#first-year-challenges

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Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
2 hours ago

The hardest thing about being the calm one in a family is that your steadiness becomes load-bearing. Everyone leans on it, nobody asks what holds it up, and the day you finally crack, people don't comfort you. They panic. Because your collapse threatens the architecture, and the architecture was always more important than you were. - Silicon Canals

The calm family member often bears the burden of emotional labor, managing others' feelings while suppressing their own.
Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
2 days ago

Some people don't fear failure. They fear succeeding and then being expected to sustain it, because the version of them that achieved it was running on adrenaline and desperation, and the person who shows up on Monday is someone quieter who doesn't know how to replicate what the emergency produced. - Silicon Canals

The fear of success stems from the pressure to replicate high performance, not from a desire to avoid good outcomes.
#uc-berkeley
East Bay real estate
fromKqed
4 days ago

UC Berkeley Offers Freshmen 2-Year Housing Guarantee With New Dorms | KQED

UC Berkeley will provide two years of guaranteed housing for incoming freshmen, addressing long-standing accommodation issues on campus.
East Bay real estate
fromKqed
4 days ago

UC Berkeley Offers Freshmen 2-Year Housing Guarantee With New Dorms | KQED

UC Berkeley will provide two years of guaranteed housing for incoming freshmen, addressing long-standing accommodation issues on campus.
#ai
fromBusiness Insider
1 month ago
Higher education

I'm 18 and plan to study computer science in the fall. AI won't scare me away - here's my plan.

Studying computer science and staying at the center of AI offers the best chance to remain relevant amid job displacement and accelerating industry concentration.
fromFast Company
2 days ago

What to do after a life-defining mistake

The only thing worse than making a mistake is keeping it bottled up inside. Learning from the mistakes of others could help you embark on the healing journey of sharing and working through a mistake of your own, with someone you trust.
Books
#friendship
Relationships
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

How to Cultivate Adult Friendships

Negative beliefs about rejection hinder relationship building, while consistent interactions and practicing social skills foster connections and reduce anxiety.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

I'm 34 and I've started noticing that the friends I made in my twenties loved the version of me that was convenient for them. The version that said yes, split the bill when I couldn't afford it, and never made my problems anyone else's weight. Growing out of that person cost me half my contacts and none of my peace. - Silicon Canals

Social circles can shrink as people evolve, reflecting personal growth rather than failure in maintaining friendships.
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago
Relationships

I'm 37 and I watched my friendships disappear one by one - no fights, no drama - and then I realized it was me who changed - Silicon Canals

Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

The friends you made between 19 and 24 know a version of you that your current partner, your therapist, and your coworkers will never meet. And the grief isn't about losing those friends. It's about losing access to the person you were with them. - Silicon Canals

Friendships formed between ages 19 and 24 serve as an identity archive, reflecting a version of oneself that no longer exists.
Relationships
fromBuzzFeed
1 month ago

21 Unexpected Things People Started Experiencing In Their 30s, From Painful Friendships Shifts To "Second Puberty"

Spontaneous in-person socializing has declined; people now schedule gatherings like meetings and many experience reduced friendships and increased isolation.
Relationships
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

How to Cultivate Adult Friendships

Negative beliefs about rejection hinder relationship building, while consistent interactions and practicing social skills foster connections and reduce anxiety.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
6 days ago

I'm 34 and I've started noticing that the friends I made in my twenties loved the version of me that was convenient for them. The version that said yes, split the bill when I couldn't afford it, and never made my problems anyone else's weight. Growing out of that person cost me half my contacts and none of my peace. - Silicon Canals

Social circles can shrink as people evolve, reflecting personal growth rather than failure in maintaining friendships.
Relationships
fromSilicon Canals
1 week ago

I'm 37 and I watched my friendships disappear one by one - no fights, no drama - and then I realized it was me who changed - Silicon Canals

Friendships can fade as individuals change and evolve, often without conflict or clear reasons for the loss.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

The friends you made between 19 and 24 know a version of you that your current partner, your therapist, and your coworkers will never meet. And the grief isn't about losing those friends. It's about losing access to the person you were with them. - Silicon Canals

