Opinion | It’s normal to have fears and anxieties coming into your first year of college

Entering college is a whirlwind — you’ve just graduated high school, are enjoying summer with your friends, shopping for your dorm room and then suddenly it’s August. Transitioning to college life, at first, seems like a blur. 

Move-in is always hectic with tearful and rushed goodbyes to family members, and welcome week is filled with fun events and activities that can make you feel like you’re college ready — then the semester starts! Now, college feels more real because classes are starting and the prospect of finding real friends and valuable relationships dawns on you, especially when you feel like other people have made friends and you haven’t. 

This is how I felt in the beginning of my first year here at Pitt, even with my older brother’s mound of advice and knowledge about college life, classes and telling me “everything happens for a reason.” Now, looking back on my first year, I wish I realized that my friends and classmates were also experiencing similar anxieties and emotions to me, and that having these feelings is almost a universal experience for many first-year college students. 

Throughout my time working as a new student ambassador and listening to the common apprehensions experienced by many incoming first-year students, I’ve come to realize that almost every student goes through similar feelings. 

Now, I’m not claiming that every student will or should go through the same anxieties as everyone else. Everyone is different and will experience a wide spectrum of worries, fears and anxieties when entering college. However, although everyone is different that doesn’t mean other individuals aren’t going through similar emotions and feelings that you are having. 

Many anxieties relate to the idea of whether or not you will make friends or fit into the Pitt community. Making real and lasting friendships is important in life. Reaching out to your classmates to grab coffee after class or study together is a great way to start a friendship — I made many of my friends, with the same major as me, in this way. 

Pitt has over 600 student organizations and clubs to join that range from club sports to advocacy clubs to major-related organizations. Joining a student organization is one of the best ways to reach out to new people and make connections. One thing I’ve learned is that you never know where you could make a lasting friendship. 

Another top anxiety entering college is academics, which is probably the main reason you are here at Pitt. Classes are hard and extremely different from high school, no matter what major you are. Going to office hours and talking with your professor or teaching assistant is the best way to receive help in a class you are struggling with and lets you create a personal connection with them. I know professors can seem intimidating, but they are here to help you and want to see you succeed. Professors are people just like us. They understand that we may have other things going on in our lives outside of class and do not want to see their students fail. 

I remember the first time I went to office hours for one of my political science courses, I was nearly having an anxiety attack. Then, during our meeting I realized my professor was here to help me, that he has office hours for a reason and he wants to connect with students. By attending office hours multiple times that semester, I passed the class and understood how to use R, a program used for statistical computing and graphics. This is a skill I would not have grasped if I didn’t seek out support and attend office hours.

Go and talk with your RA, professor or academic advisor. They are all here to help you transition and want you to succeed here in all aspects of college life. Most importantly, the University Counseling Center houses mental health professionals if you ever need to talk with someone. I urge all students to utilize this resource and ensure you are taking care of all aspects of your health. 

Reach out to your friends, check-in on them and talk to them about how you are feeling. They will relate to your emotions in one way or another. The anxieties we all go through as first-year college students is universal, for the most part. 

There are a multitude of fears and anxieties that you will experience throughout your first-year here at Pitt. For me, even during spring semester, when I thought I was well-adjusted, I had a recurrence of worries about my academic strengths and fitting into the Pitt community. Feeling these emotions during fall or spring semester is normal and I can guarantee your friends and fellow classmates have experienced similar feelings at one point during their first-year. 

I’m not going to lie, college is hard and adjusting to college is even harder. The transition might not come to you easily and that’s completely understandable — you’re in a new environment, atmosphere and on your own for the first time. 

No matter if you are an only child, have an older sibling or are a first-generation student, everyone’s transition to college life is different, regardless if you have advice or knowledge given to you from family members. Every student struggles in one way or another during their first-year of college — it may not happen until spring semester, but I can almost guarantee that your friends or classmates are experiencing similar feelings in one way or another. 

Just remember that you are not alone, even when you feel like you are. I promise things will get better and you will succeed here at Pitt. 

Emily O’Neil writes primarily about societal issues, politics and campus life. Write to her at ero26@pitt.edu