Read Our Guide to Surviving Freshman Year
College Anxiety: Get Over Your Fear of Moving to College
By Kevin Hagan | For StudentAdvisor.com
Tropophobia
is the fear of moving or making changes.
Does the thought of your impending move to college make you nauseous?
Does it trigger a dry mouth and clammy hands? Does your heart feel like
it’s going to pound right out of your chest? Do your legs turn to
rubber bands? You may be suffering from college-induced tropophobia,
and some major college anxiety.
The Symptoms
• You experience uncontrollable anxiety
when you think about your upcoming move and starting
college.
• You feel that you must do everything
possible to avoid the change.
• You are unable to function normally in
other areas of your life because of your anxiety.
• Even though you realize that your fear
is unreasonable, you feel powerless to control it.
The Treatment
Treatment comes down to redirecting your mind to take early and
positive steps to plan your move and deal with this
life-changing event. Even though you know your tropophobia is
illogical, it likely happens because your subconscious has linked some
powerful negative emotions and memories to the very thought of move
day. Everything that could go wrong is part of your sleepless nightly
anxiety.
While I am no psychologist, I can offer five very positive steps that
you can take to prepare for your move to college that will help you
overcome your fear.
1. Contact your future roommate to start
a conversation. Don’t just focus on what items you’re each bringing to
college, but ask them what their interests are, what classes they’re
taking, and what clubs they want to join. If you find that you have
lots of things in common, great! If not, you can still both bond over
how exciting and nerve-wracking starting college is.
2. Look into campus programs. During
moving week, most colleges have a variety of ice-breaker activities to
help smooth the move-in process. Research these ahead of time so you
can meet new people who are going through the same emotions as you are.
Also, look into campus activity groups that you want to join in the
future. Looking forward to joining a club or being part of Greek life
can calm your anxiousness.
3. Create a packing plan. While you don’t
want to pack too early, it can help your anxiety to create a plan of
action. By organizing all the things you have to take with you, you are
mentally preparing yourself for the move and in turn, subduing your
fears.
4. Prepare a few items that remind you of
home. Because most high school students have never lived away from
their families, it’s common to experience homesickness when you arrive
at college. Before you leave, take photos and pack nostalgic items,
like a high school sweatshirt, to bring with you. When you’re having a
hard time being away from your loved ones, look at the mementos and
remember how proud they are.
5. Spend time with your family and
friends. If you spend too much time dwelling on your anxieties, you’re
going to miss out on great times this summer. Don’t groan next time you
have a family dinner. Gladly sit down and really enjoy each other’s
company. Hang out with your friends as much as you can. Go to the
movies; hang out at a park, or anything else! This will help you take
your mind off of the move, and make the most your summer.
In the end, stop worrying and get some sleep, everything will be
alright. Enjoy college because before you know it, you’ll be graduating
and about to make the next move of your life into adulthood!
This guest post was
provided by Kevin Hagan
of Transit Systems, one of the nation’s leading
residential and commercial long distance moving companies. TSI
specializes in furniture shipping, and can assist you with any of your
shipping services. For more information about TSI, visit their website
or follow TSI on Twitter @TransitSystems.