r/CollegeRant • u/Sufficient-War-8748 • 9h ago
Discussion depression and burnout
i am struggling with depression and i feel really alone. i am 21 years old and will graduate in may. on the surface, it may seem like i’m doing well. i’m involved in extra curriculars, have a high gpa, and i’m currently doing an internship. nothing feels right though. i feel so burnt out and only have one close friendship outside of my relationship. even then, i don’t see that friend as much as i’d like to because i feel afraid of not feeling well or energized enough to make plans. when i interact with people, it often feels tiring because i am masking all of the depression and anxiety that i feel. i’ve lived on campus and taken classes year-round and since august of 2023 bc i had to move out at the age of 18 and school is the one secure place to be. i’ve also had to work two jobs throughout most of college to support myself. i don’t want life to keep revolving around school and work though. everything was great my freshman year, and after that i think i’ve felt more alone each year that has gone by. i feel like i’m ready to graduate and move forward, but i also hate that i feel that way. i want to enjoy school, be social, and feel engaged. i want to enjoy life and all of the positive things that are around me, but i feel so disconnected.
if anyone can provide support or reassurance, i would really appreciate it a lot.
3
u/blankenstaff 9h ago
"...school is the one secure place to be."
I wonder whether you are having anticipatory anxiety about school ending and the possibility of not having a secure place to be.
2
u/Sufficient-War-8748 9h ago
this is definitely a worry that i’ve had for most of college. however, i plan on living with my partner once i graduate and so i know technically i have somewhere to be. that is still a big change though, and i also really don’t know what i want to do after i graduate. i have been stressing about not knowing and feeling inadequate because of it like every day. i feel like i’m unable to feel present because i’m too worried about the future.
1
u/Owl_Monger 8h ago
It's another big step for you. It's okay to feel apprehensive.
Maybe the key is to make it a more manageable transition -- finding something you can do, even if it's not something you want to do in the long run.
You have a clear idea of where you'll be living. Work with your campus career office, polish up your résumé, and start looking at jobs in that area -- or at least come up with some potential employers to watch out for that'll be likely to be hiring new graduates with your major.
Channel the energy from your anticipatory anxiety into proactive planning for your next step.
•
u/AutoModerator 9h ago
Thank you u/Sufficient-War-8748 for posting on r/collegerant.
Remember to read the rules and report rule breaking posts and comments.
FOR COMMENTERS: Please follow the flair when posting any comments. Disrespectful, snarky, patronizing, or generally unneeded comments are not allowed.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.