2.  Tell me about the best times of your life  Tell me about your expectations of college  Tell me how the first weeks have been Photo courtesy of photostock and freedigitalphotos.net

3.  An adjustment to major life changes  Anxiety about separation  Frequent thoughts of home, friends, family, animals  Feelings of loneliness  Feeling sad

4. Anxiety about performance Everyone else seems to be having fun Low motivation to study Low motivation to make friends

6. Moving is one of the top 10 stressors for everyone

7. More than moving everything is different: Family, Friends, Belongings

8. Day to Day schedule is totally different

9. Food is not Familiar

10. Organized Activities have to be started all over again

11. Roommates: Need I say more?

12. Moving is one of the top 10 stressors for everyone More than moving everything is different: Family, Friends, Belongings Day to Day schedule is totally different Food is not Familiar Organized Activities have to be started all over again Roommates: Need I say more?

13.  Can you think of some solutions form the changes before? › Find familiarity in an unfamiliar place › Give yourself a break and accept that adjustment takes time- BE PATIENT › Work with your negative thoughts › Find things to do and push yourself to try them

14. We have known in Psychology for over 30 years that negative thoughts about yourself, your future, and/or your new environment can intensify unhappiness A true, transferable life skill is learning how to work with negative thoughts like this: Negative thought: I don’t fit in here Working with it This thought and feelings are normal, I am going to give myself more time to adjust. I have been sad/anxious before and felt better. (Then do the things that helped before)

15.  Loss of interest in all things  Neglecting grooming  Significant changes in eating/sleeping habits  Lack of desire to be with others  Thinking about dying The majority of college students experience some degree of homesickness their first semester. Is it homesickness or something more? It is always ok to go in and talk to a counselor to be sure. Here is some of the signs counselors look for:

16.  Check out our Anonymous Mental Health Screening program http://counseling.cofc.edu/counseling/ass essments  Talk to CASAS, 843-953-5640  Contact A Cougar Counseling Team Member, M-Th 4-9 pm 3 rd floor RSS, 843- 953-7411