The following is a calendar of issues students may experience during each respective month of the school year.  It is important to note that these emotions and reactions to the college experience are common and normal. If your student is not experiencing any of those listed, they are most likely still following the normal progression of emotions experienced by college students.

If you or your student have any concerns please feel free to contact an advisor in the First Year Intiative office.

September

• Homesickness, especially freshman
• Initial adjustment to academic environment, new social life
• Campus familiarization
• Financial adjustment
• Value crises, students are confronted with questions of conscience over value conflict areas of such things as alcohol, drugs, race, differences, morality, religion and social experience and expectations.
• Feeling of inadequacy and inferiority develop because of discrepancy between high-school status and grades and initial college performance.
• Some people miss their friends, family or boyfriend/girlfriend
• International students sense confusion, vulnerability and lack of any advocate in powers positions.
• Time management and test anxiety, roommate conflicts.
• “In loco Parentis Blues”: students feel depressed because of real or perceived restrictive policies and regulations of the college.

October

• Freshmen begin to realize that life at college is not perfect as they were lead to believe by parents, teachers, and counselors. Old problems seem to continue and new ones are added. An external reality they had put their hopes in has failed.
• Grief develops because of inadequate sills for finding a group or not being selected by one.
• Sexual conflicts and confusion result when confronting for the first time different heterosexual and homosexual stands and sexuality.
• Non dating students sense a loss of esteem because so much value is placed upon dates. Feelings of rejection, loneliness and guilt can lead to inappropriate secession making.
• Job searching/panic begins for mid-year grads.

November

• Academic pressure is beginning to mount because of procrastination, difficulty of work and lack of ability.
• Pre-finals stress starts to emerge as preparation begins for taking the exam.
• Time management conflicts continue.
• Depression and anxiety increase because of feelings that one should have adjusted to the college environment by now; students start questioning about returning for the second semester.
• Economic anxieties increases as funds from summer an parents run low
• Increased alcohol consumption becomes an acceptable way to relieve stress; many students do not know how to hand alcohol responsibility.
• Students have given up attempts to make new friends
• Increased tension within the wing and residents tend to get in each others nerves with increased academic pressure
• Restlessness for vacation; some students confident and high spirited and others not wanting to face parents due to grades.
• Changing weather causes colds, poor health
• Suicidal thoughts rise from inability to cope with pressure.

December

• Extracurricular time strain, seasonal parties and end of the semester get-together, religious activities
• Anxiety, fear and guilt increases as final exams approach and papers are due.
• Pre-Christmas depression for some especially those who have concerns for family. Some won’t be able to go home to visit and those who can’t go home because of family conflicts.
• Financial strain because of Christmas gifts and for some, travel costs.
• Realization that they have made it through the first semester (joy).
• Anxiety or internal pressure for those who want to go home to see family and friends
• Final realization that some may not be able to return for second semester due to grades.
• Some people reach graduation time both celebration about graduating and anxiety about not having a job.
• Friendship tensions due to finals and just living together for an extended period.
• Continued thoughts/deliberations about suicide due to grades.
• Many may wonder if their major is really right for them.

January

v Post holiday depression about being back again and being away from home security

• If the winter is particularly cold, residents will be spending a lot of time indoors in their hall. This may cause high levels of frustration.
• People begin talking about how good it would be to be back at home with friends.
• Some students experience unwanted weight gains.
• Reincorporating social and academic aspects of school.
• Possibility of new students moving in and changing wing/floor dynamics
• New students may feel like outsiders and experience difficulty fitting in on the wing.
• Money problems may continue or be created for those unable to find jobs over break.

February

• Vocational choice causes anxiety as students select majors or change them.
• Some couples begin to establish “long term” relationships, some even talk of engagement, others weaken.
• Depression continues and increases for those students who have filed to establish social relationships or achieve a moderate amount of recognition.
• Damage and vandalism may increase at this time as people show signs of frustration of being inside so much.
• Anxiety builds for May graduates as the job search begins.
• Students worry about finding a summer job.
• Mid-winter “blahs” and general apathy may become apparent.

March

v Mid winter sickness

• Roommate conflicts may resurface due to cabin fever
• Seniors are anticipating graduation but worrying about jobs.
• Existential crisis for seniors, “Must I leave? Is my education worth anything? Was my major a mistake?”
• Trying to find money for spring break becomes a paramount issue.
• Continued and increased anxiety over searching for summer jobs.
• Students begin worrying about living arrangements for the following year.
• Apartment hunting and roommate selection becomes a concern.
• Mid-terms bring about increased academic anxiety.
• Drug and alcohol use increases.
• Depression begins due to anticipation of separation from friends and loved ones at college.

April

• Academic pressures continue as the quarter is coming closer to an end; procrastination begins to catch up with them.
• Students start worrying about summer job pressures and opportunities.
• Financial strains increase due to spring break, job search and time of quarter.
• Weight loss becomes a concern with spring and warm weather approaching.
• Papers and exams pile up.
• The mounting pressure forces some students to temporarily give up.
• Spring fever sets in; people express all the energy built up inside them from the winter.
• Spring fever may cause students to be rowdy due to disinterest in school work.
• People without a significant other begin to get desperate as the “love blossom in Spring” attitude develops.

May

• Anxiety develops because of the realization that the year is ending and that a deficiency exists in the number or academic areas.
• Seniors panic about graduation and not having a job or a lack of job openings in the field.
• Stress and pressures increase because there is a lot of work to be done and students want to see their friends before they leave for the summer.
• Students are anxious to get home (good and bad).
• Students who are staying in town for the summer may be wondering what they will do when everyone is gone.
• Students are anxious to get set for the next year picking a house, choosing a roommate, etc.
• Anxiety for couples who are parting for the summer.
• Final exam pressures
• Anxiety centers around whether or not their major is the correct one for them.

Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: 10/19/06