So I’m about to enter the eleventh grade this year, in September, and I’ve started thinking about university and what I want to study; however, my OCD has been hard regarding the uncertainty revolving around the question of whether or not I’ll actually get into the university I want to get into. I don’t know how to deal with the stress! Does anyone have some tips? Thank you so much.

Applying to schools is so stressful. I think the important thing to remember is that no matter what schools you do or do not get into, you’ll be okay. If you don’t get into your first choice you will of course feel sad, but you can deal with that sadness. You can still go to another school. And I can tell you as someone who did not go to their first choice: I don’t regret it for a second. I loved my college experience and I wouldn’t have wanted to go to any other school. It ended up being perfect for me, even though I couldn’t see it when I accepted and decided to go. And remember: you can always work hard wherever you go and transfer. There are so many back up options and things to explore. Don’t get caught up in one idea of what will be “right.” There are so many “right” things out there for you.

Me too! I will be starting 11th this year as well. The fact to keep in mind is that fate is everything. There are people who got perfect score in SAT or ACT, perfect GPA with loads of extracurricular activities and couldn't even get into a decent college. The first biggest challenge is identifying which stress or anxiety is OCD related and which is not. You already know that this stress is coming from OCD so you should not be bothered by it. You know this stress is not legit, or rational as this is OCD making you stressed out so you should just ignore it altogether. Even if you can't, just tell yourself you dont care about this stress and dont be bothered. And at the end of the day, just persevere in your hard work by thinking that even if this stress keeps bogging your mind, you will just gonna persevere in your hard work. Getting into college is not about the ability or talent but how much work and dedication you have put into it. People not smart enough but enough hard work has made to their dream colleges. Just persevere and dont get bothered.

Thank you so much, this helped a lot, honestly. There’s also just the constant doubting of my academic ability that doesn’t seem to go away! So I’m going to be trying some exposure for it soon, hopefully it helps in the long run.... It’s hard when your mind is so set on something you obsess over it for so long, you know?

Take everything one step at a time, and have someone there to help remind you if deadlines. Applying to college is a long and hard process, but the year will fly by before you know it. If you’ve been trying hard these past 2 years, just keep it up and I’m sure things will work out, and if they don’t, then who knows? Maybe that degree wouldn’t have done much and you avoided student loans, or maybe you go to a college you didn’t intend on, and you get your gen ed’s out of the way for cheap on a scholarship then transfer to the university you really want to go to. They make it seem like junior year is where everything happens and it’s some kind of point of no return, but truth is you’ll never be out of options even after you begin college, so don’t give up on the things you want to do because of a couple bad grades or test scores. Colleges take on students they believe will thrive on campus, so if you don’t get into that dream school then maybe where you end up isn’t a mistake but an opportunity, as it can give the ability for you to stand out rather than feel like the dumbest person in the room all the time (which would be awful going to a school surrounded by stuck-up rich kids who don’t know what it’s like to have to TRY to get where they are because everything just came to them naturally ?). Also speaking as someone who just finished freshman year of college, I really think no matter where you end up the people you interact with will have the biggest impact on how satisfied you are with your situation. The ability to be surrounded by good people with similar goals to yours is something you can find at any college, so don’t sweat it too much if the dream school you want to go to doesn’t work out, as being with like minded individuals who support you is something available to anyone regardless of where they end up. I had a lot of OCD related problems that caused heavy procrastination and fears in high school related to college, but everything had a way of working out in the end. I truly wish the best of luck to you this next year. Go gators?