[Hannahmo]

Hello everyone, I just got started with this site because lately I've been dealing with a LOT of anxiety on starting college. This college i'm attending is only 2 and 1/2 hours away from my home, but I feel that my underlying fear is not having that "safe place" that I have at home. Now one thing about me is that if im scared of a situation, I go into it full on. I take the bull by the horns and tackle it. Which is a quality that I love. Ive been in therapy for years. I've been diagnosed with Generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, and depression. I guess i'm writing this to hear some encouragement and to have real people backing me up, instead of me just talking to myself over and over again! lol. So if you have any encouragement or even experience please PLEASE help me out(:

Thank you!!

[glok]

Hello, Hannahmo. Please remember there will always be some anxiety when encountering new experiences. More importantly, you have been successful in the past. There is no reason to believe you cannot continue to succeed. Believe.

One of my professors told me college is as much about learning social skills as it is about learning to learn.

I wish you well.

Dear Hanna,
Your approach of grabbing the bull by its horns is a good one and you should trust your instincts. Just embrace the possibility of failure and take the risk. If you can get past these barriers, you can achieve anything. By dealing with certain challenges already, you have accomplished a lot and there is no turning back from here. You are a responsible adult and you have made a choice to attend the college and all you need to do is to follow through. Continue with your therapy and you may need to work on an issue or two resulting from the college but the benefits outweigh the risks by much greater margin. Go for it and keep us posted. Godspeed!

Originally Posted by Hannahmo

Hello everyone, I just got started with this site because lately I've been dealing with a LOT of anxiety on starting college. This college i'm attending is only 2 and 1/2 hours away from my home, but I feel that my underlying fear is not having that "safe place" that I have at home. Now one thing about me is that if im scared of a situation, I go into it full on. I take the bull by the horns and tackle it. Which is a quality that I love. Ive been in therapy for years. I've been diagnosed with Generalized anxiety disorder, OCD, and depression. I guess i'm writing this to hear some encouragement and to have real people backing me up, instead of me just talking to myself over and over again! lol. So if you have any encouragement or even experience please PLEASE help me out(:

Thank you!!

[monkeybrains21]

U can do this. Think of it as another great adventure. When I wet away to college I went a far as possible, 7,000miles away!! I knew no one had no friends nothing. I left a week early and met some other ppl my age at the university and some of us instantly became friends. Others had this notion that I was a mobster (I'm female) cuz I'm from Chicago. Those ppl were frightened and I was like really? Stop watching Scarface.

Anyways after a few weeks I had quite a few ppl who I was friends with and we did lots of stuff together. Nightly walks, parties, beach, studying, and o course we'd just hop on a bus and let it take us somewhere.

Ur starting a new chapter a new adventure of ur life. This is the time for meeting new ppl from everywhere else but where ur from. U can learn many things from ppl who are different from u. Have fun

[nicoleflynn]

I started college at 60!

[Travelinglady]

Hello, Hannahmo, and welcome to Psych Central! I loved my college experience. The important thing is to get out there and meet people--join clubs and organizations, etc.

If you scroll down to the forums here, then you will see that we have ones for the different disorders you mentioned. There's where you will meet folks who can relate to your feelings.

We also have a School and Study Issues forum. Here's that link: http://forums.psychcentral.com/school-study-issues/.

And even a social group for college students that you can get involved in. Here's that link:http://forums.psychcentral.com/group...-students.html.

Members can join social groups and enter chat rooms after they get five posts approved.

Does you college have an orientation program? That can be a way to meet people and find out resources. And they will have counselors, too.

[Perna]

Are you commuting or living there? I made a travelling "kit" that was with me and had comfort that was like home.

[MusicIsLove95]

I'm starting college in the fall as well! I am not even going away my first year and I'm still nervous. Change in general is nerve-wracking. But, there are TONS of people that go through this change every year. You got this!

[summerblueskies]

Hi Hannahmo! I am transferring to a university in the fall. It is very scary since I will be leaving my hometown to live somewhere new for the first time. Good luck !