Doing anything new for the first time can be nerve wracking. When it comes to trying new things, you can be the type that’s well organized, has everything planned, can multi-task, and maintain calm in times of pressure, or you can be the type of person where doing something new can be stressful, worry-some, and just simply too much for one person to handle. So just imagine how most students feel handling a whole new semester of college, either returning or just enrolled. That alone is already one big load of laundry to handle.
Janet Blackwell, a 24 year old zoology student, stated, “I didn’t know what to expect transferring from one community college to the next. I was worried about how my credits for my sciences would transfer. Some colleges are known for not transferring certain credits over to another school’s curriculum, but with the help of NIC’s staff and attending orientation I was able to get the proper information I needed.”
Also struggling with the college environment is Zoey Cartwright, who is currently enrolled in both college and high school courses. She told me how she is a social butterfly at her high school but didn’t realize how different the college social scene was. She stated, “when I enrolled in NIC, I looked forward to having a much bigger experience. I could see myself making friends, joining as many clubs as I can, and being active in other NIC activities. However, when the day came to step up… all I could feel was overwhelmed. I sometimes felt like I wanted to throw up every time I wanted to speak to someone. I realized being active in orientation week helped me out of my nervousness.”
With the different experiences, personalities, and tasks that you might face attending North Idaho College, you might feel orientation week to be fun but intimidating, which leads to those minor attacks of anxiety you may feel within yourself. Julia Schemmer, writer for the LA Times, offers some advice on how to survive college anxiety. She explains that one of the best ways to cool your nerves is to take a moment if you need it. She says that, “If you’re feeling your energy drop or stressed to the core, step outside for a few moments to be recollected before heading back in.” Another tip she gives is to “[r]emember that your school admitted you.” Sometimes when in a new environment you might feel like an imposter but it is important to remember that you belong.
These tips gave me some peace of mind and eased my nerves coming into the new semester and can also be a tool used by other NIC students including yourself. Overall, college can be whatever you make of it, scary, fun, or both. It all depends on the outlook and attitude you apply to the semester. If you keep an open mind, college can be the greatest experience of your life.
