How to Emotionally Prepare for College Without the Stress: 8 KEY TIPS

So, you’ve got the offer from a college of your choice, and the weeks are now dragging by until you can start your brand new college courses. This is a massively exciting time – but it’s also understandably nerve-wracking.

The Start of  A New Life

You’ll be moving somewhere completely new, potentially with people you don’t know at all. That’s enough to strike fear into the heart. However, it shouldn’t have to be this way, which is why emotionally preparing for college can be an excellent option to consider.

One of the biggest sources of stress for many people is not knowing where they’re going to live while at college. With this in mind, the first tip we can give to emotionally prepare for college is to arrange and plan out your accommodation fully.

This doesn’t just mean that you should arrange where you’re going to live, either. Instead, try to get a feel for the place and the local amenities.

Visit the college campus if possible

This might include information such as where the shops are locally and how you can get there.

Knowing this will go a long way toward easing your worries and concerns about living alone – and can make the transition to your new home that little bit easier.

Sometimes, all it takes to ease the stress is to make the process feel real. Going shopping for things you might need in your new dorm room after your move to college could be well worth considering.

After all, you ant your place to feel as comfortable as possible in order to get the best sleep!

Make your dorm feel like home

Shopping for cutlery, bedding, and the like can really help you accept that now’s the time to be preparing for college – which could make it much easier.

It is always a good idea to look for goods around your college town. Many graduating students sell their used items on platforms like Facebook marketplace, eBay, or Letgo.  Saving extra money buy not buying everything new, could also add to the excitement of this new beginning! 

Moving alone is always stressful – after all, we’re designed to be social in nature! Therefore, we highly recommend looking online to see if you can meet other people from your course. 

Socialize with future classmates

knowing one or two people before you get started with learning and meeting people properly can be hugely valuable.

Even better, if you can get to know people living near you or in the same dorms as you, you’ll be able to make friends properly before the course itself starts.

Planning your finances is vital for preparing for college. Indeed, one of the biggest sources of stress for many people is not knowing where to turn with their finances.

However, it shouldn’t have to be this way, and by planning your spending and making a budget, you can help ensure you have enough money and savings to afford your time at college.

Build financial freedom early

Reading books like Rich Dad Poor Dad and Secrets of The Millionaire Mind, will help you improve your financial literacy. The best part is that you'll be starting early in your financial freedom journey. Learn these skills now, and allow the college experience to be more than just getting a degree.

If you’re feeling a little unsure about going to college, one of the best options is often to simply research other people’s experiences. This may help you emotionally prepare about the things you should know.

Talking with other students allows you to make a smoother transition (while preparing for both the good and the bad of your chosen college). There are countless places to find this information online, from social media to student forums, websites, and more!

Join social media groups for current students  

You could even join a social media group for existing college students to ask their thoughts directly.

Feeling worried about being alone and independent for the first time? It’s understandable, as many people find that they are out of their depth once moving away for the first time. 

However, if you ask us, it shouldn’t have to be this way, and practicing independence can be an excellent way to ensure that you’re ready and prepared when the time comes to move.

You are never too far away from home

What do we mean by this? Well, perhaps try to spend a few nights living away from home in a hotel or B&B to get a feel for being apart from your family – this can be one of the most jarring changes about living away from home, after all.

Plus, it’s well worth considering whether you could try to lead a more independent life while still at home, such as arranging dinner and helping with cooking; this may help make the transition easier.

Everything feels worse when you’re tired. With this thought in mind, getting plenty of sleep is integral. Indeed, a lack of sleep can leave us feeling on edge, and often, it’s easy to begin overthinking things when we’re too tired to properly process the thoughts. 

As such, if you’ve been feeling stressed about your move to college, please ensure you start by getting plenty of sleep during this run-up period. After all, there’ll be time for late nights out partying (or studying) once you’re there!

This might seem like an odd final tip, but you could be surprised just how much impact telling yourself that you’re excited can have.

Indeed, for many people, these simple affirmations can help make the transition to college life so much easier, giving you the confidence and strength to face this optimistically rather than panicking about the experience.

The science of a positive mindset

Affirmations play an integral part on how we view the world around us. This isn't just something that spiritual communities have known since the beginning of time, science is now showing us how our brain chemically responds to positive affirmations.

After all, we become what we think about all day long. Affirming what you want to be true for your life helps you for college life and what's too come after graduation.