I asked some friends and family of mine three questions. I asked “How do you think you are currently in the way of mental health? How’s college affecting you and your health right now?”

My cousin Jordan, a biochemistry major, says that, “College is making my mental health wore for sure. I feel more stressed out and tense.”

My other cousin Lauryn is a health and nutrition major. She says that college has been really overwhelming and draining but she’s trying her best not to get too worked up over it. She said it’s really hard tho.

Alyssa, a nursing major says shes stressed at all times, but is overall coping well…she thinks.

My friend Rhiannon is an English major. She said, “Mental health wise I’m doing pretty poorly and it’s because of a mix of college and work. In order for me to even do my school work I have to pay for school which forces me to work insane hours and its extremely strenuous on my mental health. Even my physical health is lacking because I have no time; I’m never usually at a sit down meal during the week anymore.”

Dara, who is a sociology major, said, “Mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling or mood. Therefore by avoiding the upset state a person can be in is a strategy of being in the way. In college I notived I did become more anxious due to the stress of a new campus vs. high school and classes starting within the semesters. I usually don’t like talking about my feelings at all- I keep everything inside as a very shy person.”

All of these people have admitted to me that their mental health is not the best currently, especially since starting college. Having this big adjustment in their lives really can really take a toll on a person. No one talks about these issues on campuses as much as one would like to think. You go to class, sit there, do the work and that’s it. Everyone ignores these things acting like nothings there- its a blank piece of paper.

The third and final question I asked everyone was, “Now when other people ask you “How are you?” do you usually just respond with “I’m fine”?… Everyone said yes.