This paper looks at the sources of fear among incoming undergraduate students and discusses possible ways to alleviate such fears. The paper reports that, though many students have difficulty naming their fears, several can easily be identified such as fear of the unknown. This fear can be dealt with or forestalled through tours of the campus. Another category of fear discussed is the fear of failure at the college level. Students fearing failure often suffer from low self-esteem and are insecure about the new academic experience. These fears can be addressed at student counseling centers. Many students, the paper suggests, labor under self-fulfilling prophecies of failure or lack of ability. To illustrate how student fears can be addressed, the paper presents a case study of one student who suffered from a fear of failure and low self-esteem with the consequence that she was drastically underachieving and becoming frustrated. With the help of the counselor the student took a fresh look at past performance and established a reasonable "internal yardstick." The paper also discusses the usefulness of Robert Sternberg's identification of 20 stumbling blocks that can impede even the brightest individuals. In conclusion the paper argues for telling students of qualities that define a successful student. (JB)