approaching a new semester with anxiety

I cannot believe I am already making this post as a new semester is already creeping upon us. It seems like just yesterday we were deep cleaning our rooms and turning in our keys. Going into a new semester can be overwhelming but also super exciting. It’s a fresh start in so many ways. New classes, new people, new room, and a chance to set new goals for yourself. 

I am now halfway done with undergrad, and that is a scary feeling for me. That means only 2 years until grad school, and 3 years until I am out in the real world. Scary. But it is also exciting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, because college is anything but easy.

There are many ways we can prepare ourselves for an upcoming semester. Just like coming back home for the summer, it takes a lot of adjustment to live in a different place for an extended period of time. But with coming home for summer, there’s more familiarity. Even if you’ve been in college for a few years, there is still the unknown of knowing how the upcoming year on campus is going to unfold. But the truth is, we were not ultimately called to lay out by the pool everyday. Rest is necessary, but it is not our whole life. We each possess a specific calling, and college is an amazing opportunity for us to live out our calling. Our calling does not start the day we graduate. It starts now. 

So how are you going to prepare yourself for this semester? What kind of attitude are you bringing into it? Will you give this semester to God? It can be scary and exciting all at the same time, but surrendering your semester to the Lord is where you will find peace. Write down new goals for yourself for the semester so you can look back on it in December and see where you have grown. Find new ways to challenge yourself and find new opportunities. Setting your thoughts above and allowing God to set the path of your semester is the key to “success”.

It’s okay to feel anxiety around the idea of a new semester. I know I do. Each year brings a new dynamic with a new living situation, new classes, and a different you. If you find yourself overwhelmed with how the semester is going to go, or how you are going to get through, start by taking it day by day. Let this be a breath of fresh air. Let it be a time you give to God and a time you focus on the Lord and what He has for you! Embrace a new chapter and see how much you grow through it.