My First Week Of College: A Conceptual Analysis

The first week of college is much like any life altering change; it can be frightening. Students may doubt their ability to perform academically, fit in with classmates, and balance responsibilities. These are typical and can be healthy concerns. Fear forces people to either create limitations that keep them from trying or fuel as motivation to overcome any obstacles in their way. If students see themselves succeeding at the things they were afraid of it can prove liberating and empowering. Facing fears of failure and incompetence with determination can create confident and successful graduates.
Academic performance anxieties can be overwhelming to any student. Students are scared the work will be too difficult for them. They may not think they are smart enough to learn at such a level or think they aren't prepared for the expectations of college professors. In my case, I was afraid the work would be too hard, due to my 14 years lapse in education. My first week, making a 99 on my English Compass Test changed that. Some students find the work easier than they expected. Others find it easy to access the necessary tools, such as the learning commons and free

tutoring, to help students get caught up and understand things they have difficulty grasping. Whether it is easy or not, all students who put forth effort and learn to ask for help to see they are academically capable of obtaining their desired degree.
Real life isn't like Saved by The Bell the College Years, so a lot of students have an added worry of not fitting in or finding friends in college for a variety of reasons.

Some students are introverted and find it difficult to interact in new environments; other students, may have had past experiences that cause social anxiety. For me, coming to college at 33 years old was intimidating. Most students have a general concern for being accepted by their classmates. In college, students are surrounded by classmates of different ages, with different ethnicities, races, social classes, religious beliefs, backgrounds and interests. If we are only around those exactly like us then we miss out on so much in life. There are common similarities amongst those that we might not normally be able to have the

opportunity.
Starting college is exciting, but with that comes a lot of responsibilities and that can be an overwhelming realization. Some students are coming straight to college from high school and have never had the responsibilities on their own. Other students are already balancing responsibilities at their jobs work. Some students worry they will not be able to be capable of adding school to their parenting or relationships. Myself, for example, was petrified I wouldn't be able to juggle school on top of being a single mother of 3 with a full-time job. The pressure can be paralyzing. Students can learn skills like time management and prioritizing to help with this concern. Humans are resilient creatures though, we can adapt to our circumstances and create a new normal. As people we don't know out capabilities until we challenge ourselves.
Students start the first week of school with intimidating expectations and fear that they will not be able to succeed academically, socially and in their personal lives. During the course of that first week are able to see that their concerns were in fact the motivation needed for success. Being scared of making bad grades makes students determined to work hard and ask for help in order to get good grades. The fear of not fitting in, allows us to be open to finding similarities in those that are different from us at first glance. All of these factors can drive a person to do things to prevent failure. Being afraid of not being able to balance all their responsibilities can force to make adjustments and find a way to do so. To sum a student's fear of limitations, Robin Sharma said it best when she said "The fears we don't face become our limits.".