I'm getting severe panic attacks from college, please help!?

Question

Okay, I'm a 17 year old guy. I'm of mixed race, and I'm from a very remote area, and I just moved to a big city (250,000+ people, that's a lot to me), and I am petrified about going to college. I have never been around so many people before, and I've lived in my hometown for all my life up until now, so I'm not used to meeting new people.

I'm getting ridiculously nervous and overwhelmed from all of this, because I keep thinking about when my sister started college about 7 years ago, and now I'm in the same position. I just never really thought that I would get here so fast, and it's a bit scary. Now I'm in the same position as her, and I literally get dizzy at the thought of going to a college with so many people. There's 350 people in my class alone, that's the entire population of my old high school!

Can any of you guys and girls please help me out just by giving me some tips that will help me cope with all of this? I've only been to a college once, and that was for the orientation day, but I still don't know exactly where my classes are, even though I know what room number it's in. I'm going into a business course, but I am very good with computers, and I have done computer work for many medical facilities, and I would like to meet some people with common interests... So how could I meet friends like that? I know this whole question probably seems like I'm just being overly timid, but the fact is, this is the first time I've ever been out of my hometown, and all of a sudden I have to meet all these new people.

Anyways, thank you very much in advance for your help! If things don't go well, I figure the best thing I can do is find out where all my classes are, and just go to them and forget about the whole social life thing. I'm going to college to become further educated, not to make friends, that's sort of my view right now.

Answer 1

Your question is too lengthy.  Made me not want to read it because I felt like it would be like reading a novel.  Try to be more concise.  

Answer 2

Well, you may have 350 people in your class, but you will only seriously be working with about 40-60 of them at a time and that may be the number that you will meet every day.  There are going to be people within that group that you will naturally gravitate towards because you have a common interest.

On the first day of school there will probably be schedules handed out that tell you which classrooms you will be using for much of the time.  While you start see if there is a computer club that you can join or ask at the IT helpdesk if you would be able to qualify for onte of the jobs being offered there.  See if there is a first aide group going or whether the student union has jobs on offer that you can apply for.  Get into the social life, it will be great.  And good luck at college.

Answer 3

hey sunny,

what you are feeling and your reaction to it is normal

concentrate on your schoolwork and dont worry for now on the social side of things.  when you feel comfortable then worry about your social life

Too many people neglect their education, especially when they attend a new college or university, just because they have all these new opportunities to socialise...those people are usually gone after the first year!  Not much point making friends with these people anyway LOL!

Answer 4

You will adjust, it's just nerves. There are bound to be MANY other people just like you..from small towns, or from sheltered parents, that are just as nervous as you. Time will be the best healer. Try to take a day extra to walk aorund campus and just explore before classes begin...find out where all your classed are. Your idea odf just focusing on classes at first is a good idea. There will be lots of special interest groups you can join if you want. Try to think of this as a huge adventure, which it surely will be. It's something you want to do, not something you have to do, and you will be a better man for it. Best of luck...Take a deep breath, and you'll be fine!

Answer 5

No reason to shorten your answers - ignore that guy.

Sounds like anxiety.  Outside of taking a Rx (which really doesn't solve the problem) the thing to remember is that anxiety comes from a feeling of loss of control.  Currently you don't feel like you have any control over anything AND everything that was "normal" in your life is now different.

Aside from doing some deep breathing exercises (in for a count of 4 or 8 and then exhale for a count of 4 or 8 -- do it 5 or 6 times when start to get that feeling) the thing that's worked the best for me is to make a list.

-List out everything you need to do today, tomorrow, this week, this month.  

-Wash/iron/lay out (or at least put on a list) everything that you plan to wear this week.  

-Make a list of 5 or 6 "small talk" kind of questions that you can ask others (and write down your response because others will likely ask you the same kinds of questions that you ask them).

It's hard because it feels like people simply dismiss your issues/concerns when they say things like "deal with it" or "everyone feels that way" but there is some truth in that - you just can't see it until you've gotten past the wall of anxiety that you're feeling.

Try the lists and see if they help... if they don't you can always throw them away!

Answer 6

everything will be fine, just stick to your studies, and if you want to meet people with the same interest talk to your fellow classmates, they can help you suceed in school, (they can tell you which course to and not to take, teacer wise), its a great step to build your communication skills at a early stage, dont leave it at the last minute, communication is the key for business major. and about the stress just try and eat fresh and healthy food, and do some exercise, such as walk or run around the campus field to release some stress..hopefully this helps