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Joseph Rezabala
Professor Boutin
English 1201
15 November 2023
Overwhelmed

Since August, my first semester has been going pretty well. I've been super

excited about the new things coming my way. I’ve been looking forward to this day since I

started high school, finally entering adulthood. When the day finally came, I saw all the new

things and opportunities that were given to me straight off the bat when I entered the school year.

But as things started getting real, reality hit me hard. It was clear that college was not the same as

high school after seeing other people, such as my friends, stressing out and getting overwhelmed

by all the changes.

As a freshman in college, I can admit that there are several reasons why myself and other people

find ourselves overwhelmed. Firstly, the transition from high school to college can affect a lot

of students because most people still think they are in high school. According to the University

of North Carolina documentary: "College students commonly experience stress because of

increased responsibilities, a lack of good time management, changes in eating and sleeping

habits, and not taking enough breaks for self-care ("UNC"). In high school, there were certain

expectations and workloads we were used to. But in college, everything seemed to be on a whole

new level with workload, expectations, and responsibility.

Secondly, social adjustments are challenging for all freshmen. However, commuters have it

worse than those who live on campus. In high school, your house and friends were right there
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next to you. But in college, everyone is from different places - some dorming and others

commuting. For me personally, it's difficult to make more friends since the semester started

because I live far away and work part-time. I don't have much time to stay back and

socialize with activities happening on campus. According to the “CUNYverse documentary:

Rebecca Cooper Smith,” life doesn't work that way on a commuter campus; it becomes even

more challenging to meet friends ("CUNYverse"). My schedule is focused on school, homework,

babysitting, work, and sleep. It's not easy to socialize around here, but I must make it work or I'll

be lonely forever, just kidding.

Lastly, personal challenges are getting harder for me and other freshman students. Now that I'm

beginning to enter adulthood, I can see why my parents always say, "Joseph, enjoy these four

years of high school because it's not as stressful as what's outside." With my parents no longer

fully in charge of me, I need to manage a lot of things like finances, making healthy choices, and

coming to terms with the fact that my parents won't be here forever. I must straighten up and

learn to deal with things on my own. Right now, all I think about is money and school, if I have

enough money to buy certain things or pay for my monthly car payment because it gets me from

point A to B. According to "CNBC News: Miguel Badia," college students are constantly

thinking about money ("CNBC"). On top of that, some parents pressure their kids to do well in

school while still adjusting to this new environment.

In conclusion, myself and other freshmen experience significant stress due to various factors

such as academic pressure, social adjustments, and personal challenges. As a freshman myself, I

can attest to the significant stress many of us experience due to academic pressures, social

adjustments, and personal challenges. To help alleviate some of this strain, colleges should
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provide supportive environments with resources like counseling services and mentorship

programs. These resources can be instrumental in helping us navigate through the challenges and

make our college experience more enjoyable and fulfilling.

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Work Cited

Badía, Miguel. “How to Manage Stress about Money While You’re in College.” CNBC, CNBC,

21 Sept. 2022, www.cnbc.com/2022/08/09/how-to-manage-stress-about-money-while-

youre-in-college.html#:~:text=College%20students%20are%20always%20thinking,their

%20personal%20finances%20at%20school.

College Stress.” Learning Center, 25 July 2022, learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/managing-

college-stress/#:~:text=College%20students%20commonly%20experience%20stress,for

%20most%20first%2Dyear%20students.

“Making Friends in a Commuter College.” CUNYverse,

www1.cuny.edu/mu/cunyverse/2023/03/17/making-friends-in-a-commuter-college/

#:~:text=It’s%20a%20major%20blow.,more%20challenging%20to%20meet%20friends.

Accessed 15 Nov. 2023.