Going to college is an exciting journey, and every student waits to go to college for all the fun. However, this may not be as exciting to everyone as some may feel anxious knowing that they’ll be separated from their loved ones and be on their own.
When you decide to study at a big university like the University of Southern California (USC), separation anxiety can get the best of you.
One way to relieve this anxiety is to choose a relaxing and calm environment or dormitory. You and your family can decide on this as you transition to college.
The University of Southern California offers dormitories and housing facilities that are best for stay-in students. You can choose the environment you prefer to help you calm your mind. Not only will it help you ease your anxiety, but the place can also be great for studying.
USC dorms provide students with healthy surroundings and promote mental and physical well-being.
What is Separation Anxiety?
Separation anxiety is characterized by worrying too much as a result of being far from home or being away from people that you have emotional attachments with. The distance from home is a significant factor in anxiety. It instills a sense of isolation and helplessness that results from being away from your comfort zone.
Housing accommodations like USC dorms assure a comfortable environment that will help a student feel safe and at home.
Symptoms of Separation Anxiety
- A person may feel uneasy being separated from home or from people he or she has grown to be with.
- A person may also prefer to stay at home or with people he or she has attachments with. He or she may refuse to go to school or work due to the anxiety.
- A person with separation anxiety struggles to be away from attachment figures. This behavior often manifests as difficulty in sleeping far from attachment figures.
- Separation anxiety could also manifest physically through headaches.
What Can You Do to Prevent It?
Students with separation anxiety who are transitioning to college life can gradually adjust to such changes with the help of their family members.
First, the family must understand that this is normal for incoming college students to experience. Also, the help of family members is necessary to ensure that the student will have a meaningful and productive college life.
The family can gradually teach the student to avoid triggers or ease anxiety. Family members can create feelings of security and assurance. Another way is by letting the student experience short-term separation at home to slowly manage these little challenges.
The family members could also have constant communication with the student once he or she is already away from home in college. These small steps can make a difference in gradually avoiding the triggers of separation anxiety.
The family can significantly help a student transition to living in USC dorms. It is best if they support the student to realize that distance is not as bad as it seems. It will even help him in building his own identity and independence.