Throughout the first day of classes and even now as everyone is getting settled into their new places here at Clemson, the nervousness flying through the air can be felt from miles away. Walking into your very first class on your first day can make you feel like you are a minnow in an ocean full of sharks. This intimidating feeling is not only overwhelming, but also enough to scare you off from taking the proper actions to have a successful semester.
Sometimes the best way to trudge through those first semester jitters is to do the unthinkable…introduce yourself to someone! This may seem a little easier said than done, but if you are able to fight through, it can make all the difference in the world. Connections are a major aspect of becoming comfortable with a new situation no matter how scary that situation is. That one new relationship that you just made can turn into a possible study partner or maybe even a new best friend.
Another aspect that can make you feel more secure, especially in a classroom setting, is to never be afraid to be “that person sitting at the front.” Walking into a lecture that consists of over two-hundred people can be beyond intimidating, and you may feel as if your professor will never notice you in a million years. However, it is completely up to you if you want that to be your fate or not. Sitting in the first few rows can seem scary, but your professor will see you making eye-contact, paying attention to lessons, and will overall just remember your one face out of the many hundred.
Taking the time to find your way around campus can take a load off of your shoulders that you didn’t even know you had. If you are worrying about assignments, potential quizzes, and upcoming exams, then you probably don’t need the added stress of ending up at the wrong place at the wrong time. Make time out of your busy schedule to take a walk around and possibly even find shortcuts that you didn’t know were there.
The absolute most important aspect of overcoming those first semester jitters is to stay organized!! You brain is most likely going a thousand miles an hour trying to comprehend everything that has been going on in the past couple of weeks. Try to organize yourself in ways like keeping a calendar with your assignments for class and overall keeping your life clutter free. The small things like coming back to a clean dorm room can make the biggest differences in the most stressful times of the year.
Even though it may seem as if this stressful and anxiety filled time in your life may never end, I can assure you it will. Take the steps to calm your nerves, make new friends, meet your professors, find your way around, organize yourself and always remember to have fun! Even in the most stressful of times, if you find an outlet for fun activities and stress relief, then anything will be achievable.
