As seniors in high school begin to count the days to graduation, they are able to look back and think of what has prepared them for college. Having the same daily schedule, seeing the same places and faces can make the transition to college extremely difficult. In college, you are fully on your own. You choose what classes to take and when to take them, you choose what you eat from the dining halls or make in the kitchen and you support yourself when things get rocky.
Freshman year is always new and exciting in the start. Until a couples months in, you are beginning to feel the rush deteriorate and reality of college demands set in. Most people will tell you that freshman year is the hardest because you are on your own for the first time. Supporting yourself mentally and physically is now completely up to you. Freshman year is always the hardest because everyone has to adjust and get acclimated to the new environment.
Personally, my experience was different. Freshman year tested me mentally, but not nearly as much as my sophomore year has so far. Freshman year made me question my confidence with my academics, lifestyle and desires. It was a hard year to get through, but I made it. Now, being somewhere I love, you’d believe that I don’t need to spend so much time caring for my mental health. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
Sophomore year has been a struggle for my mental health as I have taken on so much work that I don’t have time to fully relax anymore. I realize this now after I have commited to so much, but it’s still an important lesson to learn. Another struggle in my second year is that; classes are beginning to pick up steam and my upper level courses are becoming more and more demanding. With two clubs, fifteen credits and possibly two jobs, I have my hands full. I may have possibly bitten off more than I can chew.
But that’s what college is about. College is a time to learn limits and likes. What are you passionate about doing, what do you hate, what can you handle and what do you find unhelpful? Although college can be especially difficult on mental health, we create a better version of ourselves each year. Life can suck and it can rock but what matters is making it through.
Life is a gift, even though it doesn’t always feel that way. Taking care of your mental health in college is a task that we all learn to handle. My main advice is to keep pushing on