Uncomfortable with college stresses

Dear Alice,
Until college, I was able to handle stress very well. I managed many responsibilities in and out of school, and was thrilled when I was accepted here. Now that I am here, however, I feel unusually unable to deal with daily stresses. I find myself sleeping more than I used to, I have difficulty focusing on work, and the feelings of stress that come upon me seem always to bring extra feelings of depression and confusion. I have decided to cut down on my drinking in order to keep up with my work, but it was never much of a problem before anyway. I don't use drugs, and I don't feel as though I have a hard time making friends. I am not, I don't think, homesick. I am however, somehow uncomfortable with college stresses. I know this isn't much to go on, but can you offer any insight? I don't feel crazy or insane, just a bit uncomfortable.

--Dazed and Confused...

Dear Dazed and Confused...,
You actually don't sound dazed and confused to Alice; you sound like someone who is going through a normal transition period. Every student who starts college encounters a new environment -- Boston, for example, provides an array of air and noise pollutants, and, in general, an overstimulating environment. You are probably now living with a roommate, certainly someone you did not have to share your space with last year. What about the crime risks inherent in being in an urban environment? Light also affects one's mood. It hasn't been particularly sunny out, and being indoors under artificial light, people tend to feel tired and depressed. Central heating (or overheating, as we tend to have in Boston), cigarette smoke, and overcrowded conditions create hot, stuffy environments, and considerable frustration and stress. Your eating patterns have changed, your academic concerns have changed, you may not yet feel a sense of belonging at MIT, you may very well feel like a small fish in a big pond... (In this respect, Alice, too, went to a large Ivy League, and was unused to the large classes, competition, and lack of attention that went along with it.)

Give yourself some time to adjust. Don't tangle yourself in trying to understand the hows or the whys of feeling the way you do -- it's OK to feel uncomfortable in a new situation. When you start the next semester, try to spend some quiet time alone each day; try to enjoy your food and eating environment; stay with your emotions -- don't avoid, negate, or repress them; take time off from stress -- relax, "veg out," laugh a little; and, avoid hanging out with uptight, stressed out friends -- it's contagious! If you feel the need to talk to someone -- make an appointment at MIT Medical by calling 617-253-2916 -- and one or two sessions should help get you through this period.

--Alice

Have other health questions? Visit Go Ask Alice!

Copyright © 1993 by The Trustees of Columbia University