With the end of semester looming, students face the sometimes daunting task of finals. For those that are freshman, this may be the first time they take large tests that hold so much weight on their grade. Seeing as most people want to pass, the fear of failing can be hard to cope with. At the same time, these same students face being away from home for the first time and find themselves being surrounded by an entirely new group of people, all while trying to find themselves. Students that battle depression can feel like they are battling a constantly losing fight every day. With finals slammed on them, they have to find ways to fight with this newly added weight.

Finals are tests that come at the end of semester, and sometimes these tests can be the turning point grade for a class. Although not all classes have physical tests as their finals, most do and testing can be hard for some. People battling with mental health have to find new ways to study or make time for their preparation for finals. Those people with depression find it hard to do simple, everyday tasks, so fitting in time for finals can be very challenging to achieve. Some ways to do this are to find other people to study with or to make studying a part of daily routine; this is a good way to help beat the idea of ‘making time for studying’ because there is already a set time.

Students in college have an abundance of obstacles they have to overcome other than just schoolwork. For some, it is their first time away from home; these students are trying to become more independent as people but also balance schoolwork. Students face every day, mundane tasks that come with being an adult, i.e. doing laundry or cooking meals, when they are on their own for the first time. Being away from home can be freeing in many ways, but for some it can be extremely difficult. College students who leave home already battling depression have to face these challenges as well as trying to keep up their mental health. These challenges just increase when the end of the semester comes around. Students have to prepare themselves for going home for break, meaning they have more on their plate: packing, studying, and working if they want to save money for the holidays.

The college experience opens up people to many things but especially the idea of independence. At college, students usually begin to discover the answer to the long wondered question ‘Who am I?’. This is exciting for most, but what about those who cannot find themselves? Battling depression makes one question everything about themselves, and seeing everyone else finding themselves when they are struggling only enlarges the problem. At the end of the semester most people have already found their ‘pack’, for those that haven’t connected being alone as they leave for the holidays can be very discouraging.

Why is this important? Depression can lead to life-threatening situations, such as when people feel so low they no longer want to go on the worst can happen. Every life matters, especially college students; these students are the future of the world and will continue to impact the society we live in as they continue their education and reach their eventual careers.

How can we help? In these situations, especially at the end of the semester, help is needed. Remember to reach out and check on peers. When people struggle, they might feel alone. Being a warm smile when needed is life changing. Being educated on subjects such as depression can allow people to know how to handle situations where people need help.

Every life matters. If you ever feel down or depressed there will always be people there to listen. Reach out and let them help.

U.S National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 800-273-TALK (8255)

U.S. Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988