Anxiety and the College Student

A talk with counselor, Kelvin bailey

BY KARLY JEFFERSON

Anxiety is an obstacle that nearly 80 percent of all college students have to overcome on a daily basis. But according to mental health professionals, it’s an obstacle that, in some situations, that can be prevented.

For most people, self-care isn’t a top priority. It is seen as a frivolous extra that has no place in our jam-packed, success driven calendars. For Kelvin Bailey of the Adanta Counseling Group, it should be “the most important thing…” in anyone’s schedule.

“I just really believe that students, well any[one] really, has to make time to take care of [themselves,]” said Bailey. “If we don't check it [mental health], then it becomes a bigger problem than what it was in the beginning.”

As defined in Merriam- Webster’s Dictionary, anxiety is:

“An abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs and doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat, and by self-doubt about one's capacity to cope with it.”

Anxiety can come from many different outlets: schoolwork, athletics, clubs, relationships, home life, or any number of other issues. Each is just as detrimental as the other, and no two are completely alone. Each individual, at any given time, can be plagued by multiple sources of anxiety.

“Those students that don't wait until the last day to write a big paper,” says Bailey, “they're going to feel like they're in a better place.”

Just like any other emotion/condition, anxiety affects not only the emotional aspect of one’s well-being, but every other facet including physical, mental, and even spiritual.

Bailey addressed the academic side of anxiety saying, “I think that teachers definitely don't need to lower standards.” Bailey said, “most of the teachers here just go the extra mile to offer help, academically.”

This little bit of extra help by the teachers can really affect a student’s mentality in good ways.

“Sometimes I think if a student hears from a teacher, ‘you're gonna be ok,’ because they know the kid is working, they know the kid is trying,” Bailey said. “Then they're going to want the student to know that they're going to do all right.”

Students who find themselves anxious over schoolwork are more than likely doing very well in school, but they still find themselves anxious and unsure of how to get control over their emotions.

According to Bailey, anxiety can stem from over thinking, or possibly an underlying anxiety disorder. Those students “project it onto other things.”

“They just don't trust that they'll end up on top of things,” Bailey said. “If [they] are prone to anxiety then that is going to latch itself onto something. Whether it warrants that or not.”

For those students whose anxiety stems from home-life issues, it is observed that their mental state is affected. They most generally seem to suffer more in school because they have trouble concentrating on their classes and coursework due to overactive brain activity caused by constant worry.

As far as preventing home life anxiety, Bailey suggests trying to address issues head on; however, he reiterates that sometimes things are out of our control.

“I don't know how you could plan for it,” said Bailey, “because that's just life.”