Enjoying this summer was hard. I went down a rabbit hole about how nervous I am for freshman year. The thoughts of classes, the new teachers and a new building consumed my time off. 

Not only is it hard re-adjusting sleeping schedules after summer, it’s especially hard to find the motivation to do anything school related. Going from no routine to having your day packed and planned is the recipe for major whiplash. No matter how much I remind myself it’s 100% normal to feel scared, it does not prevent any school year panic.

My main worry about being back in school is the workload. I am a huge procrastinator. I know my teachers are there to guide me, but few are available at 10:30 p.m. when the assignment is due at 11:59 p.m.

In a perfect world, my anxiety would be fixed by just looking at my schedule. The world isn’t. My brain cannot stop worrying. Over countless grueling hours, I have learned how to distract myself from myself. If I see a class I don’t know or want, I immediately start to panic. I message friends to see if I have classes with them. But, what if I don’t like the class?

School is about branching out and trying new classes and clubs. What’s the worst that can happen? Sure, it might not be my favorite class, but it might be. Why on earth do I make assumptions about it? Don’t wait for an answer, because I still don’t know.

As much as I’m excited for high school, I am terrified. There’s so many unknowns regarding high school and a lot of the time, it’s hard to focus on the positives. All things considered, it is normal to be nervous about a new school and a new year. No matter how anxious you are, don’t let the changes you may not be comfortable with cloud your excitement for the start of a new era.