By Julissa Sanchez, April 27, 2021
Going to college for a better tomorrow is a dream most parents push on their children, especially first-generation students. However, is going to college for everyone and is it too late to ask for help when struggling?
When I was first accepted into the universities I applied to, my biggest worry was whether I wanted to accept a loan and move across state — away from the life I knew — or if I wanted to stay nearby and have everything paid for while still seeing my childhood friends every weekend.
Today, my biggest worry is if these past five years have really been worth it and if it’s too late to ask for help.
When I first stepped foot on campus on my first day of class in summer 2016, I had a future envisioned; today, as I sit here typing this piece, I ask myself when that vision changed.
Like most college students, I had a “four-year plan” in mind and thought that by the time my name was called on commencement day, I would be walking away with a job and living the life my 18-year-old self planned.
However, this is where most students usually go wrong. Some students don’t stop to think whether they will graduate by the four-year mark or think to apply to jobs within their field while still in school to gain some experience for when graduation comes around.
Take it from me, it is best to take it slow and prepare for the worst, and never fear asking for help!
When I say prepare for the worst, I mean know that the classes you need to graduate won’t always be available. Know that being waitlisted does not always mean you will make it into the course, and that schools have the right to change the system from quarters to semesters, or from in-person to virtual instruction.
School used to be easy for me; now I have come to find out the hard way that things don’t always go as planned.
When fall 2019 came around, I thought I was one semester away from graduating but I never stopped to check my degree progress report. Turns out I was missing required courses that held me back another year.
This semester has been a true wake up call for me. I am so close to the finish line but at the same time I am not and instead of saying, “Oh, well” and throwing all my time here down the drain, maybe it isn’t too late to ask for help.
Being a college student full-time or even part-time can take a toll on one’s physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
With all the change and pressure happening this school year, on top of my daily life, I willingly admit to falling into a moderately severe depression and now have mild anxiety simply because I haven’t been brave enough to ask for help.
Know that there are many resources out there, each one serving a different purpose. We pay for some of them in our tuition so take advantage of it and, if not, there are plenty of free resources out there and finding them is as easy as opening Safari on your phone.
Remember, don’t throw away an option just because it did not help somebody else. Give it a try first and then be the judge.
You can always open up to a counselor, advisor or friend but until you admit you need the help and finally speak up you won’t see a change. Take it from me, a fifth-year college student who was ready to give up —it is never too late to ask for help; it will get better.
