Dear Anne - College-Bound Advice

Dear Anne,

I’m 18 and leaving for college. I am excited about making new friends and pursuing my dreams, but I am anxious about it. I have never lived away from home before, and I am worried about it. What advice do you have for me?

Sincerely,

An 18-year-old on the Brink of Change

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Dear College-Bound,

Please understand it is extremely normal to be nervous about heading off to college. But don’t forget you’ve faced other such challenges in the past and overcame them. This new adventure will be no different.

College won’t be a “cake-walk,” but you don’t have to slip and fall in the icing! There are things you can do to prepare. And when you feel ready for any life challenge, your chances of success will increase while your anxiety decreases.

Here are some things to consider to ease your angst:

1. Preparation: Make a list, check it twice, and don’t procrastinate about preparing for your dorm room and school supplies.

2. Life Skills: Since you’ve never lived away from home, hone your kitchen and life skills before you leave (e.g., cooking simple meals, handling a budget, using public transportation, knowing where parking is acceptable, etc.). Please do your own laundry regularly before it begins to smell!

3. Navigation: Are you navigationally challenged? Scope out the campus early, and draw your own map to various classes if necessary.

4. Class Attendance: Make sure to attend classes. You will see others skip (perhaps even your roommate), but unless you have a photographic memory or your IQ is 276, it will only start a downhill slide that will be hard to recover from.

5. Note-Taking: If you are a visual learner, take immaculate notes or record the presentation and revisit the most important points later.

6. Seek Help Wisely: Professors are there to help you but don’t be too needy.

7. Study Habits: Cramming for long hours before an exam will only add to your anxiety. Follow the syllabus and “eat the elephant one bite at a time” by working every single day on your studies.

8. Balance: All work and no play isn’t healthy! Your social life is an integral part of the college “experience,” but choose your friends wisely.

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The opinions or views expressed in this column are not intended to treat or diagnose; nor are they meant to replace a licensed counselor, physician, or mental-health professional. In addition, they may, or may not, represent the views of this newspaper. Have a question? Email: AskAnne@baycountycoastal.com or mail to Ask Anne at Bay County Coastal, PO Box 1331, Lynn Haven, FL 32444.