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Heading off to college? Excited and Nervous? Sure. How about Depressed, Isolated and Lonely? If you find yourself a little lost in the first few weeks of college, don’t worry, this happens to most people during the first term, though frankly it’s not often talked about and oftentimes you can feel like you’re the only one not really “getting” the whole college experience. The idea if course, is that you meet all these great like-minded people and have loads of new and challenging experience but what if the biggest challenge of all is settling in and just meeting even some these great new people? For many, the first few weeks of college can be a bit of a struggle, and when you look at it, it’s hardly any wonder. For most it’s the first time living way from home, and knowing how to regulate your own behaviour can be a real challenge when we’ve had the structure of home to rely on for so long. Making yourself get out of bed for lectures, trying not to drink too much and even just regulatingorganising and your meals is a real learning curve. And the idea of walking into the lecture hall on your own when everyone else seems to know one another…. It’s enough to make the leaving cert look like a week in paradise! So if you find yourself struggling with fitting in or meeting people, try not to stress too much, the truth is that most of the people in your lecture feel exactly the same way. (And those that don’t are possibly in the wrong lecture!!!) So here are a few tips to help you settle in. 1. Don’t be afraid to call home and let them know if you are lonely;It may be a cliché but a problem shared is a problem halved. Phone or Skype your friends in other colleges, chances are they are dying to hear from you anyway and are feeling the same way! 2. Don’t feel pressurised into partying/drinking just because you are away from home. Take it at your own pace, get to know your limits and remember, though it may seem like it, not everyone is out every night and they’re certainly not all drinking! 3. Get a routine going. Make yourself get out of bed for your early lectures – you’ll feel great about yourself for doing it and this is where you’ll start to meet those like-minded people. Eat a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner, it’ll keep you feeling settled and avoid snacking on the junk that leads to the “Freshers 15” 4. Join a club or society that holdsgenuine interest for you. Not the one that everyone raved about on open day or that your brother or sister was a member of. This way you are most likely to meet people with real common interests and at least if there’s no one there you like you haven’t wasted your time. 5. Remember that you are now as much a part of this college as “The Quad”, “The Bar” or whatever iconic, abbreviated space is key to your campus, so use the facilities on hand - talk to the Student Union Reps, guidance counsellors or department staff, and let them help get you orientated and settled in. That it what they are there for- Use them! If you feel you are not coping to well with this big change in your life feel free to call me for an appointment in confidence in 087 709 74 77 or contact me via my website on www.limerick-counselling.ie . Explore more about Couples counselling limerick
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