I’m currently enrolled to attend SUNY Plattsburgh in the fall. I currently live in Brooklyn. Going into senior year of high school my plan was to attend a community college and then transfer. But i visited the plattsburgh campus and FELL IN LOVE. I went back another time and slept there and I was sad to leave. But when I went to orientation I was super duper anxious and when I received my schedule I immediately started regret going so far away. However i do NOT want to live at home anymore and I need my space. I keep having waves of excitement of going away and then regrets. Is this normal? I’ve been weighing my options and I realized that going away will be the best for me to grow as a person but I keep having this thought in the back of my head that I made a mistake. Is this just the anxiety talking?
It’s okay, @nervousgrl – I’m sorry you’re feeling this tension and worry, of course, but it’s really very common for pre-freshmen to feel heightened anxiety. I mean, talk about a life change! Talk about a developmental leap!
People who’ve put bids on and then bought houses often have “buyers’ regret” which is also somewhat similar psychological phenomenon as you’re experiencing. Doubt and second thoughts after making a huge decision. It’s okay, though, and it’s going to be okay.
Remember how much you loved the campus when you saw it? Remember the time you slept there? Those are true experiences and feelings too, so if you can, hold onto those feelings as much as you can. And remember, LOTS of the kids you meet will be feeling really, really anxious, too. You are not alone.
I really needed to hear that thank you so much!
:-*
Enjoy college!
Two of my children went to Plattsburgh and both of them loved it. We are from LI, so it was also a long trip. One piece of advice I will give you is that when my D (who wound up being an RA and an admissions ambassador) first got there, she was lonely and homesick. I told her to go to the counseling center. She was told to approach someone sitting alone in the cafeteria at each meal, introduce herself and ask to join them. She learned that she was not the only lonely person and she made many friends.
What will you be studying? What clubs and activities are you interested in.
I have another child going off to a different SUNY this year. I was sad that Plattsburgh didn’t offer a program in his major.
Good luck and enjoy college.