Friendships formed between ages 19 and 24 serve as an identity archive, reflecting a version of oneself that no longer exists.
fromBuzzFeed
1 month ago
Relationships

21 Unexpected Things People Started Experiencing In Their 30s, From Painful Friendships Shifts To "Second Puberty"

London politics
fromwww.bbc.com
3 days ago

'Years at strict school's sixth form were worst of my life'

Mossbourne Community Academy's strict culture has led to emotional abuse and lasting negative impacts on students' wellbeing.
Retirement
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

I'm 66 and I spent forty years trying to stay positive through everything - and what I actually created was a life where nobody knew me well enough to notice when I was drowning - Silicon Canals

Staying positive can lead to hidden struggles and emotional isolation, as individuals often mask their true feelings to appear strong.
fromwww.npr.org
4 days ago

Homesick in a foreign country, a teenager meets a lifelong friend

"I could understand the language somewhat, but I was terrible about speaking it. My accent was terrible. People could not understand me," Deiaco-Smith said.
Arts
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 hours ago

Why Today's Young Men Seem Trapped

Young men face a crisis of identity, struggling with anxiety, depression, and confusion about manhood due to societal pressures and lack of personal power.
Education
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

7 Words to Say When Your Child Shuts Down About School

Kids often shut down around schoolwork due to anxiety, and supportive communication can help them re-engage.
#parenting
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
1 week ago

My Son Has Suddenly Developed an Alarming Attitude Toward School. I Don't Recognize Him.

Understanding the reasons behind a teenager's disengagement from school is crucial for effective parental intervention.
Parenting
fromSlate Magazine
1 week ago

My Son Has Suddenly Developed an Alarming Attitude Toward School. I Don't Recognize Him.

Understanding the reasons behind a teenager's disengagement from school is crucial for effective parental intervention.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
3 days ago

Why Making Friends as an Adult With ADHD Can Feel So Hard

Adults with ADHD often find forming genuine friendships challenging due to neurological factors affecting attention and emotional intensity.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 days ago

There's a specific kind of loyalty that keeps people in jobs, cities, and friendships years after the reason they stayed has disappeared. It's not inertia. It's that leaving would require admitting the time already spent wasn't building toward something, and that admission costs more than staying another year. - Silicon Canals

People remain in unfulfilling situations due to the fear of admitting past investments were unproductive, not because of passivity or fear of change.
Mental health
fromNature
4 days ago

Struggling to focus on research when the world is 'on fire'? Some ways to cope

Global news events are causing burnout and mental exhaustion among researchers, impacting their work and personal lives.
Education
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

The Senioritis Pandemic

Senioritis results from Expectancy-Value Theory imbalance: when college acceptance or diploma outcomes become certain, the perceived value of remaining schoolwork collapses, causing motivation to decline.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
5 days ago

People who keep their circle small aren't antisocial. They genuinely learned that intimacy and popularity are opposing forces, even though loneliness occasionally shows up as the cost of admission - Silicon Canals

Intimacy and popularity are competing pursuits; small social circles reflect a natural structure of human relationships, not a failure of social development.
Relationships
fromBuzzFeed
1 week ago

People Are Sharing "Young Person" Habits They Adopted That They Now Swear By

Older generations are adopting habits from younger generations to stay relevant and connected.
fromPsychology Today
3 weeks ago

When School Traditions Hurt

While events such as "Mother's Day Crafts," "Daddy and Daughter Dances," and "Grandparents' Breakfasts" are often planned with good intentions, they can unintentionally leave some children feeling invisible and serve as another painful reminder that their lives have changed forever.
Parenting
#introversion
fromSilicon Canals
2 weeks ago
Mental health

I'm 37 and I just realized I've been calling myself an introvert for twenty years when the truth is I'm just exhausted from spending my entire life accommodating other people's need for constant noise - Silicon Canals

Mental health
fromSilicon Canals
2 weeks ago

I'm 37 and I just realized I've been calling myself an introvert for twenty years when the truth is I'm just exhausted from spending my entire life accommodating other people's need for constant noise - Silicon Canals

