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As a college student there are multiple challenges that you will face and one of the biggest ones is your ability to maintain your mental health. Mental health issues are often intertwined with the experience of being a college student. There will be periods of uncertainty where you may feel academic stress and it’s best to talk to someone about it. According to the American College Health Association (ACHA) Spring National survey “Over 55,000 undergraduate students revealed that approximately 76% are experiencing moderate to severe psychological distress” (Bryant, Welding). The causes for these issues could be a range of reasons such as loneliness, financial stress, and or personal struggles. 

Since the month of May is about Mental Health awareness, I wanted to bring to light the issues that some college students face and how they overcome them. In the pursuit of academic success, finding friends may not be high on the priority list. It’s hard to meet new people you can trust especially if you move away for college. All of these factors can play into loneliness and it could cause students to have FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). The best way to combat this is to put yourself out there to make new friends. When you interact with people you will start to realize that others are going through the same thing. Jessica Lei, a Junior majoring in Nursing at California State University, Bakersfield learned how to manage her time to better her mental health. The main thing that helps with Lei’s mental health is engaging with her friends. “Holding in your stress can deteriorate your mental and even physical health, so it’s best to reach out to the people closest to you for help,” said Lei. It is also important to take time to yourself and do some things that you might enjoy.