Kids worry that they will become homesick once they move out. Missing their parents, siblings, home, neighborhood and pets are typical concerns that college freshmen experience, and it is a reality that they must prepare for to make the adjustment a little easier when the time comes. It can be especially scary if a kid is moving across the country to attend a special college. Even if a teen and her parents didn't have the closest relationship during high school, the sudden transition of moving out of the childhood home and into a strange dorm can be intimidating and cause homesickness.
Teens look forward to the independence they will have in college, but this excitement also turns into worry when they think about all of the things they will have to now do on their own. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, banking, running errands and other chores may be foreign concepts to some kids who are used to their parents doing these activities. Going away to college means that now kids are responsible for themselves, and this responsibility often brings with it the worry of not knowing what to do or how to do it.
In high school, teachers often talk about the high standards and expectations that college professors have for students. Movies and media tend to portray college professors as being tough, and most soon-to-be college kids are aware that they will be faced with academic demands that are beyond what they are used to. It is common for kids to worry about the academic stress, and wondering how they will be able to balance a full-time class load, all of the research papers, exams and everything else at the same time. Students with scholarships usually have a particular grade point average to maintain. This pressure produces even more anxiety in the academic arena.
Kids going away to college might worry about whether they will make any friends once they get there. Anxious thoughts like "What if people don't like me?," "What if nobody invites me to do anything?" or "What if I don't meet anyone I like?" are typical for those concerned about their future college social life.