Dominique Kent/Staff Writer
Team building. Trust exercises. Communal bathrooms.
Are you frightened yet? I was.
These were the building blocks of my experience at Panther Camp last summer. The thing is? It’s not as traumatic as it sounds.
For those that don’t know, Panther Camp is a three-day-long camp for incoming FIU students meant to introduce them to the FIU culture and help them make friends. Chances are you or someone you know has gone or will go through Panther Camp. But if you’re like me and suffer from crippling social anxiety, then these environments have the potential to be miserable for everyone involved.
That doesn’t have to happen, though. Panther Camp can be a great experience, even if you’re struggling with mental illness. And with the next session starting on Friday, Jan. 17, here are a couple of reasons why you don’t need to panic when the day arrives.
The first is this — you’re not going to get lost in the crowd. Panther Camp splits you into small groups with individual facilitators, so don’t worry about dealing with people invading your space. It’s a more intimate setting than it sounds.
Second, you have people you can go to for help. My suggestion? Be communicative. Your facilitators are there to make sure everyone has a positive and safe time. Pulling one of them aside and letting them know if you’re struggling might seem overwhelming, but they don’t bite and it’s a good thing to have people in your corner who know what you’re going through.
Finally, Panther Camp is a good practice run for the rest of your college career. There’s a reason it takes place at the beginning of your first semester; it’s a transition into college, a way of making friends and a place to develop the skills to survive four (give or take a few) years at the university level.
If you’re going to survive being a college student with social anxiety, you’re going to have to find tips, tricks, and tools to help make your way smoother. Panther Camp is the place to learn how to manage your anxiety in tricky situations, how to relate to others, how to communicate and how to let yourself have a good time even when you’re worried about your mental health.
All the things you learn at Panther Camp can be stretched to cover the rest of college life. Most importantly, there are many, many people on this campus responsible for helping you – from the Disability Resource Center to Counseling and Psychological Services, from your teachers to your fellow students – just like the facilitators you’ll have over the weekend.
At Panther Camp next week, there are ways to have fun and do well despite having anxiety. It’s a great experience, no matter who you are or what you struggle with.
Try out these tips, and I wish you the best Panther Camp ever.
Featured image by FIU Panther Camp on Flickr.
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