Genoa, ITALY – Maybe it doesn’t show in psychology texts, but it exists and has a name: it’s called first day syndrome.
The symptoms are fear, discomfort and loss of self-esteem and it can infect all high school freshmen.
Justin Skaradosky/YJI
Being in a new school can be very difficult for students. It’s easy to imagine how much harder it could be if you don’t have any friends with you or if you are afraid you won’t be able to hold up under the pressures of school.
But there is a remedy for this syndrome you can easily take.
If you don’t have any friends in your new class and you are afraid you won’t be able to strike up new friendships, don’t give up.
Even if you think it’s impossible, you’ll make new friends much sooner you can imagine. All new students are very keen to socialize. Once the ice is broken, you’ll find people you can get along with and new friends to face the years with.
But if your problem is holding up under school pressure, don’t be so hard on yourself.
The first months might not be easy, but you don’t have to think you cannot undergo the new rhythms.
All you need is organization and calm. Once you have found the right study method, everything will be all right.
Finally, if you are worried you’ll be missing your “old” friends, you couldn’t be more wrong. Friendship is forever, and even if you don’t meet up with your friends as much as you did before, this doesn’t mean you are no longer friends.
You can see for yourself that first day syndrome is a quickly treatable disease. You just need three basic things: organization, initiative and a lot of optimism!
Eugenia Durante is a Junior Reporter for Youth Journalism International.
