# Has starting university lessened your anxiety?



## snowpatrol (Jul 29, 2015)

Today I went to an openday of an university here in the Netherlands, and it was actually great, I figured out what I want to study and am really looking forward to it. 
I have a feeling that you can be more yourself as a student, more so than at high school, where you feel the pressure of the cliques to fit in. And now is my question is it true? Do you feel more at peace as a student than at high school? 
Or am I completely wrong to assume that things must got better when you are studying something you like, around people who are more mature, and have similar interests.


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## kivi (Dec 5, 2014)

It's good that you had a nice time there. 

I don't find students more mature there, actually. There are some mature ones there and there're not, as in high school. (Maybe I'll see the difference later)

We used to wear uniforms and had some rules that forbid students to be themselves. Now, there're not rules like these and it's easier for students to express themselves better in my opinion.

I also feel less anxiety and feel more at peace during lessons, maybe it's because I've been using medication, I'm not sure.


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## houseofmemories (Nov 8, 2016)

I'm Dutch too. I do think people can be more themselves at uni, but friend groups will still form, of course. Depends on who participates in activities and lives in the city and stuff. You don't have that many hours at school and lectures where you only listen / make notes don't give much opportunity to make conversation, I guess. 

I never really participated in things at university, so I found it kind of difficult to really make friends. I should have probably made more of an effort to talk to them outside of school as well but yeah...


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## NoEgo (Jul 5, 2016)

It helped me put things into perspective. In high school, there was a sense of conformity and if you were different, you were essentially discouraged for showing it. Higher education showed me that it was okay to be open about things I'm passionate about. I feel like that did a lot for me.

I think a lot of people from my class found that sense of freedom as well. I had no idea how many people in my graduating class watched anime until now. In high school, if you said you watched anime, you'd be ostracized by everybody. Now, I'm having conversations and sharing memes about it on Facebook with kids I knew from school, some of which were jocks. That surprised me.


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## Virgo (Jun 27, 2016)

Well, it never lessened my anxiety. When it was a new situation for me, naturally, my anxiety was very strong. My first days of college I had my mom drive me. Then after a short period of time I actually dropped out of school because it was too overwhelming.

I can, however, definitely confirm the differences between hs and college. It's a much better environment. High school is so cliquey and everyone knows you, making it very difficult to change or better yourself socially. In college, you can just be yourself. It's easier to make friends because everyone feels alone and they want to make friends too. I do think that while many students are still immature af, on the contrary, many of them are more mature.

I love studying my major. I am just stressed out with the workload sometimes and my random surges of lacking ambition. It comes and goes but usually I'm into it.

Overall college > HS. Much better. I changed so much in college, for the better.


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## SusanStorm (Oct 27, 2006)

I hated high school. It was always so important to fit in there and if you didn't you were mocked and bullied. Everyone knows you and there's no place to just be alone. Teachers are watching you like a hawk.

Going to university is definitely better. Feels so much more free and since there are so many students I can be there alone and no one cares. Lots of people are there alone. If people are more depends. Some are and some are not,but better than high school.

Also there are people all ages here so I don't feel weird or old. I went back to studying this semester and thought that I would feel old,but I don't.


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## GettingIntoMedicine (Nov 30, 2016)

Atheism said:


> Well, it never lessened my anxiety. When it was a new situation for me, naturally, my anxiety was very strong. My first days of college I had my mom drive me. Then after a short period of time I actually dropped out of school because it was too overwhelming.
> 
> I can, however, definitely confirm the differences between hs and college. It's a much better environment. High school is so cliquey and everyone knows you, making it very difficult to change or better yourself socially. In college, you can just be yourself. It's easier to make friends because everyone feels alone and they want to make friends too. I do think that while many students are still immature af, on the contrary, many of them are more mature.
> 
> ...


I agree with all of this, I have had a very similar experience.


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## logladies (Dec 8, 2016)

I'm American and live on campus but we have a large student exchange program, mostly from Asia and Europe. My old roommate was from the Netherlands, and a lot of her friends were also. :-/ I could never tell if they were just messing around with me or making fun of me! I kinda got shy and just stopped hanging around...

College has been harder than high school, in my experience. My family is across the country. I don't have money so I don't see a counselor anymore. I don't have a car and I live in a sketchy neighborhood. In high school, I was a bit more outgoing and felt like it was easier to make friends. The classes are more interesting though, and the work is a lot easier to do when you don't have a busy social life.


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