Sandego.net – For many students, the first weeks on campus bring an uncomfortable surprise: college can feel far less exciting than they expected. A new academic environment, unfamiliar routines and distance from home can create anxiety even at a school a student once considered a dream destination.

Years of working with college students, along with parenting two students, show how predictable many of these struggles can be. They do not automatically mean a student made the wrong choice, disappointed their family or lacks the ability to succeed. Often, they are part of the difficult process of building a life in a new place.…