advice is to don't avoid anything in the first term (semester), it's the most important time when friendships are formed. Go to every class, join clubs and stick to it and just make an effort to be part of the community and talk to people even if you're hating it... It'll get better. Well that's what I did anyway (for uni). First week was awful for me, I was so anxious I hid in my room majority of the time... Until I thought I had to get out there and make an effort as I know staying in my room will do nothing for me.

 

[seafolly]

I'll skip the usual advice and stick to the anxiety issues. I was terrified and my parents I KNOW expected me to fail and come home within a week. Not fail academically, but fail to manage my anxiety. They were so wrong. I lived in a dorm which was the best possible scenario as no one knew each other. The advantage? Everyone's nice! Everyone wants to make friends. Okay so those friends don't always last because it's circumstantial but the point is most people don't want to be alone and are open to meeting others moreso than usual. I grew independence, I attended classes alone which was/is a huge deal for me. Some people were so kind and would bring me dinner that they'd sneak out of the cafeteria if I was too anxious to go.

Be open to people. Smile. I've noticed some people with anxiety (like my sister, she's the worst!) will write off everyone based on nothing. She just expects them to be bad people. The result? That girl hasn't had a real friend in ten years. I'm agoraphobic, less likely to maintain friendships than she as she has a job and can go out in the world with no issues. But her negative outlook has completely destroyed her chances at making friends. She's only starting to connect the two and people are starting to warm up to her but it's a very slow process.

I focus on this because I truly feel a strong support group is needed when adjusting to college or university. You face it all together - your freedom, your classes, your homesick phases...I don't know where I'd be without my friends.

 

[coyote]

My college experience was a little different than most - I started school after I had been in the military. So I was six years older than everyone else and married. I found it very difficult to relate to most of the other students. They were 18 years old and had never been away from home before, while I had traveled the world and been responsible for people's lives. Plus, I was working, too, so I didn't have a lot of free time to socialize.

I mostly felt like an outcast - but that's been typical my whole life.

 

[Ashiene]

i have been studying in this polytechnic for close to 5 years, when the normal course of study is only 3 years. everyone i know graduated long ago. my attendence rating in year 1 was 100%, but it has dropped to nearly 50% now in year 5. it is getting really difficult to force myself to step out the door.

 

[seafolly]

My college experience was a little different than most - I started school after I had been in the military. So I was six years older than everyone else and married. I found it very difficult to relate to most of the other students. They were 18 years old and had never been away from home before, while I had traveled the world and been responsible for people's lives. Plus, I was working, too, so I didn't have a lot of free time to socialize.

I mostly felt like an outcast - but that's been typical my whole life.

I'm wrestling with a similar concept. Though I haven't seen the world or experienced anything like the military I too feel like an outcast in university. To manage the anxiety (and the fact that I rarely show up to lectures where I don't know anyone) I've been part time...for six years! I put off the first year compulsory physics courses so I'll be with 18 year olds who are new to it all and quite frankly it is tiring. :/ The sort to flip out over every test or are all about partying with the new freedom. It's easy to burn out this way.

 

[awkwardamanda]

I spent six years at university and did not make a single friend.:: I had a few friends from grade school whom I saw around campus now and then, but I didn't get to know anyone new. I studied math, which I enjoyed, but I was so stressed out. I had no balance in life at all. Not much of a social life. I had a boyfriend for a while but he was too needy and that left me without much time to see my other friends.:: I was always doing homework. I hardly got any sleep. I was so tired and so stressed that I had no time or energy left for friends. And it made concentrating that much harder and so everything took me forever which meant even less time for sleep and fun. My grades did not accurately reflect my intelligence. Overall, mediocre. Sometimes I did well. Sometimes it was a struggle to pass. Not having any friends at school meant I had no one to study with. I wanted to get to know people. It made me sad to see all the people I had classes with hanging out outside of class, while I could hardly make conversation with them during class. I really didn't get the most out of school. But anyways, I don't mean to discourage you at all. Hopefully you'll have a more successful experience. Good luck!