Challenges College Age Students Face with Anxiety and How They Can Cope

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College age students may struggle with a lot of challenges including struggling with their mental health. Some challenges can include feeling lonely, being stressed about grades and course load, freshmen experiencing the adjustment from being in an environment that is unfamiliar, etc.

According to the article, “Anxiety in college: What we know and how to cope”, “A recent study demonstrated that psychological distress among college students- that is their levels of anxiety, depression and stress- rises steadily during the first semester of college and remains elevated throughout the second semester.” I can relate to this because my anxiety was the worst it had ever been when I was a freshman. However, my mental health improved over time and these are ways that may be helpful in managing your anxiety in college.

There are several ways college students may be able to decrease feelings of loneliness. One way is to call, text or video call friends and family while away at college. This really helped me, especially when I was a freshman. I liked Facetiming and texting my friends because it allowed me to know what they were up to and it made me feel more connected with them while I was away at college. Another way to decrease loneliness is by going to sports games, joining or starting a club and going to Residential Assistant (RA) events. I love going to RA events. Attending RA events is a great way for me to spend time with people and it really helped me get to know people, especially freshman year because everyone lived in the same freshmen dorm. If doable, it can also be important to go home occasionally on the weekends to visit friends from back home.

Another thing that may contribute to college students having anxiety is the course work and grades. Tomar says in the article “Stress in College Students: Coping with College Anxiety,” “Before the stress becomes an insurmountable obstacle to your academic success, talk to your professor during office hours, visit your academic advisor, research tutoring options on your campus, even consider shifting your educational focus to areas more suited to you.” It’s helped me to make tutoring appointments in the Learning Center on campus, to study in a quiet room such as the library and sometimes the dorm’s lobby and to get help from my professor during office hours. Making to-do lists have also helped me because I feel accomplished when I get to cross off a task on it and it allows me to see how much work I have gotten done. During my freshmen year, it really helped me to write accomplishments on sticky notes and post it on my fridge on my door. It helped me boost my confidence and worry less about not being good enough.

It can also be challenging for college students who have a busy schedule. If college students are too busy, they may feel overwhelmed. It’s important that college students do not take on too many responsibilities. This particularly involves limiting how much extracurricular activities students are involved in. It is also important for students to take time to relax by watching their favorite show, listening to music, reading a book or listening to a podcast.

Finally, it’s important to get the support you need by talking to a counselor or/and a psychiatrist. There are counselors available at college campuses who students can talk to. It really helps me to talk to my therapist over the phone while away at college. She has helped me with my mental health by suggesting solutions and being encouraging.

Please comment down below ways that you take care of your mental health at college!