COLLEGE

ANXIETY

gins with a single step.

- LaoTzu

Johnathan Zhu
Investigation Brochure

A journey of a thousand miles be-

Writing Anxiety:
Understanding the mindset
of the anxious student

Recognizing Signs
Signs and visual cues include:

Not submitting or turning in late assignments

often

Incomplete assignments

Clear inattention to directions in assignments

Disorganized belongings and disheveled appearance.

David: a Struggling Freshman

Situational Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal part of life which can affect
some more than others. It can build up overtime
or strike in response to certain events. During
writing a student may feel:

Intimidated by the longer length requirements

of college writing (Hjortshoj 56-76)

Under pressure due to time constraints

Fear of negative criticism

Emotionally impacted by events outside of

school

A lack of motivation due to irrelevance to their

major or life goals

A student may have some or all of these thoughts

at any given time (Writing Anxiety).

Procrastination is a Side Effect

Students often find themselves stuck in a circle of
these feelings that build up so great that cannot
immediately overcome it. These negative
thoughts bring them into a downward spiral of
more and more negative thoughts until it prevents
them from doing anything at all (Hjortshoj 56-76).

It was clear from the start that David was facing

real life anxiety. He did not bother posting an
introduction of himself on the message board
and explicitly stated that he was a quiet and reserved person in his Narrative Draft. He then
chose to withdraw from the class right after the
start of a partner project. In a conversation with
him, he mentions that he was having trouble
adjusting to the college curriculum even though
he was only taking 13 credit hoursthe bare
minimum to be a full time student. His lack of
participation and minimal class load could have
been signs of serious underlying issues.

Why Anxious Students

Dont Seek Help
Struggling students often neglect or do not seek
support despite having access to free mental
health and counseling services.
Students with poor socioeconomic backgrounds,
a lack of perceived need, being unaware of insurance policies and doubt in treatment have higher
chances of neglecting help (Eisenberg et al. 594601).

Make an Effort To Help

Once you understand how a student struggling
with anxiety thinks, you can engage in helping
them. Help requires time and commitment, sending a student help articles or telling them to get
support does not work. Having someone who they
trust and that will listen is an important tool in
overcoming anxiety.
Remind them that it is normal to face roadblocks
in writing. The reality is that all writers at some
point face some kind of block during the writing
process. For anxiety that extends outside the
classroom, mental health and counseling services
are often free for most university students.

Anxiety, a Normal Thing

Although it is a commonly brought up disorder when discussing feelings, it is not
as prevalent as you might think. Only
1.8% of 17-18 year olds in the US have
been diagnosed with general anxiety disorder (Merikangas et al. 980-89).