I had lots of fears about college, but if I wrote about all of them, this post would be way too long! I think that we should focus on the top five fears that future college students have:
Fear #1: I’ll miss home too much.
This was—by far—my biggest fear about college. I was scared that I’d miss my family unbearably and that I wouldn’t be able to handle the distance between us. I was also afraid of missing my house, friends, church, and normal routines.
Missing home is a legitimate fear. If you’ve seen your family members every day of your life and suddenly can’t anymore, it’s normal to feel uneasy. The same is true for missing your house, friends, church, routines, etc. If you’ve consistently attended the same church or consistently hung around the same group of friends, it’ll be hard to leave them. I can’t lie about that.
But don’t forget this: You can go home. You can call your parents, text your friends, or FaceTime your pets. You can visit your church, return to old routines, and sleep in your old bed. You don’t have to create a new life for yourself at college or erase your past when you step onto the college campus.
Fear #2: I won’t make any friends.
This was definitely my second greatest fear about starting college. I was bummed that I had to leave my friends from home and form new relationships. Making friends seemed like a daunting task, and I didn’t know if I’d meet likeminded people.
Meeting new people might not be easy for you. I totally understand that and can relate. The combination of being in a new place with new people might feel overwhelming at times.
But don’t forget this: Instead of trying to befriend the students who are the most popular, funny, talented, or smart, get to know students who seem like they need a friend. There are countless students who feel as intimidated and insecure as you do. Don’t just think of college as the time to make good friends but as the time to be a good friend. And don’t forget that it’s better to have a few great friendships in college than lots of shallow friendships.
Fear #3: I won’t be able to handle the workload.
Before I started college, I heard horror stories of students pulling all-nighters and of professors who were impossible to please. I worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish my assignments or that my professors would expect too much from me. What if I didn’t have time to write? What if I had to cut all fun activities from my schedule? What if I had to live like a hermit to get everything done?
Whether you were schooled at home, in public school, or in private school, you may be asking the same questions. After all, college classes are very different than high school classes.
But don’t forget this: You can handle the workload if you make the effort to handle the workload. As you probably already know, homework doesn’t finish itself—you have to finish it. As my older sister has wisely reminded me, it’s not that we don’t have time for activities; we simply don’t make time for them. If you make time for your assignments, you can handle them.
Closing Thoughts
The verse I want to end with for these first three fears about college is this:
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19 NASB)
I’ll explain how that verse relates to my own college experience next week! To be continued…
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