Are you one of the many first year college students with a giant case of freshman fever? No, we’re not talking about the H1N1 virus, or any other physical ailment. What we’re talking about is the feeling that descends about this time of year on many college freshman – the ‘what-am-I-doing here’ blues. If you’re having second thoughts about your college choice, fear not. You’re not alone.

Each year, thousands of college freshmen return home for the holidays riddled with doubts and insecurities. Battling homesickness, the pressure of college academics, the hurdles of establishing new relationships and conflicts with roommates can all add up to a gigantic case of doubt. However, before begin packing up your dorm room and filling out transfer papers, take a moment to evaluate.

Yes, there are some people who appear to make a seamless adjustment to college life, but for many students, the track is tougher.

“You have to find yourself in your institution,” says the dean of a Pennsylvania liberal arts college. “Belonging remains unbelievably important for students at this stage in their lives, so the self-doubt that sets in mid-semester of the first year is generally about belonging, socially and academically.”

For many students, the transition from high school senior to the relative anonymity of being a college freshman can take time. A new environment, with new people, and few familiar touchstones can be daunting. Don’t be afraid to seek advice. Both school administrators and upper-classmen recommend a two-pronged approach: get involved with campus-based organizations and make an effort to get to know your professors. Meeting peers and establishing supportive relationships can be a real tonic. Connecting with your professors will engage you in your classes and refocus your energies.

Another source of the freshman blues can be the overwhelming freedoms and choices college life presents. With so many course and activity options available, it is easy to go into overload.

One college dean likens the freshman experience to being “…offered a drink of water from a fire hose. Whether it’s the 600 student organizations or 70-some majors offered, everything is an option, and students have to learn to engage with that multiplicity. … It takes time to get one’s footing.”

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, make an appointment with your faculty advisor or seek assistance from your college counseling service. Those folks are there to help.

Of course, if you are genuinely miserable there is always the transfer option. However, most college administrators agree with Mabel Freeman, the assistant VP of undergraduate admission and first-year experience at Ohio State University in Columbus.

“We know from all the data that most students will settle into a pattern and be successful,” she says.