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Mental Health HomepageConditions LibraryConditions CategoryConditions CategoryFeeling Anxious About Returning to College During Covid-19? Here’s How to Cope
Anxiety DisorderRead Time: 7 Minutes
Published On: August 5, 2020
Reviewed On: August 5, 2020
Updated On: July 1, 2024
OverviewAfter shutting down campuses in the Spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, universities have decided to continue with the fall semester in a variety of ways. Students are receiving an influx of emails from their universities delineating the complex, sometimes confusing plans for reopening. From random temperature checks, mandatory mask enforcement, scattered housing arrangements, physical distancing, and remote classes, it is needless to say that the coming semester will be vastly different than what students are accustomed to. Campuses will be transformed and the college experience will be fundamentally altered.
Overview
After shutting down campuses in the Spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, universities have decided to continue with the fall semester in a variety of ways. Students are receiving an influx of emails from their universities delineating the complex, sometimes confusing plans for reopening. From random temperature checks, mandatory mask enforcement, scattered housing arrangements, physical distancing, and remote classes, it is needless to say that the coming semester will be vastly different than what students are accustomed to. Campuses will be transformed and the college experience will be fundamentally altered.
Some schools, like George Washington University are still hoping for ahybrid structureof in-person and online courses, while others, such as Harvard and the University of Southern California are working to move classes completely online. “Given the continuing safety restrictions and limited densities permissible on campus, our undergraduate students primarily or exclusively will be taking their courses online in the fall term,” the University of Southern Californiaannouncedin an email to their student body.Other schools, such as Stanford, are employing a different approach and scheduling a four quarter academic year. In an email to students, Stanfordexplainedthat half of the undergraduate population would return to campus for the fall quarter and switch off with others for the subsequent quarters. “…the four-quarter year would allow all Stanford undergraduates to complete two quarters of instruction in residence on the Stanford campus in 2020-21, and require most to complete at least one quarter remotely.”When I received anupdatefrom Emory University, explaining that hardly any students would be allowed on campus, courses would be remote, and students were discouraged from returning to Atlanta, I was gutted. This is definitely not the way I had planned on going into my senior year of college.While students might be feeling excitement, or relief, about returning to classes and reclaiming structure to their days, it’s normal to also feel a level ofanxietyand nervousness about returning to college during this unprecedented, dangerous time.If you find yourself overwhelmed and struggling to comprehend these myriad changes, or if you’re experiencing heightened levels of anxiety around all of this uncertainty, know that you’re not alone. Here are a few tips to help process the emotions of potentially returning to campus.
Some schools, like George Washington University are still hoping for ahybrid structureof in-person and online courses, while others, such as Harvard and the University of Southern California are working to move classes completely online. “Given the continuing safety restrictions and limited densities permissible on campus, our undergraduate students primarily or exclusively will be taking their courses online in the fall term,” the University of Southern Californiaannouncedin an email to their student body.
Other schools, such as Stanford, are employing a different approach and scheduling a four quarter academic year. In an email to students, Stanfordexplainedthat half of the undergraduate population would return to campus for the fall quarter and switch off with others for the subsequent quarters. “…the four-quarter year would allow all Stanford undergraduates to complete two quarters of instruction in residence on the Stanford campus in 2020-21, and require most to complete at least one quarter remotely.”
When I received anupdatefrom Emory University, explaining that hardly any students would be allowed on campus, courses would be remote, and students were discouraged from returning to Atlanta, I was gutted. This is definitely not the way I had planned on going into my senior year of college.
While students might be feeling excitement, or relief, about returning to classes and reclaiming structure to their days, it’s normal to also feel a level ofanxietyand nervousness about returning to college during this unprecedented, dangerous time.
If you find yourself overwhelmed and struggling to comprehend these myriad changes, or if you’re experiencing heightened levels of anxiety around all of this uncertainty, know that you’re not alone. Here are a few tips to help process the emotions of potentially returning to campus.
Online therapy for anxiety
Are You Anxious About Returning to Campus?
Anticipatory anxiety, more specifically, refers to the anxiety that arises from thinking about whatmayhappen, most often imagined to have a negative outcome. Students are aware that nothing is set in stone while the world struggles to contain coronavirus; our universities can change their minds about every decision at a moment’s notice. We don’t know if anything will go according to plan, or if another surge of the virus will return in the fall. It’s easy to lose yourself in a spiral of negativity while you try and speculate about the future. The important thing to remember, however, is that no one can know the future and spending time feeling anxious won’t positively influence outcomes.
How to Reduce Your Anxiety About Next Semester
Anxiety is an uncomfortable feeling that sometimes feels uncontrollable. If you’re struggling with anxiety, orfeeling particularly overwhelmed, hopefully these tips will help you keep it all in perspective and deal with the difficult emotions.
Deciding About Returning to Campus
If your university has decided to reopen with a modified format, you might be contemplating whether to go back to campus, take your courses online remotely, or take a gap semester. Some students are planning to return to their college towns just to hold on to a sense of normalcy and see their friends again. Others, such as international students, have to grapple with visa requirements and weigh the pros and cons of leaving their families and support systems during this uncertain time. Those who are immuno-compromised might already know that returning to campus is unrealistic and that it would jeopardize their health.
If you decide you would feel safer not returning, then stick to the decision that makes the most sense for you, and don’t let peer pressure get to you. As Talkspace therapist Cynthia Catchings, LCSW-S, says, “Not everyone functions the same, and if you need some time off, it is OK to take it as long as there is a plan to return so you can graduate.”
Consider your mental health
If you do decide to return to campus, Catchings recommends creating a list of what can trigger your individual stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. “If you are aware of what can affect you, most likely, you will be able to respond better.” Safeguarding yourself against some of these negative forces, will also help reduce your anxiety about next semester.
The first step in moving forward should be working toreduce your anxiety and stressabout next semester so you can think clearly about the situation and your particular needs. For those considering returning to campus, Richardson notes that it would be helpful to know whether you can change your mind should your comfort level or environment change. “Knowing that you can decide to transition back home with ease, can help reduce the weight of the decision,” she says.
Students should focus on making the best decision for themselves. It is a fraught, fragile time and it’s important to support your friends in their decisions, even if they aren’t the same as yours. Know that you are able to make the most of whatever you choose to do during this time and that lifewilleventually return to normal. As Catchings says, “This is a temporary situation. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Remind yourself that this will not last forever and whatever option you are given, you are in control of deciding what works best for you.”
Tamar SidiTamar Sidi was a Content Marketing Specialist at Talkspace until 2022. She is passionate about authentic storytelling and meaningful content creation. A graduate of Emory University, she holds degrees in Creative Writing and English with a background in Psychology.
Tamar Sidi was a Content Marketing Specialist at Talkspace until 2022. She is passionate about authentic storytelling and meaningful content creation. A graduate of Emory University, she holds degrees in Creative Writing and English with a background in Psychology.
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