Letting Go of College Worries

"College life won't be anything like what you've seen in the movies and will be a lot harder than you think, that's why I recommend that you mentally prepare yourself now for the major changes you'll face in the days ahead.

The more you've done to list out the college pressures you are expecting, the more you can begin to strategically do in sorting through your options to find the best way to cope with the pressure.

Everyone feels anxiety over being in a new situation where they don't feel in control. Solve this by really getting to know your school environment in a 'dry run' a few days prior to classes starting. This way you can already be adjusting to your new surroundings and may even get to meet a few new people in the process. The more you feel in control of your surroundings, the less anxiety you will feel and the faster you will adjust.

Here are the 'A-B-C's' of managing college stress.

A- Accept the fact that it's happening.
You are moving on and will be feeling pretty scared sometimes. What to do? Keep working to generate new relationships and positive results into your life by avoiding loneliness, or the 'freshman 15" and plugging into the many new opportunities that will be opening up around you.

B- Bottom line thinking.
Your rent comes due at the first of every month, just like everybody else's, so pay attention to how wisely you manage your finances. Feeling financial stability will reduce a ton of stress on you now and will protect you from creating debt that might become a roadblock to your options in the future.

C- Communicate, challenge and confront.
Everyone has times when they know what they need to say or do, yet are afraid to do it. Get comfortable now with directly dealing with issues by talking, writing, emailing, IM'ing, or drawing as a method to reduce stress and pressure. Straight talk is hard to hear sometimes, yet it can make your relationships smoother, while making you feel greater confidence in the process and that's what you will need in the days ahead.