Shock, which protects you from the impact of the death for awhile;
Anger, which may be experienced at being let down by the person who died or when you are looking for someone to blame for the death;
Depression, or feelings of isolation and loneliness;
Guilt, what didn't you do to save the person;
Denial, a process of not allowing feelings to come to the surface;
Fear, not understanding the grieving process;
Sadness, an overwhelming sense of loss;
Anxiety, an inability to concentrate which can become so severe that one cannot function;
Relief, because of the end of suffering the loved one has endured; and
Longing, a sense of wanting everything to return to what it had been.

Not everyone experiences the same feelings or stages, nor with the same intensity. There is no one "right way", no necessary order to stages, nor is there a correct time period for this process. Grieving may progress over a period of two years or even longer, depending on many individual factors, such as depth and length of relationship with the loved one or friend. The grieving process usually consists of the following stages. Note that not everyone goes through all these stages.

Denial and Shock
At first, it may be difficult for you to accept your own dying or the death of a loved one/classmate. As a result you will deny the reality of death. However, this denial will gradually diminish as you begins to express and share your feelings about death and dying with other students or friends.

Anger
During this stage the most common question asked is "why me?". You are angry at what you perceive to be the unfairness of death and you may project and displace your anger unto others. When given some social support and respect, you will eventually become less angry and able to move into the next stage of grieving.

Bargaining
Many students try to bargain with some sort of diety. They probably try to bargain and offer to give up an enjoyable part of their lives in exchange for the return of health or the lost person.

Guilt
You may find yourself feeling guilty for things you did or didn't do prior to the loss. Forgive yourself. Accept your humanness.

Depression
You may at first experience a sense of great loss. Mood fluctuations and feelings of isolation and withdrawal may follow. It takes time for you, the grieving student, to gradually return to your old self and become socially involved in what's going on around you.

Factors That May Interfere with Resolving Your Grief:

Avoiding your emotions
Over-activity to the point of exhaustion
Using alcohol or other drugs to mask the grief
Unrealistic promises made to the deceased
Unresolved grief from a previous loss
Judgmental relationships
Acting resentful to those who try to help

Coping with Loss

TASK I: TO ACCEPT THE REALITY OF THE LOSS.
Coming to terms with the fact that there was a loss is often the hardest task for the mourner. People may try to protect themselves from reality by denying that the loss occurred. It is very normal to hope that you can reverse the situation, however, for most people this is a short-lived illusion and once they accept that they have suffered a loss, they are able to move on to the second task.

TASK II: TO EXPERIENCE THE PAIN OF GRIEF.
It is necessary to acknowledge and work through both the emotional and behavioral pain associated with loss or it will manifest itself through symptoms or other forms of aberrant behavior. Very often you may be confronted with people who can not deal with your situation and therefore give you the messages, "You don't need to grieve," or "You should be over this by now." This reinforces your own defenses, leading to the denial of the need to grieve. By not working through the pain you are telling yourself not to feel, when you should allow yourself to experience the pain?to feel it and to know that one day it will pass.

TASK III: TO ADJUST TO THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THERE WAS A LOSS.
The coping strategy where is to re-define the loss in such a way that it can work to your benefit. For example, losing your job may mean that you are temporarily unemployed, but it may also be a perfect opportunity for you to change careers, go back to school or travel. Failure to adapt to your loss can be crucial. Often times people will work against themselves by promoting their own helplessness, by not developing the skills they need to cope or by withdrawing from the world and not facing up to reality.

TASK IV: TO WITHDRAW EMOTIONAL ENERGY AND REINVEST IT IN ANOTHER RELATIONSHIP.
This final task in the grieving process requires emotional withdrawal from the loss so that this emotional energy can be reinvested in another aspect of your life. Many people find this difficult to do because of the risk of re?investing their emotions and energy in another relationship which might also end in a loss. Although this is often the most difficult task to accomplish, once completed, life can be full and rewarding again.

Other Useful Links:

Life after Loss: Dealing with Grief (U Texas at Austin)

The Grieving Process (SUNY Buffalo)

Grief (U Cincinnati)