I am on Xanax XR...and it works pretty well...its a time release med. so it helps calm you for about 6-8 hrs until your next dose many doctors will put you on a fast acting med like klonipan to calm the immediate anxiety...so maybe pairing that with a time release will help the long term stress...and I am also a college student and my anxiety is like 1000x worse now that i've gotten to college panic attacks are much more intense so the fact that you had to deal with a terrible stresser on top of being a student is a definte sign that maybe you need some meds...good luck and i'm terribly sorry about your mom. Good luck and stay strong.