So far during my time in college, it hasn’t been so easy. I am in debt because I did not get enough support from financial aid, couldn’t pay for books with the little aid I was given, and I realized I had to take out more loans to pay almost $500 for two books we have barely touched. Another thing I have been struggling with has been food insecurity. Some days, I don’t eat lunch at school specifically because I can’t afford it. While my campus does have free snack packs for students, it isn’t available to students like me who take night classes. I have had to choose between eating meals, buying warm clothes, or paying my bills. While it is difficult to choose between them, the reality of the situation is that I’d prefer to be a bit hungry than not have proper clothes for the cold weather or be late on my payments.
Administration claims they want their college to be stress-free, but it is far from it. I have never been more stressed in my life! Balancing homework, my job, senate, extracurriculars, and my personal responsibilities, I have no time for self-care. This has been damaging to my mental health, as I have recently been diagnosed with depression and anxiety, which I believe is directly correlated to college stress.
With all these problems, I am scared to know how long this will go on. I just want it to stop.