realllly nervous about school starting

[Skyline]

My art course starts this Monday, and I was looking for the details about the exact time I need to be there at the school..... I found this facebook group for the art school, and reading through some of the posts I'm feeling so nervous about this. I really have trouble in social situations, I get very insecure, self-conscious, anxious... Reading through the posts has made me feel panicky and teary, I just feel really really really nervous about having new peers and having to make new friends and be in a new class and have people see me for the first time and make their judgements on me.

I haven't been put in this position since the begining of high school. I've had the same 3 close friends for the past three years, other more distant friends have come and gone but I never made much of an effort to socialise with them because I get anxious, I guess I did do more socialising towards the end of high school since I started hanging out with my boyfriend's friends (and even then I felt anxious most of the time), but nothing on this scale. What's more since I don't know the school I'm also going to be out of my comfort zone in that sense, so I'll have to ask people for directions to my room and whatnot...

Ughhhh. I know two guys who are going there, and although we're amicable we don't know each other very well and I feel awkward around them, so I wouldn't feel comfortable "clinging" to them anyway. If anything the thought of them there makes me even MORE anxious, bc I'm scared that I'll end up clinging to them the whole time and being irritating.

This is just how I'm feeling.... I don't know why I'm posting this, I doubt that anyone could say something that would actually calm me down and make me feel better. Guess this is just to vent. yeah......

[del677]

I found college students were much better than high school students. They're slightly older, more mature, and only the smart people go on to college.

I had a much better time in college. Much better than high school.

Starting someplace new is nerve wracking though. I do better if I can be with people beforehand, like a support group, or with a friend, helps convince me that I am OK.

Originally Posted by del677

I found college students were much better than high school students. They're slightly older, more mature, and only the smart people go on to college.

I had a much better time in college. Much better than high school.

Starting someplace new is nerve wracking though. I do better if I can be with people beforehand, like a support group, or with a friend, helps convince me that I am OK.

A lot of people go on to college. It isn't just the smart people. I know plenty of people who were not good students in high school that ended up going on to college and graduating and doing quite well.

As for op, college is definitely intimidating. In a lot of ways it is better than high school though. In my experience, people tend to leave others alone most of the time though. I didn't encounter too many people who experienced much bullying at college although it is possible it still happened.

That being said, it can be difficult to make friends in college if you aren't overly social because of the fact that people tend to leave one another alone. Also, unlike high school, it isn't always common for people to share numerous classes together and so someone you see one semester might not be present in any classes the next semester which can lead to some lost connections.

That being said, the best thing to do is try and give it all a chance and be patient with yourself. There are probably going to be other people starting school who feel the exact same way as you. I know I did.

With time and as you grow comfortable your experiences and and the anxiety might decrease a bit. Be patient with yourself and try and enjoy college because even though I didn't ever really make a lot of friend's in college there were definitely things I did enjoy.

Best of luck.