When it comes to college, it is typically associated with mostly positive reviews and an eagerness to start a new semester. Many people are ready to see friends, go to parties, and embark on a new year. Whenever I think of going back to college, it comes with crippling anxiety about leaving home, leaving those I love, and the amount of work that I am about to take on. At times it is important to be positive and I do get excited, however, sometimes it just flips completely. One thing I can confidently say is that I am not alone in this feeling. I know many others who feel the same way. I mean hey, you might too. My problem is that so many people talk about how amazing college is and how it’s the time of your life, but they don’t talk about how hard it is. No one mentions how difficult college can be, or how much weight it puts on our shoulders. Forty percent of undergrad college students drop out every year, which to me is quite concerning.
While I am a junior now, my freshman year of college was probably the hardest time in my life so far. No one told me how much I would miss home or how hard everything would get so fast. College doesn’t care how old you are, what you are struggling with, or anything of that sort. College does not slow down for anyone, and if you trip up just a little, it could easily mean that you are screwed for the rest of the semester. During my second semester of freshman year, I fell into a deep depression, which was extremely hard to get out of it. I did terribly in school which made me feel worse. In a sense, it was a cycle of disappointment and being let down. I thought I was stupid. I considered never coming back and had all of those irrational thoughts that most college kids have at some time or another. I find it crazy how much pressure we are supposed to endure and deal with at such a young age. We don’t exit adolescence until we are 21, and normally college students aren’t 21 until junior or senior year. We shouldn’t be forced to grow up, it makes us miss out on so many things. While this is a whole rant of words, what I am trying to say is yes, college is hard. If you’re not in college yet, forewarning it will be difficult. However, that is okay. You can do this. That’s what I needed my freshman year. I just needed someone to tell me that what I was feeling wasn’t crazy. So all I can offer is that you are not alone, college is hard, and WE CAN DO IT!