No college student is immune to worrying.
It might be a minor concern, like whether or not your friends will cancel plans for Friday night. Or, it might be something much larger, like whether or not your parents are proud of your accomplishments. Either way, it is safe to say we all have something on our minds that troubles us.
When asked what their top worries are, many students mentioned daily concerns. This includes something as simple and relatable as sleeping through an alarm. It can also be a question of whether or not there will be any free dryers when they are ready to switch loads.
“Sleep and laundry are both important and are both things I do not do enough,” said a sophomore. “I worry about the lack of those a lot.”
There is also the common worry of not having a lot of privacy. Living in a residence hall has proved to be an adjustment for many first year students who never realized how much of a luxury it was to have their own space back home.
“I sometimes worry if my roommate will walk in on me masturbating or if they will lock me out because they have a girl over,” one freshman said.
Food is another common theme among worrying Capital students. Many expressed concern over whether or not they will get their food in a timely manner before class or a meeting.
“I often worry that the line in One Main Café will be too long,” said a sophomore student.
“I am always nervous that I will run out of Capital bucks,” one senior said. “Then how will I get my much-needed coffee and sushi?”
“I worry that Chipotle will give me a stomach ache,” said one junior. “That happens all of the time, but I still go back for more.”
Even the media and popular culture often creep into our worries.
“I am always pretty concerned about what they will take off of Netflix next,” said a junior student. “What if I have not finished binge watching yet?”
“I am honestly worried about my favorite celebrities dying,” a senior said. “If Cher dies, I will seriously be a mess.”
It is no surprise that Capital students also worry about relationships.
“What if I swipe left when I meant to swipe right?” said a senior when talking about using the dating app Tinder. “I have a tendency of doing that. It is really upsetting.”
“I worry about my long-distance relationship a lot,” one sophomore student said. “We have some bumps in the road because we go to different schools so far away, but I really like him.”
While we can all identify with the daily worries of dating troubles, food problems, or whether or not the WiFi will cooperate while you are trying to Google information for a research paper, there are also many major worries that make us anxious.
The biggest theme among Capital students when discussing what they fret about most was the future.
“I am constantly wondering what I will do after I graduate,” said a senior student. “It is almost time for me to have my life together and I have no idea what will happen.”
“I will be in the real world soon and I do not know how to do my taxes,” another senior said. “I have not even established very much credit yet.”
“Sometimes when I think about having to juggle bills, grad school, a job, and having some sort of social life, it is hard to breathe,” said a senior student.
A feeling of unpreparedness is certainly a reason to worry. This is very obvious among upperclassman. Many juniors and seniors can be seen sweating it out while applying for internships, grad schools, and major jobs during this time of the year. However, even first-year students are feeling the anxiety.
“I have already switched my major,” said a freshman student. “Even though I am happy with the change, it now freaks me out to think my idea of the future is now different than it once was.”
Overall, it is apparent that college students have a lot on their plates and on their minds. It might not be the worst idea to sign up for a meditation class or take a nice relaxing walk every once in a while. All in all, it is important to remember that it will all work out, and even if Cher dies, you still have an exciting, valuable life to live.
