Worcester, MASS-- Thousands of students across the region are navigating the start of a new semester, including hundreds of college freshmen. Mental health experts said the transition from summer back to school can be a challenge, especially for first-time college students. To help adjust to a new routine or living space, experts recommend freshmen use this time to meet other students and develop a support system. 

"Make sure the first month you stay on campus. Just to kind of get acclimated so you can connect with people, make connections, and know people,” Mahendran Radhakrishnan, a licensed independent clinical social worker at Thriveworks said. “Do your best to do that because everyone else is in that same spot and the more time you spend on campus and around people, you're going to make those connections.”

To help juggle the stress of new classes,  Radhakrishnan said to give yourself time to adjust to a new grading system and expectations.