What someone labels as introversion may actually reflect accumulated exhaustion from lifelong accommodation of others' needs rather than an inherent personality trait.
Mental health
fromFast Company
1 month ago

How to make friends when you're an introvert

Introverts can build meaningful friendships and feel fulfilled by removing pressure and using strategic approaches, as close friendships significantly impact physical and mental health outcomes.
Careers
fromwww.mercurynews.com
1 month ago

Harriette Cole: On the verge of graduation, I'm as confused as any freshman

Career clarity develops through action and exploration rather than perfect planning; focus on finding entry-level opportunities aligned with your interests and skills while remaining open to growth.
Psychology
fromCornell Chronicle
1 week ago

A stable sense of purpose helps teens navigate life's challenges | Cornell Chronicle

Teenagers' sense of purpose fluctuates daily, and steady experiences of purpose may provide the most benefits during adolescence.
Mental health
fromCornell Chronicle
2 weeks ago

Self-esteem, openness to LGBTQ peers helps all high schoolers | Cornell Chronicle

Inclusive high school environments reduce anxiety for LGBTQ students and benefit all peers, while strong self-esteem protects LGBTQ students from heightened ninth-grade anxiety.
Miscellaneous
fromIndependent
1 month ago

Ask Allison: My daughter is making friends in secondary but I keep projecting my awful school experience on to her. Help!

Excessive questioning about a teenager's friendships can create anxiety and undermine their confidence in social relationships.
fromPsychology Today
1 week ago

Why Do Some Girls Form Deadly Pacts?

Isabelle Valdez, 15, and Lois Lippert, 14, were accused of plotting to murder a classmate, with Valdez admitting to planning to use a knife found in her backpack. In an apology, she expressed feelings of being 'disgusting, cruel, and useless,' indicating deep-seated issues.
Psychology
Marketing
fromExchangewire
1 month ago

Dig-In Deliver A 'Refreshing' Start to Uni Life

Dig-In delivered 200,000 'Refresher' bags to UK students with branded samples to drive awareness, trial, and long-term brand affinity.
Psychology
fromPsychology Today
2 weeks ago

Are You Easily Offended?

Being easily offended resembles allergies: while healthy offense-taking protects self-worth, oversensitivity damages relationships and careers by misinterpreting minor issues as serious threats.
Higher education
fromBusiness Insider
3 weeks ago

I'm anxious about my daughter's college applications, so I'm often nagging her. I'm now trying to save our relationship.

College admissions have become significantly more competitive, with students applying to more schools while acceptance rates decline, creating increased stress for both teens and parents.
fromBusiness Insider
4 weeks ago

I played hooky from work - and it taught me a lesson about community

We're also spending less time with friends. For years, Americans averaged about 6.5 hours a week with friends. Between 2014 and 2019, that number plunged by 37%, to just 4 hours. The year 2014 coincides with a rise in smartphone users.
Relationships
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Why Time Increasingly Matters in Adolescence

Time is life-time, and increasingly young adolescents want to determine how their lives are personally spent. The outcome for parents is that they can feel rushed by youthful demands, while it can take more time for them to get what they requested.
Parenting
Relationships
fromSlate Magazine
1 month ago

My Niece Is Feeling Left Out During Her First Year of College. The Reason Why Is Breaking My Heart.

A biracial college student struggling with racial identity and belonging needs supportive guidance from family members who understand the complexity of mixed-race experiences.
Higher education
fromTODAY.com
3 weeks ago

Most College Kids Skip This 1 Simple Habit. An Expert Says It Can Help Land a Dream Job

Building meaningful relationships with professors, advisers, and mentors during college is more important for career success than grades and resumes alone.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
3 weeks ago

The calmest person in your friend group is almost never calm. They're performing a version of steady that they learned when being visibly distressed made things worse for everyone around them. - Silicon Canals

Calmness often reflects learned emotional suppression from childhood trauma rather than natural temperament, creating adults who excel at containment but lose touch with their own emotional needs.
fromUnHerd
1 month ago

The teenage-boy proving ground

The teenaged boy was the victim of what local news sources called a "social-media challenge" or "TikTok stunt" gone awry. He'd been with a group of friends who were filming the exploit, and who fled the scene without calling for help for fear of getting arrested - though, naturally, they also immediately posted video of the accident to social media.
New York City
fromQueerty
2 months ago

