Kendall Moffett | Contributing Writer
Growing up I watched all of the coming of age movies that romanticize the college experience to be thrilling, carefree and maybe a grueling exam at the end of the semester. But after a year at FIU, the college experience was nothing like I thought it would be.
As a new student, I didn’t expect it to be easy. However I wasn’t ready for how tolling it would be starting my classes, having a social life and taking care of my mental health.
There were times where I had to sacrifice an event or hang out with my friends so I could catch up with the endless list of homework assignments. If I couldn’t submit an assignment on time or if I missed a deadline I was convinced that I was just being lazy.
I just needed a break from all the school work.
I didn’t realize how much the pressure was affecting me until I dug myself into a hole that was hard to get out of. It’s normalized for students to be consumed by school work that many of us don’t realize how burnt out we are.
But the difficulty of staying productive everyday was making me mentally exhausted. Trying to meet expectations of college life quickly faded away once I was actually living it first hand.
My anxiety was growing from the fear of failing and I was constantly overstimulated from the self doubt that lingered. I continued to avoid anything that made me feel uncomfortable which put me in a vicious cycle.
The crisis of students’ mental health falling victim to academic stress is nothing new.
I joked so many times about dropping out of school because I was so mentally and physically tired. According to a study done by Gallup, 54% of students are more likely to leave higher education due to emotional stress and I can see why.
At the end of the fall semester I realized that things needed to change so my experience at FIU could be better.
Starting my Spring semester, I spent more time outside while doing my work and in return it left me feeling more calm and less anxious about my workload. I also participated in wellness resources around campus such as the Counseling and Psychological Services at BBC, which helped me manage my transition into college.
By learning to navigate my struggles, I was able to embrace all the opportunities around me and approach challenges with a healthier mindset.
Most importantly I didn’t let it prevent me from enjoying everything FIU had to offer to me.
Starting college with unrealistic expectations left me unprepared for the exhausting reality college is but once I learned how to take care of myself, my first year at college was saved.
DISCLAIMER:
The opinions presented on this page do not represent the views of the PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect the perspectives of contributing writers and/or university community members.
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