Academic Anxiety

I have always done my best to maintain a stellar academic record. I took pride in my GPA, in seeing the grades at the end of each term, and being able to maintain a great relationship with my professors. However, it was not easy. In fact, this semester, my anxiety levels skyrocketed and I was able to trace the roots of the spike to my academic stressors. I found myself facing a semester worth of graduate school applications, classes, lab work, and a thesis project, and I was in a constant state of exhaustion. It became harder and harder to keep up with assignments and deadlines that I would have easily met in earlier years. I felt overwhelmed and reached out to the Counseling and Consulting Services (CCS) at OSU. I am so glad that I did. Engaging in therapy helped me work on coping skills and manage my anxiety so that I was able to catch up on my work and actually start meeting deadlines again.

As students, we are expected to juggle so much through college. For many this can be a huge cause of stress. Small amounts of constant stress can also build up over time and push us to a point where the smallest tasks can seem daunting. It is not talked about often, but this is an issue that is much too prevalent among students today. In fact, part of the reason it is so common is because many of us want to portray that we are on top of things and that we are very capable students. Even the most amazing and capable people can struggle from anxiety due to work or school or anything else. I am hoping to talk about it, and my struggle with academic anxiety to let my fellow anxious beans out there know: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

Academic anxiety can present itself in so many different ways. For me, it manifested in a fear of failure and overwhelming thoughts that clouded my motivation. For others it could mean self-degrading thoughts, physical symptoms (quickened heartbeat, sweaty palms), or even avoidant behaviors. The good news is, there are tools and mechanisms we can use to help overcome all these symptoms and manage this anxiety!

The first step is to know where you can go for help. To my fellow students at the Ohio State University, CCS is an amazing resource. They do not just do counseling sessions. They have short workshops and seminars on how to manage anxiety, information on where you can get academic help and more. Another amazing resource for my peers in STEM classes, the Dennis Learning Center. There is almost always a TA or at least other students struggling with the same class that you are in. Two heads are better than one! Last, and I know this can seem intimidating, but talk to your professors! Part of why my academic anxiety felt so overbearing is because I wasn’t asking for help. It can feel really nerve-wracking to email a professor explaining your situation to ask for an extension or to ask for accommodations, but nine times out of ten, the response will be supportive, encouraging and empathetic. It also takes a huge weight off your shoulders to let them know where you are at.

Reach out if you need support! There are people ready to help 🙂

 

Citations:

Understanding academic anxiety – cornell university. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://lsc.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Understanding-Academic-Anxiety.pdf

Nicole J. LeBlanc, M. A., & Luana Marques, P. D. (2019, August 27). Anxiety in college: What we know and how to Cope. Harvard Health. Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/anxiety-in-college-what-we-know-and-how-to-cope-2019052816729

Pizzie, R. G., & Kraemer, D. J. (2019). The Academic Anxiety Inventory: Evidence for dissociable patterns of anxiety related to math and other sources of academic stress. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02684

OSU Counseling and consultation service. Counseling and Consultation Service. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://ccs.osu.edu/

OSU Dennis learning center – study smarter. Dennis Learning Center – STUDY SMARTER. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://dennislearningcenter.osu.edu/

Hello! My name is Ria Kabra. I’m pursuing a major in Psychology and a minor in Substance Misuse and Addiction. The first time I took a course in Psychology was in my last year of high school. After the course, I found my life’s direction to be irrevocably altered. I believed that I was destined for a future in psychology. Two years on, and I am more certain than ever that I want to center my life around my work in psychology. To that end, I have engaged myself in various events to help my holistic development as a budding psychologist.

I’m currently a research assistant at the Language and Perception lab at OSU. I have been a part of this lab for a year, and have gained valuable insight into experiment formulation and data analysis. I have also been lucky enough to be able to brush up on my programming skills while I worked with the lab. I am proficient in Java and Python.

I’m also a member of the Academic Enrichment and Original Inquiry Committee in the Honors Community Council. As a member, I plan events designed to instill a sense of inquisitiveness and a thirst for knowledge in students at OSU. I also use my position on the council to help foster an inclusive and supportive community for all Honors and Scholars students.

In the spirit of nurturing an empathetic and supportive environment, I also participate in many volunteering opportunities and encourage others to do the same. I am very vocal about my support for animal rights and was a part of the core team at Paws for a Cause (PfaC). PfaC is an organization that is very close to my heart. It operates in India and works to help homeless animals find their forever families. I also regularly participate in food drives organized by Feed Columbus to feed food-insecure families in Ohio.

I’m an active member of the Psychology Club, Buckeye Campaign Against Suicide, and DHOSU (Deaf-Hearing Club at OSU). In my free time, I love playing the piano, painting, writing poetry, and swimming.

G.O.A.L.S

As an Honors student, it is very important to me that I fulfill the G.O.A.L.S set forth for me.

In order to better cultivate Global Awareness in me,  I am planning to take a semester abroad in Germany, studying psychology in the place where the very first psychological research laboratory was founded. I am curious to see how cultural differences can cause variances in certain psychological and behavioral aspects of humans.

The main reason I chose to come to Ohio State University is because of the emphasis that they have on research through Original Inquiry. I have already participated in multiple experiments conducted by researchers on campus to get a first-hand perspective on how research is conducted. I also learnt about how surveys are created so that they results may be analyzed and help us reach a conclusion. I am a research assistant in the Language and Perception lab at OSU. I am looking to get involved in a Social Psychology lab soon.

I have joined the Honors Community Council, as a member of the Academic Enrichment and Original Inquiry committee. As a part of this committee, I am not only developing important leadership skills, but also helping Honors students gain access to resources that can help them further their academic and career goals. This experience is teaching me much about creating a community, planning events, and understanding how I can best take advantage of the opportunities offered to me. I am also attempting to challenge myself through my coursework by taking on honors courses in areas of interest to me. I also participated in an internship at a counseling and rehabilitation center called The Reboot Wellness Center. It was an amazing experience and I got the opportunity to watch patients suffering from Schizophrenia, Overeating Disorder, and Alcoholism work on overcoming their conditions. I also got hands-on training in various therapeutic techniques and tips that I now use in my everyday interactions with everyone around me.

In terms of leadership, I can see my skills being developed both in and out of the classroom. From leading class discussions and study groups, to taking charge of events in the HCC I am growing as a person and as a leader. I have also joined clubs like the Boo Radley Society, Students Supporting People with Down Syndrome, and Buckeyes Against Suicide. In each club, I am an active member and am learning valuable skills related to collaborative work as well as being more appreciative of diversity and different backgrounds of people.

As a part of my Service Engagement, I am still working as one of the most active members in a dog adoption non-profit organization back in India. The organization is called Paws for a Cause, and we work to get abandoned, injured and vulnerable animals off the streets and into loving forever homes. I am working on developing a branch of the organization in the United States so that we can expand on an international level. This will help us facilitate more international adoptions if necessary.