Help! Should I take this spicy college secret to my grave or confess to my ex? - Queerty

"Turns out, Steve's brother...Tony, also went to the same college as I did, and in a similar department," X writes. "Steve then jokingly asked if I've ever met Tony or hooked up with him, to which I said honestly, \"probably not, since it's a big school\" and brushed it off since his name and description didn't ring a bell."
LGBT
fromNature
3 weeks ago

My PhD student is stuck. How do I teach them perseverance and problem solving?

From my own graduate work, I know that it's only when you hit an experimental roadblock that you get to refine your hypothesis and hone your technical skills. But my new graduate students feel like they've failed when their first experiments don't work as planned. It takes a special kind of perseverance to be an independent researcher, and I see this lack of confidence in many of my students.
Higher education
fromBusiness Insider
1 month ago

I graduated from college 6 years ago and have already moved 10 times. I never thought my post-grad life would be this unstable.

Growing up with limited money, I always viewed college as a safety net, an investment that would set me up for immediate success. I started saving for tuition in high school, worked full-time in college to avoid student loans, earned straight A's, and did all I could think of to guarantee financial success. I felt financially secure for a short time, but everything changed when I graduated.
Relationships
Online learning
fromThe Walrus
2 months ago

The Secret to Making Friends at University? Ask Introverts | The Walrus

COVID-19-era digital communication created intense, codependent friendships that carried into in-person school and made moving to university emotionally challenging.
Mindfulness
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

How to Sleep During a Time of Chaos

Political stress elevates arousal and racing thoughts, disrupting sleep; protecting sleep through grounding techniques is essential self-care for sustaining regulation and resilience.
#college-mental-health
Higher education
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

How Perfectionism Can Undermine College Mental Health

Perfectionism affects 65-84% of college students, creating harmful cycles of overwork, procrastination, and chronic stress that damage both achievement and mental well-being.
Higher education
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

How Perfectionism Can Undermine College Mental Health

Perfectionism affects 65-84% of college students, creating harmful cycles of overwork, procrastination, and chronic stress that damage both achievement and mental well-being.
#student-loneliness
Careers
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

No One Asked, But You Delivered: You Pre-Interviewed Yourself

Apply to appealing jobs rather than self-screening; employers will evaluate fit, so create reasonable applications and avoid pre-interviewing yourself.
Psychology
fromSilicon Canals
1 month ago

Why the friends who check on everyone are usually the ones who learned that nobody was coming to check on them - Silicon Canals

People who compulsively check on others often developed this behavior from childhood emotional neglect, using hypervigilance as a survival mechanism that persists into adulthood.
Higher education
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

The Pressure of Pre-Med

Medical school admissions require extensive academic credentials, extracurricular activities, and documented experience, creating significant pressure on pre-med students who increasingly take gap years to complete these requirements while maintaining healthy habits.
Education
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Study Skills That Help Smart Students Who Still Struggle

Students develop learning through teachable skills—planning, monitoring, persistence, and strategy adjustment—applied across subjects, not merely innate traits.
fromSlate Magazine
1 month ago

My Son Is Wasting Away His Youth in the Same Way as a Lot of Young People Right Now. I Need to Snap Him Out of It!

Your son is in the exact same position as so many young adults today. As a professor who loves talking to her students-a large majority of whom are 20 to 25-I know just how much COVID has taken away from their ability to connect with people. So, there have to be other young adults in your area who are also looking to widen their social circles.
Parenting
fromInside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
1 month ago

Go Ahead: Hang Your Paper on Your Office Door (opinion)

A tweet can travel far, but it cannot spark a spontaneous conversation in the hallway. Conferences offer in-person engagement, but they are infrequent and often exclusive or too busy. Hanging a paper on your office door? That's immediate, local and quietly powerful. It is a symbolic gesture that brings your research into the physical space of the university, something rarely done in today's digital culture.
Higher education
fromSlate Magazine
1 month ago

Help! When My Kid Became a Teen, Suddenly the Inevitable Hit Me. There Was One Way to Recover.

