OPINION: ‘What? Like it’s hard?’
By Alexia Aleman
Bridge Staff Podcaster
Published Thursday, April 4, 2024
For the last three years, my life has revolved around school. It has mentally, physically and emotionally drained me.
Adults—I mean the older, mature, wiser adults, because if we want to be technical, I am an adult, and truth-be-told, I am not wise—think we’re lazy, irresponsible and do nothing with our lives. Never mind we have lectures, homework and we have to study, do countless assignments, read all the assigned readings and do all that for each class—five classes total.
Bridge Podcaster and Staff Writer
Oh! Some even have real jobs.
We have to maintain healthy relationships and friendships, balance school with our social life but “It’s not that hard.”
Yes, it is.
I want to meet the person who mastered the art of balancing school, life, relationships, friendships, family, etc. all at once.
Our early 20s are a whirlwind of emotion. Love, heartbreak, anxiety, depression, etc. It doesn’t help that society puts all these expectations on us.
We’re barely learning to be adults, yet society expects us to know everything or have everything figured out. I mean c’mon. I’m trying not to fail; don’t ask for more. I genuinely cannot give you more.
I’m no psychologist. I’m not even a psychology major or in the medical field. I’m just an English major who knows more about books than she does about life.
I can say, though, that the number of times my friends tell me, “I’m in the middle of a mental breakdown,” or “I can’t do it anymore,” is concerning. Hell, I say it like thrice a week.
Keep in mind we’re all like 20-22. We shouldn’t be this burned out. Older adults would ask, “What do you have to be sad about?” or say “You’re too young to be depressed.”
It’s not like I want to be sad. It’s not like I enjoy having breakdowns in the middle of the day. They’re horrible. I don’t think any college student enjoys the emotional and mental toll college takes on us.
It’s hard. It’s crazy. College is a whirlwind of emotions. They’re indeed the best years of our lives while also being the worst. It’s a balance, I guess we just have to find a way to manage it all.
I was barely starting to manage it, and now I’m two months from graduating. But, I survived.
