I've noticed that in preparation for college that I have been going through a lot of anxiety attacks. It's all a mixture of poor planning on my part, fear of the unknown, and just the general brain malfunction of anxiety. And yes. That does exist.
That's the reason I decided to write this blog today. I'm hoping to help future upcoming college students prepare better than I did. I'm also hoping that I can help ease the minds of anxiety victims with this new step in life. I'm also hoping that getting all my thoughts out will help calm my own anxiety.
Prepping for college can be a wonderful experience IF you've prepped yourself for the prepping. Let me explain.
The summer right before you go off to college should be full of packing and finalizing housing and work study programs. Make sure you're getting all of the other crap done before then. Make sure you leave time during your senior year of high school, maybe even part of junior year, to send out applications, take the ACT or any other required testing, filling out scholarships, and doing the FAFSA. Sounds like a lot but trust me. Getting this stuff done beforehand makes life a whole lot easier. It gives you a year to prepare all of these things instead of 3 months. Been there, still there, and the panicking and stress is real.
And if you're a person with anxiety, like me, know that you aren't as alone as you feel. I was blessed with a mother who is more psychotic than me that can help me through this. Granted, not everyone has such luck, but there ARE people out there who can help you. And if you pace yourself and give yourself PLENTY of time to complete these tasks, you'll be able to breathe a bit easier than I currently am. PLEASE take the time to do these things. Sometimes you just kind of have to force yourself to do it. It's unpleasant, believe me, but you will feel so much better knowing that it's done and over with. It's also another personal accomplishment you can check off your list. With anxiety, you have to take things one step at a time. Sometimes in very tiny steps. But no matter what you do, keep moving forward. And if no one has told you this today, I believe in you. I believe that you can do whatever you set your mind too. Just keep pushing. I can't promise it'll ever become easier, but the accomplishment in the end is worth it.
Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't pretend you know all the answers because you don't. I'm learning this as I go through the process myself. I thought all this college stuff would be a breeze. I thought it was send in an application, fill out scholarships, and bam! done. But that's not it at all. It goes so much more in depth than that. There's so many forms and information tacked on as well. EducationQuest is a great tool. They have a website and the also have a building. They are a great way to organize, find scholarships, and also find the answers to everything college. They can also help you fill out the FAFSA which was honestly a huge help. And if you struggle with anxiety like me, they're a great way to help keep you grounded and keep you calm. I wish I would've worked more with them through this process. I'm sure that would've helped ease a lot of stress.
It's also never too early to start planning what's going with you to college and what isn't. Also know you have to be realistic in what you bring. There's a good chance that you are moving away from home to live in a dorm. Which means take your room and split in half. That's how much space you will have. So don't take everything. It's ok to leave some stuff behind or even have a garage sale! Garage sales are a great to way make sure you have a little cash when trying to get settled into a new place before you have a job in your new neighborhood.
I know this blog is long, but I hope you take the time to read it and take into consideration some of these things. Time isn't on your side. Time will keep moving forward whether you fill out that application form today or not. It's how you choose to spend your time and how early in advance you make yourself do these things that will determine how easy of a ride it is for you.
Stayed tuned for more college blogs where you can hopefully learn from my mistakes.
Stay calm and breathe,
Brenna :)
That's the reason I decided to write this blog today. I'm hoping to help future upcoming college students prepare better than I did. I'm also hoping that I can help ease the minds of anxiety victims with this new step in life. I'm also hoping that getting all my thoughts out will help calm my own anxiety.
Prepping for college can be a wonderful experience IF you've prepped yourself for the prepping. Let me explain.
The summer right before you go off to college should be full of packing and finalizing housing and work study programs. Make sure you're getting all of the other crap done before then. Make sure you leave time during your senior year of high school, maybe even part of junior year, to send out applications, take the ACT or any other required testing, filling out scholarships, and doing the FAFSA. Sounds like a lot but trust me. Getting this stuff done beforehand makes life a whole lot easier. It gives you a year to prepare all of these things instead of 3 months. Been there, still there, and the panicking and stress is real.
And if you're a person with anxiety, like me, know that you aren't as alone as you feel. I was blessed with a mother who is more psychotic than me that can help me through this. Granted, not everyone has such luck, but there ARE people out there who can help you. And if you pace yourself and give yourself PLENTY of time to complete these tasks, you'll be able to breathe a bit easier than I currently am. PLEASE take the time to do these things. Sometimes you just kind of have to force yourself to do it. It's unpleasant, believe me, but you will feel so much better knowing that it's done and over with. It's also another personal accomplishment you can check off your list. With anxiety, you have to take things one step at a time. Sometimes in very tiny steps. But no matter what you do, keep moving forward. And if no one has told you this today, I believe in you. I believe that you can do whatever you set your mind too. Just keep pushing. I can't promise it'll ever become easier, but the accomplishment in the end is worth it.
Also, don't be afraid to ask for help. Don't pretend you know all the answers because you don't. I'm learning this as I go through the process myself. I thought all this college stuff would be a breeze. I thought it was send in an application, fill out scholarships, and bam! done. But that's not it at all. It goes so much more in depth than that. There's so many forms and information tacked on as well. EducationQuest is a great tool. They have a website and the also have a building. They are a great way to organize, find scholarships, and also find the answers to everything college. They can also help you fill out the FAFSA which was honestly a huge help. And if you struggle with anxiety like me, they're a great way to help keep you grounded and keep you calm. I wish I would've worked more with them through this process. I'm sure that would've helped ease a lot of stress.
It's also never too early to start planning what's going with you to college and what isn't. Also know you have to be realistic in what you bring. There's a good chance that you are moving away from home to live in a dorm. Which means take your room and split in half. That's how much space you will have. So don't take everything. It's ok to leave some stuff behind or even have a garage sale! Garage sales are a great to way make sure you have a little cash when trying to get settled into a new place before you have a job in your new neighborhood.
I know this blog is long, but I hope you take the time to read it and take into consideration some of these things. Time isn't on your side. Time will keep moving forward whether you fill out that application form today or not. It's how you choose to spend your time and how early in advance you make yourself do these things that will determine how easy of a ride it is for you.
Stayed tuned for more college blogs where you can hopefully learn from my mistakes.
Stay calm and breathe,
Brenna :)