I'd suggest counseling first before looking into possible avenues of having another child at this point in life. Learning and experiencing that your children are growing up as you planned and knowing that active parenting doesn't end at age 18, but continues for many years as your children seek your knowledge and wisdom, helps take the edge off feeling abandoned or no longer needed by your kids. -Robin
Parenting
Relationships
fromBusiness Insider
2 months ago

I moved in with my partner after college. No one told me how much I'd miss living with my best friends.

Moving from a tight-knit college house to living with a partner produced unexpected grief and longing, prompting a gradual effort to embrace the present.
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Connection Matters in Coping With Campus Violence

Recovery from crisis is non-linear; simple, genuine connection and tailored coping strategies support resilience and growth amid overwhelming emotions.
fromSlate Magazine
2 months ago

I Need Something More From My Son's Already Overworked Teacher. I'm Scared to Ask for It.

I have an 8-year-old son who is autistic and non-speaking. He is in a special education class in our city's public school system. Our system is notoriously underfunded, but I've always felt that the teachers and therapists really care about the kids. I think he is getting what he needs out of school, and he is always happy to go (and happy to come home). But I'm not getting what I need.
Parenting
Mental health
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

More exam stress at 15 linked to higher risk of depression as young adult study

Exam stress at age 15 increases the risk of depression, self-harm, and suicide attempts into early adulthood.
fromInside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
1 month ago

Rethinking First-Generation Labels

Although higher parental education is associated with stronger student outcomes over all, the report found significant variation in completion rates within each parental education category. Among applicants classified as first generation-defined as students whose parents did not complete a bachelor's degree-six-year completion rates range from 58 percent for students whose parents have no college experience to 78 percent for those whose parents both hold an associate degree, a 20-percentage-point gap.
Higher education
Higher education
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Should You Let Your College Student Live at Home?

Living at home reduces college housing costs but often limits independence, campus engagement, and the full on-campus developmental experience.
fromPsychology Today
1 month ago

Love in the Time of Deadlines

Valentine's Day is out there with fire, arguing about who forgot what, and pretending not to look at who clicked on your Instagram story. Every year, in a big way, the day reminds us that we are all still very committed to love, maybe even irrationally so.
Relationships
Mental health
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

Why Confidence About Puberty Matters for Teens

Middle schoolers with higher confidence in managing puberty experience fewer depression and anxiety symptoms, regardless of age, gender, or pubertal timing.
Relationships
fromwww.theguardian.com
1 month ago

We offered my friend a room to help her out, but four years later she's still living with us

Homeowner needs to set formal terms, seek legal advice, and have a firm conversation requiring the lodger to follow the agreed plan or move out.
Relationships
fromBustle
1 month ago

My Girlfriend Just Moved In With Me... But I Think We Should Break Up

Don't immediately break up and evict a partner who just moved in; pause, own the decision, and work through normal relationship dissatisfaction.
Mental health
fromNature
2 months ago

Student mental health is in crisis - here's how to help

University students face rapidly increasing mental-health disorders while a minority receive support, with pronounced access gaps in low- and middle-income settings and among ethnic minorities.
Higher education
fromPsychology Today
2 months ago

How to Set Up a Better Spring Semester for College Students

Set clear financial boundaries, organize essentials, schedule tasks, and focus on process, support, and realistic goals to reduce stress and sustain progress.
fromInside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs
2 months ago

Increased Sense of Belonging Boosts Student Graduation Rates

The survey measured belonging by asking students to rate their agreement with the statement "I feel that I am a part of [school]" on a five-point scale, where 1 means strongly disagree and 5 means strongly agree. Students who rated their sense of belonging in their second year one step higher on the five-point scale than they did in their first year-such as moving from neutral to agree-were 3.4 percentage points more likely to graduate within four years.
Higher education
Higher education
fromSlate Magazine
2 months ago

College Enrollment Is on a Steep Decline. For Incoming Freshmen, There's One Unexpected Benefit.

Colleges are expanding admissions offices' roles to guide accepted students through complex post-acceptance logistics to improve enrollment and student transitions.
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