Feeling anxious about going to University? It’s only human to feel anxious about a new situation and going to University can feel like a big step. We have spoken to professional coach, Caroline D’ay, who has some great tips for keeping those nerves under control.
First off, if you’ve got into University, well done! That’s a real achievement! Hopefully, you are excited by the prospect and have somewhere to stay when you arrive, either in halls or in a shared house. But, through all the excitement, are you also a tiny bit (or even extremely) anxious? If so, that is perfectly normal. It’s your brain’s way of alerting you to possible danger, but what could possibly be dangerous about going to University? What can cause anxiety? Common answers include leaving home for the first time, not knowing anyone, being in a new city, managing money, loneliness and feeling awkward about making new friends. While they may be things that you are concerned about, they are not actually dangerous. Are they? Unless you think they are and then the anxiety can settle in! If you think about it, they are not really 38
Make The Future Yours! Issue 2
dangerous, but there is an element of the unknown, which may feel like danger to you. So, what is causing your specific anxiety? Write down five things that you are worried about. Look at them again. Which ones are you really worried about? Have you ever heard of them happening to someone else? Have they ever happened to you? Or are you just worrying about whether they might happen? Being anxious is often a sign that you are about to achieve new things, move to the next level, make new friends, or any of the other things you are anxious about. In those situations, a bit of anxiety is normal, and it isn’t a mental health issue. The anxiety you feel at the top of a ladder will make you extremely careful how you walk down. The anxiety you feel at a cliff edge is what will make you careful how close you stand from the edge. And the anxiety you feel in a new situation is what’s letting you know you’re about to grow.
