Have you ever had one of those days where nothing seems to go your way? Your bike gets a flat, you brought the wrong notebook to school and all of your teeth fall out. I have those days all the time, in my dreams, of course.

For those who are novices to the dream world, our sleepy-time fabrications are oftentimes influenced by real-world circumstances. Triumphs, failures, ambitions and anxieties all come into play during a dream-filled night of sleep.

The life of a college student is a perfect storm of stress with a constant flow of assignments, exams to study for and loans to wrack up. This can give way to all sorts of bizarre dreams.

There are common and reoccurring dreams amongst stressed out students. Almost everyone gets them and tries to overcome them. I chalk this up to everyone’s mind being a little bit twisted.

I’ve compiled a guide to interpreting some of the most common, yet unsettling stress-induced dreams that college students run into, with the help of James R. Lewis’ “The Dream
Encyclopedia.”

Teeth falling out

Teeth are a symbol of power and control in the dream world. Thus, loss of teeth often reflects a loss of control in one’s life.

Now it’s no mystery why every conversation I have regarding what I plan on doing with my English degree is promptly followed by a dream world handful of pearly whites.

Falling dreams

Falling is one of the most commonly experienced phenomena in anxiety-based dreams. According to “The Dream Encyclopedia,” a falling sensation is associated with failure. A “fall from grace,” so to speak.

Students who find themselves plagued by falling dreams are likely in the thick of test season. Their fears of passing this midterm or that final exam have likely followed them into their self-deprived sleep cycles, thus landing them in a metaphorical pitfall.

Public nakedness

I’d be willing to bet a hefty chunk of financial aid that every college student has experienced the naked-in-public dream at least once in their lifetime.

Whether it is an anxious nightmare peppered with shame or a liberating adventure with a hint of exhibitionism, the naked dream seems to be a uniting factor in every college student’s life.

Nakedness, when paired with embarrassment or anxiety, often reflects fears of vulnerability. This vulnerability can be in regards to one’s own identity, a tightly locked-away secret or anxiety over sexuality.

Looking back on this last Halloween, I do recall experiencing a strange influx of naked dreams. Although it brought up some issues of personal insecurity, m

Zachary Phillips can be reached at [email protected] or @ZachSPhillips on Twitter.