need advice on transitioning to college w anxiety
i'm an intl student from asia about to do my first year of undergrad in the us and i can't stop getting anxious and crying whenever i'm alone. i move in tomorrow, and was spiralling pretty much the whole plane ride here because i keep thinking about how far away i am from my family and home since saying bye to them at the airport 😭 i even went to a summer program abroad in the us last year that made me feel the same and very stressed, but by the end it ended up being great and really important to me even though i had a lot of issues. i don't want to repeat that again when i'm alone in my dorm, i get severe anxiety symptoms like not being able to sleep or eat at all and it's genuinely hell. the repeating thoughts that i won't be able to see my family until break which is then only gonna last a few weeks makes me feel sad and guilty for being away, but at the same time i try to keep telling myself that i've always wanted to study in the states and i've always planned to build a life here.
if anyone else has had a similar experience w mental health stuff, could you let me know how you dealt with it, or any general advice about acclimating in a foreign country would help. thanks :,)
Posted Aug 14, 2026, 12:30 AM UTC