Saturday started out promising — I woke up at 1 p.m. to growing piles of snow and decided to enjoy the most unproductive 24 hours ever. I envisioned Netflix, Chinese takeout and a snowman followed by steaming hot chocolate. However, disaster struck shortly when my laptop began continuously searching for a wireless keyboard. The problem? I have never owned a wireless keyboard, and my actual keyboard wasn’t working.
Instead of lounging about for 24 hours, I spent the day turning my computer off and on again — the extent of my technical prowess. When that didn’t work, I called various helplines and stayed on hold for a half-hour — only to be told they could help me “for a fee.” Finally, I admitted defeat and decided to salvage my day with a good book… only to realize all of my books were on my computer.
I’m ashamed to admit this, but I succumbed to a crying jag — the likes of which the world has never known. Was I sobbing simply because of my computer problems? No. My computer breaking was the “straw that broke the camel’s back,” as classes kicking into gear and standard social drama combined to give me the emotional fortitude of a three-year-old.
I know I’m not the only who has momentary breakdowns, and I know my problems aren’t as bad as it gets. Though college is often referred to as the best years of our lives, these years are also trying.
I have spoken many times about stress in college, surprised to find friends who seemed carefree break down and admit to a startling level of anxiety. Some told me they spend so much time worrying about grades and the future that just getting out of bed seems impossible. Others described loneliness and said spending long periods of time away from family and home has been difficult.
Understanding these feelings, I always ask my friends what they do to cope with them. Shockingly, they always say “nothing.” They feel embarrassed for being anything but ecstatic about college life, as though they are doing something wrong. From the outside, it’s easy to assume that no one else has problems, that no one else can empathize with you. However, these are feelings just about everyone can sympathize with, as we have all been in the same situation at one time or another. So don’t keep quiet, because feeling less-than-ecstatic is more common than you think, and there’s always someone willing to talk about it.
Abigail’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at a.lague@cavalierdaily.com.
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