My room is a mess. My clothes aren't folded. Almost none of them are even washed. All my dishes are dirty, and not a single pair of shoes are sitting in my shoe bin. There are papers on my couch, you can't see my desk, and there's a bag of stale chips next to my bed.
An accurate representation of depression in college.

I get my homework done – just enough to get by. I stress about my classes, study for seven hours, and then stress some more. No matter how much I study, the work isn't good enough, and the comprehension just isn't there. Assignments, studies, projects, tests, extracurriculars, friends, and more. 24 hours isn't nearly enough. An accurate representation of stress in college.

I can barely pull myself out of bed for classes; and, sometimes I just can't at all. When I actually do, I crawl into the corner of the lecture room and hope we don't have to do a group assignment. Who the hell would I do that with? Sometimes, I just get to class and turn back around, sending an email saying I was sick. I just can't face it. An accurate representation of anxiety in college.

I put on sweats, and somehow head to class. My hair's a mess, but at least I'm going, right? I laugh every time I say, "I want to drop out," even though all of me wishes I could. I tell myself, "If I fail, I fail. It's whatever," knowing full well I couldn't manage a failing grade. I hang out and laugh with friends, just to pretend like I'm not drowning in homework. I have to take naps just to shut my mind off for a little bit. I get up every day and do it again. An accurate representation of "faking it" in college.

Through the many years we will be spending in college, I think it is highly important that us, ourselves, recognize the significance that mental health plays in our education. College is great fun.. except when it's not. Especially in college, the struggle is all too silent. Friends are so distracted by when you'll be hanging out, or when you'll get drunk with them next, that they fail to see what's really going on. Sometimes, we feel that our stress is just normal college stress when in reality it could be far more than just normal. We put our mental health on the backburner because we "have a test this week that can't be failed," or "I don't need sleep, I just need to finish this assignment." Sometimes, we're the last ones to realize our symptoms, what everyone else sees, and sometimes, we're the last ones to realize that what we're feeling isn't normal. Mental health is so important, and in college, we need to make it a forefront.

Be kind to yourself. Take breaks. Treat yourself. Talk to somebody. Be conscious of your emotions. Be alert. Reach out to somebody. And always remember: treat yourself how you would want others to treat you.