Back-to-School Anxiety

The fresh school year can be exciting to students of different ages. The anticipation of new friends and the meet ups with classmates and friends in the past school year make the opening of classes interesting to them. But to some, the excitement and anticipation is trounced by nervousness and anxiety. This apprehension is clinically referred to as Back-to-School Anxiety.

This condition is common in children who are first-time students, those who are transferring from a learning school to a big school, school transferees, and those who are promoted from a lower grade level to a higher one. Some college students are not spared from feeling jittery and nervousness at the opening of classes. Although back-to-school anxiety can be a normal feeling of adjustment, there are some cases that require clinical attention.

What causes back-to-school anxiety?

A student’s anxiety in the first day of class is a feeling of worry that is multiplied to millions. Some of the things that students worry about include:

Will I like school?

Will I get good grades?

Will I know anyone in my class?

Will I like my teachers?

What if nobody likes me?

What if I do not fit in?

What if I get lost?

When does back-to-school anxiety become a clinical case?

Experts at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Medical Center declare that anxiety that persist beyond the first few weeks of school and that seem excessive require consultation for possible counseling and treatment. Dr. Courtney Keeton, who specializes in the treatment of childhood anxiety and selective mutism says, “If a child’s anxiety is causing a great deal of distress in her or his daily life, or if getting along with family members or friends becomes difficult, normal activities in and outside of school are avoided, or there are physical symptoms like stomachaches or fatigue, these ‘red flags’ indicate that the child’s anxiety should be evaluated by a child psychologist or psychiatrist,”

Tips to ease back-to-school anxiety (Johns Hopkins Medical Center)

Prepare for school routines a week or two before school opening, such preparing school uniforms and school bag. This is a form of conditioning.

Help your child’s emotional and academic adjustment by arranging a meet up with one or more familiar friend or classmate from the past school year.

Visit the school before the opening. Rehearse drop off. Have the child practice walking into class. Spend some time in the playground or inside the classroom if the building is open.

Validate the child’s worry by acknowledging that, like any new activity, starting school can be hard but soon becomes easy and fun.