Problems

By: Isaac Cortez

   A lot of people say that college can be the  "best years of your life." They talk about the freedom, the parties, and the overall fun you can have. While it sounds great to a lot of people its really not. Many problems happen when you attend college, some are happening to me and many others in many schools around the world, that make it very hard to succeed which are a. These aren't just minor annoyances ( well they can be to some if you are rich ); but they are obstacles that affect my grades, my health, my wealth, and my future.

The Stress of Empty Pockets

Financial struggle is probably the largest “invisible” issue on campus. It’s not just about affording classes; it’s about the ever-increasing price of everything else. I’m pesonally struggling to afford car payments groceries, and. This is a societal problem that almost no one can ignore at some point; it will always affect you.

 As I found Research from Lumina foundation shows that nearly 60% of students struggle to afford their basic needs. For me, this means I have to work extra ours at a job, which takes time away from my studies and my social life. I often feel like I’m failing at school because I’m trying so hard to afford to stay there. It’s a cycle that feels almost impossible to break.

The Loneliness of a Busy Campus

Even though I am surrounded by thousands of people, college can feel incredibly lonely. My school often feels like a "ommuter hub," where people just show up for their lectures and then disappear immediately for work or home, as I do practically every day. Which makes it really hard to build a community or find people who are going through the same things as me.

A study by the Active minds found that a huge percentage of students reported feeling "very lonely" within the last year, around 64,% which is crazy. When yu don't feel like you have a support system or a group of friends to lean on, your self-confidence drops.Since many people lost frends when we all took different paths after high school. It makes you want to stay in your room instead of getting involved in campus activities, which just makes the isolation feel even more permanent..

The Constant Battle with Sleep

One of the bigest problems I face is sleep deprivation. In college culture, staying up all night is almost seen as a "badge of honor," but to me i normally just play video games all night as it helps me relieve stress, but it’s actually destroying our ability to learn. Between late-night study sessions, working a job, and being on my phone for school updats, my sleep schedule is a mess.

According to Science Daily, sleep loss makes it much harder to pay attention and remember what you learned in class. Personally, when I haven’t slept for long enough, I feel like I’m walking through a fg. It makes the stress of school feel ten timesheavier than it actually is. It isn't just about feeling tired; it's about how your brain literally stops processing information correctly when you're running on fumes. Like you are a zombie in this world, just going through motions.

The Mental Health Breaking Point

Finally, all of these problems, the lack of sleep, the lneliness, and the money stress, add up and become a mental health crisis. Anxiety and burnout are at record highs for people my age. We are expectd to be at the top of our game while facing the most stress we’ve ever experienced.

While SDSU doe offer resources, they are often hard to get as many are too scared to ask for help. And according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health, the demand for counseling has grown much faster than the number of staff available to help. This leaves many people waiting for weeks to alk to someone when we are already at our breaking point. Thoughthe school can't fully be blamed alot of us cannot ask for help when we are struggling and always ask when its to late

Conclusion

These issues are all linked together like a chain. If I amstressed about money, I work more if I work more I sleep less if I sleep less, my mental health will suffer. It is crucial to understand that these are systmic issues, not just individual problems that I amcausing. We need to have better solutions from our schools and communities so that college can truly be the “best years” for everyone, not just a struggle to survive