We’re at that time. The middle of the semester. Yeah, we’re
home for Spring Break. Yeah, our midterms are over. And yeah, we’re probably not giving our best effort.
Professors who let us have our laptops out in class know that we’re not taking notes. We’re on Facebook. We’re on Twitter. We’re texting our friends about what meal number we’re going to get at Chick-fil-A after class.
I’m in a real rut. OCU may be called “Over Committed University,” and I do the same thing week in and week out: I stress and get depressed.
I’ve talked to other students who share my problems with depression. So, why are we so depressed here on campus? In my opinion, there are a couple reasons. If you caught my column last week about social media, you probably know that social media is a huge factor with mental health. But, it’s not the only issue we’re facing on campus.
With the exception of music, business and law students, most of our facilities are in awful shape. Our campus is grey, our housing doesn’t seem up to code for the price and if you live in Cokesbury, the stairs are literally falling apart. The weather is just awful. It’s cold and windy every day. While I consider myself to be a person who loves rain, overcast for three days in a row really messes with my mental health.
Our current political climate is terrifying. The generations before us call us “snowflakes” whenever we raise our opinions. Not only is our President a disingenuous person, he’s a liar. To add to that, our politicians look their accusers in the eye and tell them that they’re lying about traumatic occurrences such as sexual assault, titling their victims’ grief “fake news.” They’re increasing our student debt. They’re telling us the taking of contraceptives and having abortions is unforgivable. They’re telling us being gay is a sin and that we should pay the same taxes that they do while we make fractions in a year of what they make in a month. Yet, we’re supposed to wake up every morning and smile?
College isn’t easy. It’s supposed to weed out the hard workers from the lazies. Yet, it seems that our professors are being a little harder on us than normal. Even in the event of an “active shooter drill,” some of our professors just kept teaching. They were angry with us for the snow days, because it messed with their schedules. They give us unexcused absences in our syllabus yet give us grief when we use them. Our professors all pile on homework at the same time and pretend like we don’t have rehearsals, practices, meetings, work, and social lives.
Life is expensive. I and many of my friends are living from paycheck to paycheck. I’m very fortunate to have help with paying for school from my parents. Some aren’t as fortunate as me. Some of us are paying for school, rent, food, cars, gas, utilities, etc. ourselves. Living from paycheck to paycheck doesn’t promote good mental health. Yet, we continue working double shifts, making a $7.25 minimum wage.
People on this campus are being toxic. Students find it acceptable to play social media games and slander others. This kind of behavior–this bullying–is unacceptable. Especially at our ages. We’re adults now. If you have a group chat or a Facebook group where slander or the belittlement of other students occurs, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate the problems within your own life.
Everything feels overwhelming right now. On a campus like OCU, we deal with a plethora of issues from possibly getting abducted on our own campus to Chick-fil-A opening six months behind schedule. I’m sure to miss out on plenty of other grievances students have, but it all boils down to one thing: it’s worth it.
College is terrifying. It’s difficult. It’s life-changing and life-shaping. We’re going through this depression and hardship so that we can be successful later in life. We’re going to graduate from here and have something that no one can take away from us: a degree.
So don’t give up. If you’re suffering from depression, reach out to friends and family. Pay a visit to our campus counselors! Feel free to contact me in any way you can think! I love to listen. Mental health is not something that should ever be taken lightly.
On a lighter note, Spring Break is here, and I hope that all of us are provided with a much-needed break from Over Committed University. Take this time off to focus on your mental health and have fun with friends and family.
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