A compilation of several juniors’ and seniors’ freshman-year fears and how they faced them.
I asked seventeen upperclassmen, “What was your greatest fear coming into college and how did you overcome that fear?” These were their answers.
“That I would regret not learning other topics by choosing a specific major. But instead of choosing, I just took on two majors simultaneously, and I am about to add a third.”
Heba Saleh, Class of 2026
“That I was not going to make any friends because I was so far away from home. But I ended up joining several clubs and student organizations, which helped me meet so many of my current friends.”
Bella Herrera, Class of 2025
“That I was going to hate what I was studying. It turns out I do.”
Grant Doolin, Class of 2025
“I wanted nothing more than to honor the sacrifices my family made to get me in college, and to fail in doing so was the biggest fear in my head. Overcoming this was difficult but having my family’s support, as well as taking the initiative to surround myself with good people and asking them for help, has aided in overcoming my fears.”
Ella McHenry, Class of 2025
“That my boyfriend and I would break up, due to maintaining a long-distance relationship. But I overcame that fear by breaking up with him a year later.”
Tammi Morellano, Class of 2026
“That I wouldn’t be able to connect and network with my peers. Being black and queer, I was fearful of going into a community that didn’t look like me. Struggling with social anxiety additionally gave me the fear that I would miss out on those opportunities, and even led me to a small isolation when I started college. Fortunately I found a very supportive friend group and we’ve all helped each other with connecting with other people even when it’s hard. Coming to college mitigated my fears by making me face them head-on!”
Myia Polk, Class of 2025
“That I would be lonely or have a hard time making friends as a commuter student. But I overcame this fear by talking to people and staying on campus after class ended.”
Melanie Bureos-Macias, Class of 2026
“That I wouldn’t have time between my classes and clubs to find my community here. But the thing is that you’ll make a friend group, study group, or a sister in any place, even those unexpected. I never expected that a random lunch meeting, a club or even Greek life would bring me some of the most impactful friendships of my whole life.”
Juliana Voth, Class of 2026
“Figuring out who I wanted to be and who I should be around when I got here. I was generally anxious with the thought of being an individual, while also joining groups all over the place, and what that meant for me. I overcame this fear by reaching out to everybody I could. So many people were so accepting of me that being an individual among so many different groups was second nature. I’ve since been able to meet so many people that were good for me and good to me.”
Alex McCorkle, Class of 2026
“That I wouldn’t know where I would end up in the future even though I had a set ‘path’ to go down. I overcame it by talking with my advisors, faculty, and family, and realizing that it’s okay to not know exactly what you want to do and you don’t need a definite answer all the time.”
Nevaeh Goudeau, Class of 2025
“Dying under massive amounts of homework and studying. To fight this, I broke my studying and homework sessions into smaller pieces instead of doing it all at once at the last minute which I would do back in high school.”
Jessica Abdo, Class of 2025
“I think my biggest fear was getting into a lot of debt and I overcame it by working my butt off in classes and my workplace, by applying to a lot of scholarships, and by not being afraid to ask for extra financial aid from the school if I felt like I needed it.”
Hannah Moua, Class of 2025
“That I wouldn’t make strong connections or find my own community. Whenever I came to TU, I realized I didn’t need to worry about finding either. Because of the way TU is set up by class size or class opportunities the community finds you and you can meet amazing and kind people.”
Jordan Keast, Class of 2025
“My greatest fear was failing in college. I did end up failing, but I always picked myself up and kept persevering until I graduated. Now I’m back for my master’s.”
Shelby Hiens, Class of 2025
“My greatest fear was disappointing my parents. I ended up disappointing my parents, but life went on.”
Alex Soeder, Class of 2025
“Since this was my first time in America, my biggest fear was not knowing anyone and being constantly homesick. I overcame this fear by not going home, and toughing it out til the end.”
Emily Bell, Class of 2026
“I have no fears. I’m the ultimate academic weapon. Everyone else who submitted quotes should just try harder.”
Sofia Carreno, Class of 2025
